1、悬念用法Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audiences perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead up to a big event or dramatic mome
2、nt, with tension being a primary emotion felt as part of the situation. An audience expects something bad to happen (because they have (or believe they have) a superior perspective on events in the dramas hierarchy of knowledge), yet they are powerless to intervene to prevent it from happening. In t
3、erms of narrative expectations, it may be contrasted with mystery and surprise.Abstract Suspense is an important element of writing. Its special feature, as the English dramatist, William Archill said, “to predict a very attractive state of affairs without telling it out.” On suspenses forming, the
4、English critic, David Lodge has incisive recapitulation,” To set forth a question and postpone the answer.” To be exactly, that is, to stress a main, unusual situation. And there is enough time and space left for readers to imagine. Daphne du Maurier brings skill of suspense into full play in her mo
5、st famous novel Rebecca .In it; she sets forth a series of suspense, including both full-text suspense and partial suspense. Moreover, smaller suspense have mutual relations in or among each level. This kind of arrangement not only because the motive force which helps the plots develop but also draw
6、 readers to read and guess what is in the next step. This article expounds the special skill using a series of suspense in Rebecca and its artistic effects. And then,the novels design.Key Words Rebecca; suspense; Manderley; implications.【摘 要】 悬念是一种独特的文学结构形式,其重要特征,用英国戏剧理论家威廉阿契尔的话说,就是“预示出一种十分吸引人的事态,却不
7、把它预叙出来.”对于悬念的形成,英国当代小说批评家戴维洛奇曾作过精辟的概括,即“提出问题,延缓提供答案”.具体而言,就是突出不同寻常的情境并延缓批露底细,使其呈明显的悬而未决的状态.达夫妮杜穆里埃在蝴蝶梦(原名吕蓓卡)中充分发挥悬念这一独特的文学结构形式的优势,设置了一系列悬念,这些悬念不仅成为推动故事情节发展的内在动力,而且极大地刺激读者的阅读兴趣,给读者带来了独特的审美感觉.本文从结构上探讨作品别具匠心的悬念艺术,以助于更好的欣赏作品中的悬念。此外,从创作手法的角度剖析了文中一系列悬念手法产生的非同一般的艺术效果,指出这种手法在全文篇章结构中的重要作用。【关键词】吕蓓卡;悬念;曼陀丽;暗示
8、1. IntroductionThe English female writer, Daphne du Marrie had been a member of the Royal Society of Literature. She had written 17 novels and tried more than 20 kinds of styles in literatures writing, Daphne lived in Cornwall, a country on the Atlantic coast, North England, for a long time. Most of
9、 her works set background in the local conditions and customs. As a result, “Cornwall Novel” is given as a name for her works.Being deeply influenced by Gothic Novel, which is famous for its mystery, curiousness and terror, Daphne wrote her works with plots full of twists and turning.Any one who has
10、 read Rebecca, the most famous novel written by Daphne, will never forget those dismal and constrained scenes and horrible imaginations. However, the specific feature of this novel is its using lots of suspense carried through the whole story. This has made its plots intricate but well-knit and soul
11、 stirring.Add to this, Alfred Hitchcock filmed Rebecca in 20th century, considered as one of the well-known suspense films.Suspense is an important skill of writing. It is also an singular design of literature writing. Its special feature, as the English dramatist, William Archill said,“ to predict
12、a very attractive state of affairs without telling it out.” 6Usually, it sets forth a question and postpones the answer. To be more exactly, that is, to stress a main, unusual situation. And there is enough time and space left. The reason of causing the situation doesnt appear at once.In this novel,
13、 Rebecca, there are 3 levels of suspense.In the opening sentences of the book, Manderley is noticed. The lines of describing the heroines dream are full of misgivings and mystic.“As I stood there, hushed and still, I could swear that the house was not an empty shell but lived and breathed as it had
14、lived before.”4(P7)“A cloud, hitherto unseen, came upon the moon, and hovered an instant like a dark hand before a face.”4(P7)“The house was a sepulcher, our fear and suffering lay buried in the ruins. There would be no resurrection. When I thought of Manderley in my waking hours. I would not be bit
15、ter.”4(P7)Then “I” come to the reality from dream. “I” am thinking about Manderley and all happened in it that cannot hurt. These words have put forward the first suspense, that is, what a story happened in such a ruined, barren garden? Who is “I”? It catches readers eyes at once. Therefore, they ar
16、e hastened to go further into the story, into the story about my life experience in Manderley.2.The first level of suspense: Rebecca is a good wife with brains, beauty, and breeding?!2.1Phoney This is the main suspense, which goes through the whole story. In the story, the heroine and readers are me
17、ntioned time to time that Rebecca is a good wife who is beloved by Maxim.“Mrs. Van Hopper said, He looks ill, doesnt he? They say he cant get over his wifes death”4(P15)“The Manderley parties were famous when she was alive, ”2(P64)“The bishops wife said,(Rebecca)she was a very lovely creature, so fu
