臺灣博碩士論文加值系統

羅伯．柯米爾青少年小說寫作研究

作者：黃瑋琳
國立台東大學　兒童文學研究所博士班

摘 要
羅伯．柯米爾 (Robert Cormier) 是美國知名的青少年小說家，但是台灣的讀者對他知之甚少，關於他的研究也幾乎付之闕如。基於如此，本研究者欲對柯米爾的青少年文學作品作一詳盡探討，希望能讓更多的台灣讀者透過此一研究，對柯米爾的小說有更進一步的認識。本研究除了提供全面性的觀照以外，也針對柯米爾作品中的主題、角色、敘述與風格作系統性的分析。

　　本研究採作品精讀與文本分析法，研究範圍是柯米爾的十五本青少年文學作品，其中包括一本短篇故事集、三本中篇小說，十本長篇小說以及一本以無韻詩形式寫就的半自傳體小說。每個文本被詳細解構，而且不同文本之間彼此對照比較，以期找出相似與相異之處。此外，柯米爾在不同時期，其關注主題與寫作風格的發展與轉變，也在探討之列。

本論文共分七章：第一章是緒論，包含研究動機與目的、研究問題、本研究之重要性、研究方法與全文架構，以及本研究的限制。第二章是關於柯米爾其人與作品的文獻探討，除了其人其作的個人歷史外，也列出美國學者或評論家對柯米爾作品相關的批評與研究。第三章是主題論，就柯米爾作品中常出現的主題，分三個面向來探討，這三個面向是：「善與惡」、「體制與個人」以及「罪愆與寬恕」。第四章是角色論，用兩節分析，分別是：「角色類型」和「角色刻劃」兩大範疇。第五章是敘述論，計有「敘述順序」、「敘述觀點 / 視角」以及「敘事者」三節。第六章是風格論，探討柯米爾作品裡的語言修辭手法，計有三節，分別是：「隱喻」、「明喻」與「用典」。最後一章為結論。

研究者分析發現：柯米爾的青少年小說，描述了真實世界與體制的黑暗面，也揭露一個事實：好人不一定必勝，但重點是站出來和邪惡對抗，讓別人看見。還有，人不免犯錯，但貴在能改過，才能獲得原諒。柯米爾小說的主題強調了「做些什麼」的重要性。

在角色方面，柯米爾青少年小說的圓形角色，以主角與反主角居多，而且在早期作品裡，圓形角色的比重較晚期作品裡為多。柯米爾的小說角色，不論在外觀、語言和動作上，都恰如其分。而柯米爾對邪惡角色或病態角色的著墨尤深，使人難忘。

在敘述順序上，柯米爾多用順敘與倒敘手法，偶有預敘；敘述觀點或視角上，柯米爾視小說效果而定，採不同的聚焦方式，尤以內聚焦最多；在敘事者方面，柯米爾的短篇故事，全部都是第一人稱敘事者，但中長篇小說，就有較多不同的變化──有幾部小說甚至有不同敘事者在同一文本中，例如《溫柔殺機》(Tenderness) 就是第一人稱與第三人稱敘事者兩者交互使用。總之，柯米爾的中長篇小說 (尤其長篇) 展現了較複雜的敘述方式。

在語言修辭風格上，柯米爾喜歡用隱喻和明喻手法來增加文本的文學性，尤其在早期作品裡最多，如《巧克力戰爭》(The Chocolate War)；到了後面的作品，隱喻的使用有減少的趨勢。在用典方面，柯米爾會在作品裡引述聖經的句子，也喜歡借前人的詩句或童謠來當作書名，使文本的涵義更豐富。惟對不熟悉聖經或西方文學的讀者來說，會加深理解上的困難；不過相對來說，也增加了解讀的挑戰與樂趣。

關鍵詞：角色刻劃、敘述順序、敘述觀點、視角、聚焦、敘事者、隱喻、明喻、用典。

A Study on the Writing of Robert Cormier’s Young Adult Fiction

　　　　　　 Huang Wei-Lin
National Taitung University
Ph. D. Program in the Graduate Institute of Children’s Literature

Abstract

In the United States, Robert Cormier is considered one of significant writers in the history of young adult literature. However, there is little research on the writer himself or his literary works in Taiwan. Therefore the researcher would like to do more research on Robert Cormier in order to have a thorough understanding of the writer and his works for young adults. The researcher hopes that more readers in Taiwan would understand Cormier and his young adult fiction better via this study. The purpose of this study is to provide a panoramic overview and systematic analysis of Cormier’s books for young adults in terms of theme, character, narrative and style.

