Abstract: William Faulkner (1897-1962) is a famous American writer in the twentieth century; he builds the "Yoknapatawpha" fictional world which has become an eternal classic. Go down, Moses is his thirteenth long novel which consists of seven sections, three of which, “The Old People”, “The Bear” and “Delta Autumn” are closely interrelated. The novel, taking Isaac McCaslin's hunting and growing-up experiences in the wilderness as the main thread, tells us stories of a southern American family. The novel exposes southern slavery and racialism, and discusses the relationship between human and land, the industrialized civilization and wilderness. This thesis attempts to help comprehend Faulkner and his work by analyzing the image of the protagonist, Ike, discussing his growing-up experience, his character, and his spiritual quest.
Key words: William Faulkner; Go down, Moses; Ike; image; spiritual quest
摘要：威廉•福克纳（1897-1962）是20世纪美国著名的作家之一，他构建的“约克纳帕塔法”小说世界已成为永恒的经典。《去吧，摩西》（1942）是威廉•福克纳的第十三部长篇小说,由七个相对独立又密切相关的短篇组成，其中《古老的部族》、《熊》、《三角洲之秋》被称为“大森林三部曲”。小说以艾萨克.麦卡斯林在森林中打猎和成长的经历为主线，讲述了一个美国南方家族的故事，揭露了南方奴隶制的罪恶、突出的种族问题、人与自然的关系等等。小说时间跨度八十多年，塑造了众多性格迥异，特色鲜明的人物形象。本论文主人公艾萨克•麦卡斯林即艾克（Isaac McCaslin）的形象进行剖析解读，并探讨他的精神成长历程以及他被赋予的意义，进而更深刻地理解作品的意义和内涵。
关键词：威廉•福克纳；去吧，摩西；艾克；形象；精神探索
William Faulkner (1897-1962), the 1949 Nobel Prize winner for literature, is not only a leading American Southern writer, but also one of the most brilliant writers of the twentieth century. Faulkner is a prolific writer compared to other writers of this time. In his long literary career, he has produced 19 novels, over 120 short stories, and a collection of poetry and voluminous essays. Based on his native town, Oxford, Mississippi, Faulkner creates an imaginary world, Yoknaapatawpha Country, which is called Yoknaapatawpha saga by critics. The story in Go Down, Moses is also set in this country. Go Down, Moses (1942) is his thirteenth novel which consists of seven sections, three of which, “The Old People”, “The Bear” and “Delta Autumn” are closely interrelated. It deals with the “general theme being the relationship between White and Negro races” (Basset 145), together with the relationship between human and land, the industrialized civilization and anthropocentrism, hunting, and the destruction of wilderness.
