《家變》與《背海的人》甫出版之際,皆引起文壇一陣騷動,其中怪異的語法與極具衝擊性的內容,考驗著讀者的接受度。王文興小說中最顯著的特色即是內容和語言;他是臺灣現代主義小說中最虔誠的信仰者,堅定著現代主義的美學觀與精神的信念,致力於文學藝術創作之上。本論文將探究王文興小說中內容、形式和語言在現代主義美學特色上之演進。內容上,王文興秉持著現代主義的質疑與思考精神,對命運、社會種種進行深刻的反思與質問;形式上,跳脫傳統小說重視的人物與故事的完整性,以雙時間軸或打亂時序的形式整建讀者對世界的觀感,和創新小說形式;語言上,力圖求「真」──敘事者說話時的心理與情緒真實的反應,因而採取斷裂的語式、自創新的語彙等。此外,王文興的小說也蘊含存在主義的哲學思考,強調獨立特異的個人與存在的價值。王文興並將對社會的思考、質疑體現於他的作品中,使臺灣現代主義文學具有哲學性,而不流於形式的模仿與內容的空泛。
Upon the publication, there was huge controversy over Wang Wen-hsing’s two famous novels, The Metamorphosis of a Family and The Man with His Back to the sea. His writing style abnormal and theme aggressive as well as provoking, which well shows he is one of the followers of modernism and modernistic aesthetics. This thesis tries to sort out the progressive modernist characteristics in Wang Wen-hsing’s novels, including theme, style, and language. The main themes of Wang’s novels are modernist, raising questions concerning the destiny of human beings as well as our society. His style goes far beyond the totality of traditional Chinese novels; his story line is never diachronic so as to rebuild new senses toward the world. His language focuses on the narrator’s psychological and emotional reaction and thus seems broken and somehow innovative. In addition, his writings stress the value of individual, which is close to Existentialism. In sum, Wang Wen-hsing, in his works, expresses his thinking toward society, adding philosophical elements to Taiwanese modernism.