摘要
《芒果街上的小屋》是由美籍墨西哥裔女作家桑德拉•希斯内罗丝所著的中篇小说。小说讲述了成长于芝加哥墨西哥裔聚居区芒果街的墨西哥裔美国女孩埃斯佩朗莎的所见所闻以及一点一滴的感悟。诗化的语言、浅显的文字以及深刻的内容不仅吸引了大量的读者，英语论文题目，也受到国内及国外批评界的极大关注。在小说主题方面，探讨者们主要从埃斯佩朗莎的成长经历、奇卡诺人的身份追寻以及父权批判等角度入手。然而无论是哪个角度，基本上都是略论埃斯佩朗莎为主。而这部小说并不仅仅是埃斯佩朗莎一人的故事，尽管她是主角。作者以埃斯佩浪莎的视角向读者展现形形色色的美籍墨西哥裔。肤色、贫富、性别乃至相异的传统、习俗和信仰让他们察觉到了自己的“他者”身份，并因此而焦虑不安。
本文在现有探讨基础上，从埃斯佩朗莎和她所见的每个人出发，整体考虑小说中出现的各色人和“等待”、“房子”等意象来探索小说的主题。芒果街上的人们在夹缝中生存，自由受到极大限制，只能在“等待”中积蓄力量，坚守希望。小说中出现多次的属于自己的“房子”即是他们对自由的渴望与对身份认同的寻求。然而自由不仅意味着解除约束，意味着心灵的自由与解放，还意味着有足够的力量去捍卫族裔自我的尊严和幸福，意味着责任。小说最终章的那句“离开是为了回来”实际上就完美地诠释了小说对于自由与责任的主题。作为芒果街上的人们的代表，埃斯佩朗莎希望能够离开芒果街。离开其实并不仅只是身体的解放，更是心中放下对“他者”的恐慌。并且离开不意味着“逃跑”，等待未知的明天也绝不是“回避”，只有直面自己的身份与恐慌，才能走向彻底的心灵自由与解放；而“回来”便是责任，强大是为了能够回来帮助族裔们解脱。
关键词：《芒果街上的小屋》，他者，房子，自由，责任
Abstract
The House on Mango Street, written by Mexican-American writer Sandra Cisneros, is a story about a Chicana Esperanza’s experience and feelings on Mango Street. The poetic language, simple words and profound insights have attracted a great number of readers. And a wide public concern was raised throughout the critical circle both abroad and at home. When it comes to the novel’s theme, most literary critics read it as coming-of-age experience of Esperanza, Chicanas’ construction of identity and critique of patriarchal structures. Nonetheless, almost all the analyses focus on Esperanza’s experience alone and ignore other characters and aspects of the novel. Yet, the novel is not only about Esperanza, though she is the protagonist. Through Esperanza’s eyes, the author shows readers varied Chicanos living in American immigrant community. Differences in skin color, gender, language and social status as well as in culture made Chicanos anxious about the identity of “the Other”.
The present thesis is a study of Esperanza and Chicanos living on Mango Street, an exploration of the theme of The House on Mango Street through an analysis of those people and the images of “waiting” and “house”. People living on Mango Street, who are in a predicament, have very limited freedom. They seem to be waiting for something. Waiting gives these people the chance for change, bringing them the hope for a better life and better world. They are accumulating enough strength while waiting. And the image of “house” indicates their longing for freedom and sense of responsibility. “I have gone away to come back” reveals the theme of this novel. Going away neither means to cut the rope which ties the balloon to the anchor nor shows escape; rather, it means facing the reality and accepting it calmly. Rather than getting freedom in body by leaving Mango Street, Esperanza, on behalf of people living on Mango Street, gets more freedom of soul as the result of her clear understanding of her present ethnic identity as “the Other” and her determination to come back to shoulder her responsibility of helping her own people in overcoming their panic in facing the identity problem.
Key words: The House on Mango Street, the Other, house, freedom, responsibility
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