This study uses close-reading and the method of textual analysis to examine the data, which means taking all of Cormier’s fiction for young adults as a textual object for analysis. Fifteen books written by Cormier will be examined, including one short-story collection, three novellas, ten novels, and a semi-autobiography in the form of lyrical free verse. Every single text will be read, reread and analyzed, and then various texts will be compared and contrasted. The development and the change of Cormier’s writing, as well as the similarities and differences of his works, will be discussed, too.

This dissertation consists of seven chapters. Chapter one is the introduction that contains the rationale and purpose, researcher questions, significance, methodology, organization, and delimitation of the study. Chapter two is the literature review of Robert Cormier and his young adult fiction, including his personal history, the body of literary works, and the related criticism and research. Chapter three, Theme, is divided into three facets: good vs. evil, system vs. individual, and guilt vs. forgiveness. The fourth chapter, Character, consists of two main categories: types of characters, as well as characterization by appearance, by discourses and by actions. Chapter five, Narrative, covers narrative order, point of view/perspective and narrator. Chapter six, Style, discusses three devices: metaphor, simile and allusion. Chapter seven is the conclusions.

This study finds that Cormier’s novels do not guarantee that good will prevail, but the most important thing for ordinary people is standing up to confront the evil and evil system(s). With respect to the theme of guilt vs. forgiveness, Cormier’s books imply that those who make a mistake must do something to make up for the guilt, and then there will be a possibility to gain forgiveness.

In terms of characters, there are more round characters in Cormier’s early YA novels, whereas there are more flat and static characters in Cormier’s later novels. In Cormier’s novels the wicked characters and psychopaths are more unforgettable because their characterization is very successful. Moreover, with respect to narrative, Cormier prefers to employ chronological order and flashback, and likes to use internal focalizations. And in terms of style, Cormier likes to use metaphors and similes, especially in his early works. Using biblical allusions and literary allusions is also a trend in Cormier’s writing.

Keywords:

Characterization, narrative order, point of view, perspective, focalization, narrator, metaphor, simile, allusion

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1. Rationale and Purpose of the Study 1
1.2. Research Questions of the Study 1
1.3. Significance of the Study 2
1.4. Methodology of the Study 3
1.5. Organization of the Study 4
1.6. Delimitation of the Study 4

Chapter 2 Review of Literature
2.1. Personal History of Robert Cormier 7
2.2. Body of Literary Works 10
2.3. Related Criticism and Research 28

Chapter 3 Theme
3.1. Good vs. Evil 35
3.2. System vs. Individual 41
3.3. Guilt vs. Forgiveness 46

Chapter 4 Character
4.1. Types of Characters 51
4.1.1. Flat vs. Round 52
4.1.2. Static vs. Dynamic 55
4.2. Characterization 58
4.2.1. By Appearance 58
4.2.2. By Discourses 63
4.2.3. By Actions 69

Chapter 5 Narrative
5.1. Narrative Order 75
5.1.1. Chronological Order 76
5.1.2. Flashback 78
5.1.3. Flash Forward 81
5.2. Point of View and Perspective: Who Sees? 83
5.2.1. Point of View 83
5.2.2. Perspective and Focalizations 85
5.3. Narrator: Who Speaks? 90
5.3.1. Narrator as a Character in the Story 93
5.3.2. Narrator not a Character in the Story 94
5.3.3. Multiple/Mixed Narrator 95

