ABSTRACT

Archival evidence in an early manuscript of Cormac McCarthy’s The Orchard Keeper reveals that not only Hawthorne in general, but also Hawthorne’s tale “Ethan Brand” in particular, was in McCarthy’s mind during the process of composition. This essay provides a reading of The Orchard Keeper that takes into account the influence of Hawthorne’s accomplished short story. Both Hawthorne’s classic tale and McCarthy’s debut novel are preoccupied with the question of technological progress and its toll on the natural world and human community, an estimate of poor moral character as defined by acts of unneighborliness and hard-heartedness against others, and a measure of upright moral character as defined by neighborliness, wholeheartedness, and a reverence for nature. Understanding McCarthy’s debt to Hawthorne helps readers to appreciate anew the themes and moral concerns of his first and perhaps most underappreciated novel.

摘要

科马克·麦卡锡的《果园守护者》早期手稿中的档案证据表明，在创作过程中，麦卡锡不仅想到了霍桑，而且还特别想到了霍桑的故事“伊桑·布兰德”。这篇文章提供了对果园守护者的阅读这考虑到霍桑完成的短篇小说的影响。霍桑的经典故事和麦卡锡的处女作都专注于技术进步及其对自然世界和人类社区造成的损失的问题，对由不睦邻里和对他人冷酷无情的行为所定义的不良道德品质的估计，以及衡量正直的道德品质，由睦邻、全心全意和对自然的敬畏所定义。了解麦卡锡对霍桑的亏欠有助于读者重新理解他的第一部、也许是最被低估的小说的主题和道德问题。