The Crisis of Intimacy: Lewis’s Infatuation and Radcliffe’s Attachment

Abstract

Ann Radcliffe`s novel The Italian (1797) has long been regarded as her critical revision of Matthew Lewis`s novel The Monk (1796). This essay argues that the assumed revisionary endeavor belies important ideological affinity between these two authors. This often-ignored similarity manifests itself when we pay close attention to how Radcliffe`s representation of attachment in The Italian both reforms Lewis`s drama of infatuation in The Monk and inherits his skeptical attitude towards interpersonal intimacy. Lewis`s work shows that affective bonds between individuals can be a divisive force, an unstable relationship and a horrible mistake. Despite its alleged rejection of Lewisite sensationalism, The Italian demonstrates the fragility of interpersonal affection in a way that shows Radcliffe`s agreement with and appropriation of Lewis`s psychological insight.

在十八世紀末的英國文壇中，志異小說家安‧瑞德克麗芙與馬修‧留易斯是兩位著名的競爭對手。後者驚世駭俗的作品《修道士》出版於1796年，隔年前者即發表小說《義大利人》來做回應。評論家咸認為這兩部小說有天壤之別，並解釋瑞德克麗芙用《義大利人》來駁斥《修道士》中對罪惡、權力與慾望過於聳動露骨的描述。本文企圖修正此一觀點。作者相信《義大利人》與《修道士》看似大相逕庭，其實有許多相似之處。本文首先從兩部小說對情感的著墨出發，定義癡迷與情牽，以及解釋這兩種不同的情感樣貌如何巧妙地蘊藏對人際互動相同的態度。在《修道士》中留氏對癡迷的描繪揭露了他對人際情感連結的不信任，看似親密的關係實則被分離、情變與錯誤的陰影所籠罩。儘管瑞德克麗芙在《義大利人》中以情牽一詞點出她和留易斯的不同，然而，細究該小說中親密關係的向度，我們仍可發現瑞德克麗芙挪用並承襲了留易斯對分離、情變與錯誤的著墨。因此《修道士》不僅僅激起瑞德克麗芙筆戰的決心，更重要的是它讓她重新思考人與人間親密情感的價值與意義。