Spatial Construction in V.S.Naipaul’s Miguel Street

【Abstract】V.S. Naipaul’s Miguel Street is one of the masterpieces of post colonial literary works. The production of space runs through the novel， the construction of space and the natural arrangement of events make the plot have an inevitably causal relationship. Under the plain and profound language and layered spatial construction， the author not only laments the marginalized people on the Miguel Street， but also accuses the reality ruthlessly.

【Key Words】Spatial construction； social space； psychological space； text space

【作者簡介】張祥（1994-），女，漢族，湖南永州人，西安外國語大學英文學院2016級在讀研究生，研究方向：英語語言文學。

【基金項目】西安外國語大學研究生科研基金項目（項目編號：syjs201756）。

1. The Oppressed Social Space

“（Social）space is a （social）product”，Lefebvre proposed that “the space thus produced also serves as a tool of thought and of action”. Houses， bars and schools are symbolic places running through Miguel Street. They are a collection of small societies. People always want to communicate with society. Different characters form different social spaces in social interaction. So the plot of the novel is pluralistic development， small societies blend and converge， people seem to lose themselves， can not find their roots.At the beginning of “The Pyrotechnicist”， the author says， “A stranger could drive through Miguel Street and just say ‘Slums！’because he could see no more”， but for the colonial people， this street is the best place to live.Cultural identity crisis thus reflects on the specific landscape in Miguel Street， mapping in different small social environments， full of silent complaints about the living status.

2. Restless Psychological Space

It may be said that colonial culture is the main cause of the vulgarity of their cultural identity. Long under colonial domination， people living on Miguel Street have gradually forgotten their native culture. People are even proud to imitate the tone and attitude of Anglo-Americans. The most typical example is Edward， the protagonist in “Until the Soldiers Came.” After the American invasion of Trinidad， Edward wore American-style clothes， spoke with an American accent， and even made friends only with Americans. The difference of colonial culture caused the twisted mentality of the edged people in Miguel Street. The blending and collision of cultures urges immigrant writers like V.S.Naipaul to seek identity in the complex cultural background. So his Miguel Street contributes to such a conflicting confluence， containing both the restlessness of colonization and the plight of post-colonialism.

3. Constructive Text Space

Text space is often influenced by language， narrative time and perspective. Naipaul is adept at using these aspects. The first narrator ‘I’ record the events in the street from a child’s point of view， thus gathering the fragmented small societies into the overall space of Miguel Street， where “I” grows and matures， finally decides to leave， and childhood goes with it. The last story “How I Left Miguel Street” is an important chapter when “I” bid farewell to the past and reach a turning point in life. In Zoran’s view， space is a process of construction in which readers actively participate. The readers can feel the fictional social space and the perception conveyed by the narrator’s language， thus producing different spatial effects. This resonance is the product of text space， making the novel quite unique. Miguel Street is precious， so are the people there. It is a place where sincerity will not be eroded by secularity， reconstructed of Naipaul’s own precious experience. The contradiction of the colonized and marginalized people are interwoven， so that the whole story is full of bitter breath.

4. Conclusion

Every character on Miguel Street has such a distinct personality with repressed， restless heart. Their spiritual crisis is extremely severe. They struggle to rebuild their identity and realize their dreams and values by meaningless ways. Although the author writes these marginalized people’s life in plain words， it still has its own characteristics in text construction and narrative means. Naipaul has a deep understanding of colonial life. He portrays not only Miguel Street， but also the predicament of all the human beings.

References：

[1]Henri Lefebvre.The production of Space.Trans.Donald Nicholson.[M].Cornwall：T.J.Press Ltd，1991.

[2]V.S.Naipaul.Miguel Street[M].NY：Random House Inc，2002.

[3]Gabriel，Zoran.Towards a Theory of Space in Narrative[J].Poetics Today，1984（5）：309-335.