摘 要

罗伯特·佩恩·沃伦的《国王的人马》中充斥着大量和美国南方文明、景观及消费文化相关的书写，展现了二十世纪上半叶美国南方文化，也呈现了南方传统农业文明及景观的消逝和现代消费文化及景观的兴起。消费主义文化对南方人的生活方式和价值观念有着非常重要的影响，其是建立在南北战争之前形成的消费传统以及战争之后所形成的消费行为基础之上的。本文试图从南方文明、景观及现代消费文化的形成、发展和结果等方面，透视沃伦在《国王的人马》中的南方各种变化和出现的现象，探讨他对这些现象的态度, 以期对其作品有更好的理解。

关键词：罗伯特·佩恩·沃伦;景观;消费文化;南方

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2.Demonstration 2

2.1 Cultural milieu of the Warren’s time........................................................................2

2.1.1 The vanished southern civilization 2

2.1.2 The rising of modern consumption culture 4

2.2 Representation of the cultural milieu in All the King's Men ...................................5

2.2.1 The vanished agricultural landscape 5

2.2.2 The rising of modern things 8

2.2.2.1 Automobile as a way of daily transportation 8

2.2.2.2 Alcohol as the food of daily consumption 9

2.2.2.3 Electricity as an energy of daily consumption 10

3.Conclusion 11

Works Cited 13

Bibliography 13

Warren and the Passing of the Old Agrarian Culture

1. Introduction

Robert Penn Warren, the winner of the Pulitzer prize for poetry and fiction, also known as the poet laureate, was one of the "Physiocrats" in the south. During his college years in the 1920s, Warren met physiocratic poets,scholars, and critics, and published poetry in the school's literary journal--Fugitive. In 1930, he and 11 other scholars published a series of monographs entitled "I want to show my attitude" on the erosion of northern technological and industrial civilization, as well as nostalgia for agricultural society, past life and traditional virtues.

Based on the life of Louisiana’s governor Huey Long in the 1930s, All the King’s Men told the story of Willie Stark. He was born in a humble peasant family, and stepped up to the position of governor with the ambition of benefiting the people and upholding justice. However, his inflated ambition led to the abuse of power, and was killed by his opponents. The novel's narrator, Jack Burden, was a graduate student.Early in his life at Chronicle, he met Willie Stark, still a nobody. Later, in reporting on Willie's campaign, he was impressed by Willie's personality and was convinced by his personal charm.After Willie was elected governor, Jack became his private secretary.While working for him, Jack was ordered to investigate the stain on his most trusted elder--Judge Irwin, and to introduce his friend Adam Stanton to work with Willie on a hospital project.Unexpectedly, it led to Judge Irwin's suicide and friend Adam being used to shoot Willie.

Scholars' views toward Warren's works focus on the comparison between the past and the present. Through the comparison to express his hidden feelings, thus triggering the reader's profound thinking.For instance,Jonathan S.Cullick pointed that: "In order to go forward into the future,throughout his writings Warren attempts to bridge the separation by returning to and recovering the past".(10)Apart from this, Keri Leigh mentioned that:"Indeed,all of Warren’s writings,from poetry to prose,in some way visit and use the past to structure the present for the characters and the readers."(73)

This novel was selected by Random House as one of the "Best 100 Novels of the 20^th Century".All the King’s Men showed the protagonist Jack Burden's traumatic memory and traumatic recovery, as well as his success in walking into history, facing reality and the future, which reflected Warren's deep historical concern for the South.This series of description is not only the reflection of southern writers on the past , but also the prospect of the present and future.