摘 要

作为获得诺贝尔文学奖的第一位黑人女性作家，托妮·莫里森对美国文学的发展做出了不可忽视的贡献。托妮·莫里森的作品以黑人的传统文化为依托，结合美国黑人的现实生活进行创作，志在弘扬黑人文化以及探寻美国黑人的文化出路。 《所罗门之歌》是以北方黑人中产阶级戴德之子奶娃南下寻金而后寻根之旅为主要情节，展示了黑人男性的成长历程。本文主要通过对《所罗门之歌》里展示出来的黑人文化传统以及文化身份进行概括和分析；再结合文本，通过分析两个极端的黑人的不同的文化选择，进而分析文中黑人由于抛弃其民族文化传统等而导致的文化身份丢失；最后通过因寻根之旅而真正成长的奶娃经历得出美国黑人应继承本民族文化的精髓以在多元文化中不迷失自我。结语部分指出《所罗门之歌》的价值。

关键词：索罗门之歌；黑人文化；文化选择；民族身份；

Abstract

As the first African American female writer who won the Noble Prize in 1993, Toni Morrison contributes significantly to the progress of American literature. Based on African culture, Toni Morrison pays special attention to the future of African American. The main character of Song of Solomon is the son of Malcom Dead, a middle-class African American, who heads to the north in search of treasure and finally has found his root. Through his experience, Toni Morrison depicts the real mature of a black man. This paper contains 5 chapters. Firstly, it summarizes and analyses the meaning and relationship between culture tradition and cultural identity; through the analysis of two extreme black men, this paper shows the loss of cultural identity and its consequence due to the loss of cultural tradition; then from the experience of Milkman, it comes to the conclusion that maintaining the cultural essence of one’s nation is the key to surviving in a multicultural society; finally, this paper analyzes the value of Song of Solomon.

Key Words: Song of Solomon; Black culture tradition; Cultural choice; Cultural identity

Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Cultural tradition and cultural identity 3

2.1 The meaning of cultural identity and its relationship with cultural tradition 3

2.2 African American cultural tradition revealed in Song of Solomon 4

2.2.1 The oral tradition 4

2.2.2 The name culture 5

2.2.3 The flying tradition 6

3 Different cultural choices in Song of Solomon 7

3.1 The recognition of the mainstream white culture 7

3.2 The exclusion of the white culture 8

3.3 The heritage of the African American culture 9

4 The quest for cultural identity 11

4.1 The finding of family name 11

4.2 The understanding of family and domestic values 12

4.3 The understanding of flying 12

5 Conclusion 14

References 15

Acknowledgements 16

On the Ethnic Cultural Identity and Cultural Tradition of African American--A case study of "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

1 Introduction

Toni Morrison, as a novelist, editor and playwright, is not only highly regarded in America, but also enjoys a world-wide fame. While some defenders of traditional literary canon exclude literary works written by female and colored people, Toni Morrison is a leading figure defending for the social minority group and she objects to letting race to be marginalizing in the course of literature (Smith, 2007). Toni Morrison represents a group of black female writers who not only uncover racial discrimination and oppression against African American in the American society as traditional black male writers do, but also disclose gender discrimination as well as the struggle and sacrifice of black female to fight for equal right from the perspective of black female. Her widely read fictions include The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon and Beloved, all of which endeavor to explore the history, future and spiritual world of African American. Although her works are deeply rooted in the African American history, folklores and everyday reality, they are wildly accepted by the white readers because of her skillful and artful use of standard English and the traditional literary devices. Her works are not confined to the mere mimic of real world, but she thinks creatively in the real and imaginary world through the reconstruction of history.

Song of Solomon, her third novels, rewards her the National Book Critics’ Circle Award and the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award. Critics around the world think highly of it and analyze it from various aspects.