Chapter 6 Style
6.1. Metaphor 99
6.1.1. Plain Metaphors in Cormier’s Works 100
6.1.2. Implied Metaphors in Cormier’s Works 102
6.2. Simile 103
6.2.1. Similes in Cormier’s Works 104
6.2.2. Trend of Metaphors and Similes that Cormier Uses 106
6.3. Allusion 109
6.3.1. Biblical Allusions 109
6.3.2. Literary Allusions 113

Chapter 7 Conclusions
7.1. Summary and Discussions 119
7.2. Implications 156

Works Cited 159

Appendix 165

List of Tables

Table 1. Types of Focalizations in Cormier’s Nine Short Stories 87

Table 2. Types of Focalizations in Cormier’s Fourteen Novellas and
Novels 87

Table 3. Brooks and Penn Warren’s Types of Narrators 90

Table 4. Types of Narrators in Cormier’s Nine Short Stories 91

Table 5. Types of Narrators in Cormier’s Fourteen Novellas and
Novels 92

Table 6. Biblical Allusions in Cormier’s Books 110

Table 7. Literary Allusions in Cormier’s Books 113

Table 8. Types of Focalizations in Cormier’s Nine Short Stories 137

Table 9. Types of Focalizations in Cormier’s Fourteen Novellas and
Novels 138

Table 10. Types of Narrators in Cormier’s Nine Short Stories 141

Table 11. Types of Narrators in Cormier’s Fourteen Novellas and
Novels 141

Table 12. Biblical Allusions in Cormier’s Books 148

Table 13. Literary Allusions in Cormier’s Books 151

Works Cited


Primary Works

Robert Cormier’s Books

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1974.
___. I Am the Cheese. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1977.
___. After the First Death. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1979.
___. 8 Plus 1. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1980.
___. The Bumblebee Flies Anyway. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell,
1983.
___. Beyond the Chocolate War. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1985.
___. Fade. New York: Delacorte Press, 1988.
___. Other Bells for Us to Ring. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1990.
___. We All Fall Down. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1991.
___. Tunes for Bears to Dance To. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1992.
___. In the Middle of the Night. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell,
1995.
___. Tenderness. New York: Delacorte Press, 1997.
___. Heroes. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1998.
___. Frenchtown Summer. New York: Delacorte Press, 1999.
___. The Rag and the Bone Shop. New York: Thorndike Press, 2001.



Other Literary Works

Eliot, T. S. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The Norton
Anthology of Poetry. Ed. Margaret Ferguson, et al. 4th ed. New
York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1996. 1230-33.
Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. 1857. Barcelona: Gallimard, 2001.
Gibran, Kahlil. The Prophet. 1923. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1969.
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. 1954. New York: Penguin Books
U.S.A., 1999.
Greene, Graham. “The Hint of an Explanation.” Twenty-One Stories.
1954. London: Penguin, 1977. 35-46.
___. The Sort of Life. 1971. London: Vintage, 1999.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. 1932. New York: HarperTorch, 2005.
Mother Goose: Nursery Rhymes. Illustrated. Arthur Rackham. 1913.
London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1994.
Orwell, George. 1984. 1949. New York: Penguin Books U.S.A., 1981.
Thomas, Dylan. “A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in
London.” The Norton Anthology of Poetry. Ed. Margaret Ferguson,
et al. 4th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1996. 1463.
Wells, H. G. The Invisible Man. 1897. New York: Penguin, 2005.
Yeats, William Butler. “The Circus Animals’ Desertion.” The Norton Anthology of Poetry. Ed. Margaret Ferguson, et al. 4th ed. New York:
W. W. Norton & Company, 1996. 1101-03.
《聖經 (新約全書)》(The Holy Bible: New Testament)，台中市：國際基甸會中華
民國總會，1988年。(中英對照)


