摘 要

自《夜色温柔》出版以来，这部小说在评论界受到各种各样的批判。许多品论家对小说中非线性叙事时序和变换性叙事技巧精心的严厉的批评，因为这样的安排给很多读者在理解小说上带来很大困难。本篇论文将从叙事学的角度，分析小说中的非线性叙事时序和变换的聚焦。通过分析将证明，非线性叙事时序使小说中的事件更加突出，以及聚焦的变换清晰地显现出不同人物的思想。小说中独特的叙事技巧的运用有助于小说主题的体现。

关键词： 《夜色温柔》，叙事时序，叙事聚焦

Contents

1. Introduction 8

2. Demonstration 9

2.1 Narrative order in Tender Is the Night 9

2.1.1 Definition of narrative order 9

2.1.2 Application of anachronistic order in the novel 10

2.1.3 Significance of the narrative order to the theme 12

2.2 Focalization in Tender Is the Night 13

2.2.1 Definition of focalization 13

2.2.2 Application of focalization in the novel 14

2.2.3 Significance of focalization to the theme of novel 16

3. Conclusion 17

Works Cited 19

Bibliography 20

On the Narrative Strategies of Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night

1. Introduction

F. Scott Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) is an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigmatic writings of the Jazz Age. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century and a member of the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s.

The creation of Tender Is the Night, embodying the tragic fate in the Jazz Age, lasted for nine years. When it was published, it went through lots of comments from critics all over the world, Some held negative views because of its time order. For a long time after its publication the novel has not been well acclaimed because of narrative techniques in the novel. Malcolm Cowley has a fine grasp of "The Lost Generation". He says, Tender Is the Night makes readers feel confused. After reading the novel, you will be bewildered, and you can't believe that novel is finished (Wu 342). For instance, Nicole and Rosemary are incredible characters in this novel, and Dick's debacle is fudged. Fitzgerald doesn't provide the reasons for Dick's debacle. Furthermore, the readers may feel confused to the disappearance of Rosemary at the end of the first part of this novel.

However, the readers will find that Tender Is the Night embodies its unique narrative strategies through careful reading. With regard to the overseas studies, Andrew Turbull in The Letters of F. Scott Fitzgerald discusses that Fitzgerald boldly adopts unique narrative techniques and presents reader a study to the theme of the novel. Brain Way in F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Art of Social Fiction analyzes the narrative art of Tender Is the Night, and shows the beauty of the novel in the aspect of narrative techniques. To the domestic studies, Li mingming in "Narrative reinterpretation of Tender Is the Night" makes use of the existing research achievement of narratology, and analyzes the unreliable narration, altering internal focalization and order in the novel. Chen xiaoju in "An Analysis of the Modern Style in Tender Is the Night" selects the narrative theory as a starting point for research and study, and presents the narrative feature of Fitzgerald’s works from three perspectives which are space arrangement, shift of narrative and character depiction.

Put specifically, this thesis will focus on the narrative strategies of the novel and analyze the novel from the perspective of narrative strategies. To study the narrative strategies, this thesis will be divided into two parts. The first chapter interprets the term of narrative order, and its reflection in this novel. The second chapter analyses the focalization in the novel and its significance.