11.-postwar-period--saul-bellow

POSTWARFICTIONThefictionoftheSecondWorldWarwasdeeplyaffectedbychangesinthehumanviewpointwhichinvolvedalossoffaithinlifeitself,cynicismabouthumanvalues,afailuretoachievepersonalidentity,andindividualitydwarfedbythemassivepowerofnonhumanthings.Mainwritersofwarfiction:JohnHersey，Hiroshima《广岛》(1946);NormanMailer,TheNakedandtheDead《裸者与死者》(1948);JamesJones,FromHeretoEternity《从这里到永恒》(1951);HermanWouk,TheCaineMutiny《该隐号兵变》(1951)；JosephHeller，Catch-22《第二十二条军规》(1961)KurtVonnegut，SlaughterhouseFive《第五号屠宰场》(1969)；Thenewsubjects--thewarandthedailylifeofpostwarAmericans--weretreatedinwaysthatbynowhadbecometraditional:realisticdetachmentandattentiontodetailwereoftentingedwithnaturalisticdeterminismandoverlaidwiththefragmentationsandpsychologicalprobingofmodernism.OneofthemostsignificantpostwardevelopmentsforAmericanliteraturewastheappearanceofamatureandlivelymulticulturalism.MAINSTREAMMULTICULTURALISMJewish-Americanliteraturewassuddenlyabundantandvibrant.AtitsforefrontweretwoNobelPrizewinnersrepresentativeofalatetwentieth-centuryphenomenon,theenrichmentofAmericanliteraturebysignificantwritersfromabroad.SaulBellow(June10,1915–April5,2005)Forhisliterarycontributions,BellowwasawardedthePulitzerPrize,theNobelPrizeforLiterature,andtheNationalMedalofArts.HeistheonlywritertohavewontheNationalBookAwardthreetimes,andtheonlywritertohavebeennominatedforitsixtimes.“wittytongueandpenetratinginsightintotheouterandinnercomplicationsthatdriveustoact,orpreventusfromacting,andthatcanbecalledthedilemmaofourage”Peoplecanlosetheirlivesinlibraries.Theyoughttobewarned.”Agreatdealofintelligencecanbeinvestedinignorancewhentheneedforillusionisdeep.Ifeelthatarthassomethingtodowiththeachievementofstillnessinthemidstofchaos.Astillnesswhichcharacterizesprayer,too,andtheeyeofthestorm.IthinkthatarthassomethingtodowithanarrestofattentioninthemidstofdistractionDanglingManTheVictimTheAdventuresofAugieMarchHendersontheRainKingHerzogMr.Sammler'sPlanetSeizetheDayHumboldt'sGiftthemetheproblemsofthemodernurbandwellerinthesearchforidentity;personal,humanneedsamidstthedisastersanddislocations混乱,断层,错位ofourtime;individualityvs.conformityrevolvingaroundJews,SauldepictedthecontradictoriesbetweenspiritandmaterialHisheroesarerootless,orrootedtoapastthatnolongerseemsrelevanttothepresent.Surroundedbyfriendsandacquaintanceswhoadjust,wholearntoconform,theyseektobeindividualsinaworldthatappearstohavelittleroomforindividuality.Convincedoftheneedforfreedom,theydonotknowwheretoseekitexceptonpathsthatleadoftentolonelinessanddespair.Yetthereisalsoanaffirmationintheirlives.Hemmedinonallsidesbysociety,theycontinuetoasserttheworthanddignityoftheindividualhumanspirit.Bellow'sworksspeaktothedisorientingnatureofmoderncivilization,andthecountervailingabilityofhumanstoovercometheirfrailtyandachievegreatness(oratleastawareness).Bellowsawmanyflawsinmoderncivilization,anditsabilitytofostermadness,materialismandmisleadingknowledge.PrincipalcharactersinBellow'sfictionhaveheroicpotential,andmanytimestheystandincontrasttothenegativeforcesofsociety.OftenthesecharactersareJewishandhaveasenseofalienationorotherness.LookingforMr.Greenthe3rdpersonnarrationcontrastandironySymbolismRealismSymbolicmeaningofMr.Green:(greenUSAdollar)black,handicap,disabled,rippled,livedinaslumofChicago.Mr.GreenreferstopeoplewhobelongtothedowntroddenclassInmodernsociety,identityisestablishedbymoney(TheequalizationisdefinedbyFieldwhotriestocreateablackmillionairebysubscription).Thisisthetruthofthestory.Moneycancreatesrespect,Field(actingasaspokesmanlikeapolitician)embodiesideaofwealth,andtruth.Heknowsapersoncannotwinrespectuntilhisexistencerecognized.Incapitalsociety,peopleareencouragedtoconsume,sopeopleareaftermoney.Onedoesnotexistifhedoesn’thavecapital.Moneyprecedesidentity,respectinaconsumingsociety.Itwasgettingsothatpeoplewerefeeble-mindedabouteverythingexceptmoney”.Money-makingisaggression.That'sthewholething....peoplecometothemarkettokill.Theysay,'I'mgoingtomakeakilling.'IsaacBashevisSinger,borninPoland,immigratedtotheUnitedStatesin1935,wroteinYiddish,wonaninternationalaudience,andwontheNobelPrizein1978,twoyearsafterBellow.TheFamilyMoskat(1950)TheManor(1967)TheEstate(1969)TheMagicianofLublin(1961)SinceRichardWrighttherehasbeenacontinuoussuccessionofbrilliantblackwritersinmanyfields,butamongnovelistsandthinkersRalphEllisonandJamesBaldwinwerelongpre-eminentandestablishedreputationsinaccordwiththeirmerit.AliceWalkerTheColorPurple(1982)；ToniMorrison'sthirdnovel,SongofSolomon(1977),establishedhercredentialsasawriterwithaFaulkneriangraspofcharacterandimagery;herNobelPrize(1993)recognizedherplaceamongtheforemostwritersofhergeneration.