摘要
我們為何受苦？苦難無可避免？受苦有何意義？以上問題，答案難尋，卻可得之於人生經驗中。小說家馬拉默，對上述問題特別有興趣。幾乎在所有馬拉默所寫的小說裡，人的受難是他關注的一大主題。他的小說中，主角受苦受難，有些得到救贖，有些則不然。這一篇論文將檢視馬拉默如何在其小說中鋪陳這一個「苦難」的主題，同時期許能更了解馬氏對人生及其生活經驗的看法。 馬拉默小說中的受難主題，有一共同特色：主角都是猶太人。或因馬氏為猶太人，其小說主角大多為猶太人；又或因猶太人對苦難的觀點，在猶太文獻中隨處可見。然而以上幾點，並非馬氏選“受難猶太人”為主角的的唯二原因。馬拉默指出“苦難”是一種“禁鈿”，也是一變形的“美國綺夢”；但對有些人而言，苦難亦意含著救贖的希望。這類觀點並非全然以猶太人為中心的論點，因為馬氏亦談及其他西方救贖的論點，特別是基督教與希臘的救贖觀點。結論，馬氏的小說帶領我們進入受難主角的世界中，而通常主角是面臨苦難困境的猶太人。接受苦難鍛練，而能擇善力行的人，救贖仍是可能的。反之，無法接受苦難的人而言，他們注定面對人生無盡苦海，永無超脫希望。
並列摘要
Why do we suffer? Is suffering inevitable? And what does it mean to suffer? The answers to these questions are very difficult and lie at the heart of the human experience. One author most interested in these questions is Bernard Malamud. In almost all of Bernard Malamud's works suffering is a major theme. In all of his novels and short stories his characters suffer and some are redeemed and some are not. This paper will investigate how the themes of suffering operate within the works of Malamud and in the process seek to obtain a greater understanding of where suffering fits in to Malamud's view of life and human experience. A common feature of suffering in Malamud's stories is that of the suffering Jew. As Malamud himself is Jewish it is not surprising that a vast majority of his characters are as well. It is equally understandable that the Jewish view of suffering is prevalent in his writing. This, however, is not the only view of suffering that Malamud offers the reader. He also points to suffering as a form of imprisonment, a warped feature of the American dream and, encouragingly, a state that for some offers the hope of redemption. This view is not completely Jewish centered as he also explores other Western traditions of how suffering can be viewed, particularly that of Christian and Greek forms. In conclusion Malamud's works take us into a world of suffering characters, usually Jews that must face the dilemma of their state of suffering. For those who can accept this state and make morally appropriate choices redemption is available, however those who can not are doomed to continue their suffering without hope.