18、ll of life. She was certainly very gifted. I can see her now, standing at the foot of the stairs on the night of the ball, shaking hands with every-body, that cloud of dark hair against the very white skin, and her costume suited her too, Yes, she was very beautiful And in Mrs. Danvers eyes, Maxim c
19、ould not live without Rebecca. After her death, he cant go to sleep; he moves away from the bedroom and travels out for a long time in order to get over it.Even for Maxims grandmother, Rebecca has made a great fuss of her. The old lady has never forgotten her and asks for Rebecca all the time.All th
20、ese seems that Rebecca is a kind, generous, elegant woman, a perfect wife. People around the town know her well and all praise her even when she is dead. Rebecca has a gift of smartness; she masters her power, finances and resources to run Manderley into the most famous show place in all the country
21、. “ She is damnably clever. No one would guess meeting her that she was not the kindest; most generous, most generous, most gifted person in the world. She knew exactly what to say to different people, how to match her mood to theirs. Had she met you, she would have walked off into the garden with y
22、ou, arm in arm, calling to Jasper, chatting about flowers, music, painting, whatever she knew to be your particular hobby. And you would have been taken in, like the rest. You would have sat at her feet and worshipped her.” 4(P283-P284) This is Maxims description of his wife, Rebecca.2.2TruthAnd Reb
23、ecca does succeed, or we would rather say, Daphne does succeed. Daphne used peoples actions and words to set up suspense .In fact, Rebecca is just completely opposed the impression being felt. Things are that Rebecca is a debauchee. “She was vicious, damnable, rotten through and through.”4(P283) She
24、 knows Maxims disadvantage and has made good use of it. She knows that Maxim will never stand in a divorce court and give her away, have fingers pointing at, mug flungRebecca would curse people, using every filthy word in her particular vocabulary. Rebecca does what she likes, she lives, as she like
25、s. She sticks a big brute of horse, slashing at him, drawing blood, and digging the spurs into the horse. She sits on the hills above Monte Carlo, laughing, and tear flowers into fragments. She is like the devil. She seduces all kinds of man, even his husbands brother in-law. Even when she has got a
26、 cancer, she inveigles her husband into a murderer!2.3HintsThough we havent known the truth till Chapter21, the writer has set hints. When we finish reading we will become aware of it and look back the whole story.2.3.1Maxims attitudeYes, firstly, we find that Maxim doesnt welcome topics either abou
27、t Manderley or his dead wife when he first appears in Monte Carlo. When Mrs. Van Hopper praises Manderley as a fairyland, “(Maxim) he went on smoking his cigarette, and I noticed faint as gossamer, the line between his brows. 4(P19) His silence now was painful. His own words must have jolted a memor
28、y for his face clouded again and he frowned very slightly.” 4(P20) All this indicates that he has something unhappy happened in his home, Manderley, there must be some bitter memory.On his wife, Rebecca, Maxim says as below: “All memories are bitter, and I prefer to ignore them. Something happened a
29、 year ago that altered my whole life, and I want to forget every phase in my existence up that time. Those days are finished. They are blotted out. I must begin living all over again.”4(P43) “ I was there some years ago, with my wife. You asked me if it was still the same, if it had changed at all.
30、It was just the same, but I was thankful to realize oddly impersonal. There was no question of the other time. She and I had left no record.” 4(P43) Such sentences show Maxims unhappy life with his first wifeRebecca.2.3.2 Others odd mannerSecondly, Franks odd manner when “I” talk about Rebecca; and
31、Beatrices rather different negative attitude. The silence is a silence born of shame and embarrassment. Frank says, “We none of us want to bring back the past. Maxim least of all. And its up to you, you know, to lead us away from it. Not to take us back again.” 4(P141) Readers may a little hesitate
32、when they came to this. Why does Frank say so? Well, isnt the past good enough for them? After all, their hostess is almost perfect. Therefore, the curiosity drives us go on reading. There seems a mist. We have an egger to look through it to the core. That is what suspense skill used perfectly by Daphne. She gives us a dream, and all of us get drown in it. The great writer handles our inquisitiveness skillfully.2.3.3 Rebeccas handwritingRebeccas handwriting has given us a lot of implications. It gives us an inkling th
copyright@ 2008-2022 冰豆网网站版权所有
经营许可证编号:鄂ICP备2022015515号-1