Unraveling absurdity and authenticity in The Stolen White Elephant: an analysis from the perspective of unreliable narration
从不可靠叙事视角剖析《被窃的白象》的荒诞与真实

摘要

马克·吐温作为美国文学史上的重要作家，以其独特的幽默与讽刺风格闻名于世。《被窃的白象》是其短篇小说中的经典之作，讲述了一头珍贵白象失窃后引发的一系列荒诞故事。该作品以其夸张的情节、幽默的语言和深刻的社会批判，吸引了众多读者和学者的关注。叙事学理论的发展为文学作品的分析提供了新的视角和方法，其中不可靠叙事作为叙事学中的重要概念，能够揭示作品中叙述者与读者之间复杂的关系，以及作品深层的意义和艺术价值。通过对《被窃的白象》进行不可靠叙事分析，可以深入挖掘作品中隐藏的讽刺与批判意味，更好地理解马克·吐温的创作意图和艺术特色。本研究旨在运用不可靠叙事理论，深入剖析《被窃的白象》中叙述者的不可靠性表现及其产生的叙事效果，揭示作品背后所蕴含的社会批判和文化内涵，从而丰富对马克·吐温作品的研究，为读者提供新的阅读视角和理解途径。

Abstract

Mark Twain, an iconic figure in American literary history, is renowned for his unique humor and satirical style. The Stolen White Elephant, a classic short story by Twain, recounts a series of absurd tales triggered by the theft of a precious white elephant. With its exaggerated plot, humorous language, and profound social critique, the work has attracted extensive attention from readers and scholars alike. The development of narratological theories has provided new perspectives and methods for literary analysis. Among them, unreliable narration—an essential concept in narratology—reveals the complex relationship between the narrator and the reader, as well as the deep-seated meanings and artistic values of a text. By applying the framework of unreliable narration to The Stolen White Elephant, this study aims to excavate the hidden satire and critique in the work, thereby enhancing the understanding of Twain’s creative intentions and artistic characteristics. This research employs the theory of unreliable narration to analyze the manifestations of the narrator’s unreliability in The Stolen White Elephant and the resulting narrative effects. It seeks to reveal the social critique and cultural connotations embedded in the work, so as to enrich the studies on Mark Twain’s oeuvre and provide readers with new perspectives and approaches for interpretation.