Secondary Works

Books

Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. 8th ed. Boston: Thomson
Wadsworth, 2005.
Angel, Ann. Robert Cormier: Author of The Chocolate War. Berkeley
Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc. 2008.
Booth, Wayne C. The Rhetoric of Fiction. 1961. Chicago: U of Chicago
P, 1983.
Brooks, Cleanth, and Robert Penn Warren. Understanding Fiction.
Chinese reprint ed. Beijing: Pearson Education Asia and Foreign
Language Teaching and Research Press, 2004.
Bushman, John H., and Kay Parks Bushman. Using Young Adult
Literature in the English Classroom. 2nd ed. Columbus: Merrill,
1997.
Campbell, Patty. Daring to Disturb the Universe: The Life and
Writing of Robert Cormier. New York: Delacorte Press, 2006.
Campbell, Patricia J. Presenting Robert Cormier. Updated ed. New
York: Twayne, 1989.
Cart, Michael. From Romance To Realism: 50 Years of Growth and
Change in Young Adult Literature. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.
Fergusson, Francis. Introduction. Aristotle’s Poetics. Trans. By S.
H. Butcher. Taipei: Bookman, 1961.
Forster, E. M. Aspects of the Novel. 1927. London: Penguin, 1990.
Ed. Oliver Stallybrass.
Frye, Northrop, et al. The Harper Handbook to Literature. New York:
Longman, 1997.
Gallo, Donald R. “Reality and Responsibility: The Continuing
Controversy over Robert Cormier’s Books for Young Adults.” The
VOYA Reader. Ed. Dorothy M. Broderick. Metuchen, NJ: The
Scarecrow Press, Inc. 1990. 153-60.
Genette, Gerard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Trans.
Jane E. Lewin. Ithaca:Cornell UP, 1980.
___. Narrative Discourse Revisited. Trans. Jane E. Lewin. Ithaca:
Cornell UP, 1988.
Hunt, Peter. Children’s Literature. Oxford: Blackwell, 2001.
Hyde, Margaret O. Robert Cormier. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2005.
Keeley, Jennifer. Understanding I Am the Cheese. San Diego: Lucent
Books, 2001.
Latrobe, Kathy H. et al. The Children’s Literature Dictionary. New
York: Neal-Schuman, 2002.
Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction. New York: Penguin Books U.S.A.,
1994.
Lubbock, Percy. The Craft of Fiction. 1921. New York: Filiquarian
Publishing, LLC, 2007.
Lukens, Rebecca J. A Critical Handbook of Children’s Literature. 6th
ed. New York: Longman, 1999.
Lukens, Rebecca J., and Ruth K. J. Cline. A Critical Handbook of
Literature for Young Adults. New York: Longman, 1995.
Monseau, Virginia R. Teaching the Selected Works of Robert Cormier.
Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2007.
Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Kenneth L. Donelson. Literature for Today’s
Young Adults. 7th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2005.
Peck, David. Novels of Initiation: A GuideBook for Teaching
Literature to Adolescents. New York: Teachers College Press,
1989.
Richards, I. A. The Philosophy of Rhetoric. 1936. Oxford: Oxford UP,
1965.
Russell, David L. Literature for Children: A Short Introduction. 5th
ed. Boston: Person Education, Inc., 2005.
Todorov, Tzvetan. Introduction to Poetics. Trans. Richard Howard.
Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1981.
Wellek, Rene, and Austin Warren. Theory of Literature: A Seminal
Study of the Nature and Function of Literature in all its
Contexts. 1949. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.

Journal Articles

“A Bouquet for Bob.” Voice of Youth Advocates 23 (2001): 390-93.
Breen, Karen, Ellen Fader, Kathleen Odean, and Zena Sutherland. “One
Hundred Books that Shaped the Century.” Spec. issue of School
Library Journal Jan. 2000: 50-58.
Campbell, Patty. “The Last Cormier.” The Horn Book Magazine 77
(2001): 623-26.
Tarr, C. Anita. “The Absence of Moral Agency in Robert Cormier’s
The Chocolate War.” Children Literature 30 (2002): 96-124.

Electronic Resources

“Robert Cormier: London, July 11, 2000.” ACHUKA 1997-2008.
24 December 2007 <http://www.achuka.co.uk/special/cormier01.htm>.
“Robert Cormier.” Teenreads.com. 29 April 2008
<http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-cormier-robert.asp>.