| Annie Proulx(1935-)is a great female writer who has dedicated herself to the advancement of American literature.She began her literary career in her fifties at the end of the 20 th century and has produced numerous great works.Meanwhile,she garnered the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Shipping News.The novel mainly tells a story of Quoyle,who is frustrated in his life in New York,goes back to his ancestral house in Newfoundland with his daughters and aunt Agnis.Proulx sketches a harmonious and happy life to express her longing for an “organic community”where people are willing to offer a helping hand to those in need.When talking about Annie Proulx,the public readers only remember her writing of place,but overlook her “community impulse” that is implied in her works.Adopting Ferdinand Tonnies’ idea of community,this dissertation aims to investigate the role of the community in the progress of human civilization as well as the operating mechanism of a community in the novel,seen in the manifestations of crises,causes for the crises and ways to defuse the crises.This thesis primarily discusses the external manifestations of the crises.Taking into consideration the unfair treatment that family members experience and the incestuous tradition in the Quoyles,the novel highlights the absurdity of “community by blood” where family members are physically united by blood.In the context of globalization,both abrupt changes of outward surroundings and internal imbalance signify disunity of “community of place.”Members’ a sense of alienation and a loss of identity suggest that “community of spirit” is on the verge of collapse.The focus then shifts to the causes.Based on Tonnies’ binary opposition of “community” and “society,” chapter three explores both the internal causes and external factors that hinder a community from thriving.This thesis argues that the crises are essentially rooted in conflicting views among members.Adopting Tonnies’ critique of the radical development of the Industrial Revolutions,the thesis reevaluates the role of capitalism in the progress of human civilization and its impact on nature,in which communal life can never last long in the blind pursuit of profit maximization.This chapter also reveals that members have a disregard for education.An unsound educational system can not only hinder individuals in their all-round development but also prevent the public from creating an organic community.This thesis finally probes into members’ new perceptions on communal life.Due to the frequent conflict between individuals and the collective,public attention is paid to emotional communication among members and to the construction of a deep community.In the context of industrialization with which people suffer a loss of faith and identity,the writer asserts that to reconstruct shared belief is to preserve excellent cultural heritage,reconsider the commensal relationship between man and nature,and reexamine the emotional tie between humankind and place.Members’ psychological problems become commonplace as a consequence of a deficiency in education;thus,Proulx highlights the substantial value of a sound educational system,including mind cultivation,basic education,and vocational training,for the formation of an organic community.Through Tonnies’ construction of community,the thesis argues that The Shipping News,transcending boundaries and thinking out of the box,outlines a new type of community with the characteristics of openness,inclusiveness,and sustainability—a community with a shared future for mankind that respects differences and diversity and encourages negotiation and sharing.In a certain sense,this can provide a novel perspective on interpreting literary works with themes dealing with the conflicts between,and integration of,individuals and the collective,tradition and modernity,and humankind and nature. |
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