Modernity and nothingness: on the multiple images of "wanderers" in Modiano's novels
现代性与虚无：莫迪亚诺小说中的“游荡者”形象研究

摘要

游荡者不仅是文学的形象，更是现代性批判的一个重要符号。2014年诺贝尔文学奖得主莫迪亚诺作品中的游荡者形象深刻揭示了二战后巴黎人的分裂、虚无的精神世界。目前，学界对莫迪亚诺小说中的‘游荡者’形象的分析与批评仍然薄弱。本文拟从本雅明的‘游荡者’概念入手，先辨析‘游荡者’概念与巴黎这座现代都市的内在关联，再借用莫迪亚诺的采访与小说创作说明了‘游荡者’形象与巴黎的互动在其创作中的关键地位。之后，文本从莫迪亚诺的多篇小说中典型的两种“游荡者”形象入手，基于文本细读与符号批评的方法，分析人物的游荡行为的表现与其内在动因：二战后的虚无。以虚无的内在根源揭示出莫迪亚诺通过刻画现代人的记忆危机，引发人们对于现代性的反思的意义。

Abstract

The wanderer is not only the image of literature, but also an important symbol of modernity criticism. The image of wanderers in the works of Modiano, winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature, deeply reveals the divided and nihilious spiritual world of Parisians after World War II. At present, the analysis and criticism of the image of "wanderer" in Modiano's novels are still weak. Starting with Benjamin's concept of "wanderer", this paper first analyzes the intrinsic relationship between the concept of "wanderer" and the modern city of Paris, and then explains the key position of the interaction between the image of "wanderer" and Paris in Modiano's interview and novel creation. After that, the text starts with the two typical images of "wanderers" in Modiano's many novels, and analyzes the performance of the characters' wandering behavior and its internal motivation: the nothingness after World War II based on the methods of text close reading and symbolic criticism. With the inner root of nothingness, it reveals the significance of Modiano's reflection on modernity by depicting modern people's memory crisis.