古尔纳《海边》中的空间书写和身份找寻

Spatial Representation and Identity Search in By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah

摘要: 研究以列斐伏尔的空间批评理论为框架，从地域、社会和精神三重维度剖析阿卜杜勒–拉扎克·古尔纳小说《海边》中非裔移民奥马尔与拉蒂夫的身份困境与重构过程。地域空间揭示移民在英国宏观场域与故土家宅微观场域中的边缘地位，家宅的崩解隐喻身份归属的断裂；社会空间通过“有条件接纳”与种族歧视展现英国社会的矛盾态度，凸显人际互动对身份协商的复杂影响；精神空间则聚焦记忆重构与创伤疗愈，以沉香木匣、姓名符号等意象勾连历史真相，推动主人公在和解中实现自我救赎。研究表明，三重空间交织映射后殖民语境下移民身份认同的多重张力——物理迁移引发文化边界跨越，社会排斥加剧归属焦虑，而精神修复最终导向个体与历史的和解。古尔纳通过空间叙事揭示了流散群体在异质环境中重塑身份的动态过程及其对殖民遗产的深刻反思。

Abstract: This paper takes Henri Lefebvre’s spatial criticism theory as the framework to analyze the identity dilemmas and reconstruction of Omar and Latif, the African immigrant protagonists in Abdulrazak Gurnah’s novel By the Sea, from three dimensions: geographical, social, and mental spaces. Geographical space reveals the marginalized status of immigrants in the macro-field of Britain and the micro-field of their houses. The disintegration of the family house metaphorically represents the rupture of identity belonging. Social space demonstrates the contradictory attitudes of British society through “conditional acceptance” and racial discrimination, highlighting the complex impact of interpersonal interactions on identity negotiation. Mental space focuses on memory reconstruction and trauma healing. Through symbolic images such as the casket of ud-al-qamari and name, it connects with historical truths and promotes the protagonists’ self-redemption through reconciliation. The paper shows that the interweaving of these three spaces reflects the multilayered tensions of immigrant identity under postcolonial context: physical migration triggers the crossing of cultural boundaries, social exclusion exacerbates belonging anxiety, and spiritual healing ultimately leads to the reconciliation between the individual and history. Through spatial narration, Gurnah reveals the dynamic process of the diasporic community reshaping their identities in a heterogeneous environment and their profound reflection on colonial heritage.