Journal of Literary Writing and Evaluation
JLWE, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2025, pp.39-49.
Print ISSN: 3078-8129; Online ISSN: 3104-5073
Journal homepage: https://www.lwejournal.com
DOI: Https://doi.org/10.64058/jlwe260105dsmbs
Liu Kedong, Cui Yihang
Abstract: Alistair MacLeod’s The Boat employs a rich symbolic framework to explore the profound tension between tradition and change. This paper analyzes the inherent duality within the story’s three central symbols: the boat, the book, and the sea. First, the boat functions both as a supportive foundation for the family’s livelihood and cultural continuity, and as a perpetual constraint that entraps individuals in a predetermined fate. Second, the book acts as a symbol with two potentialities for escape: one representing idealized intellectual freedom and broader horizons, and the other constituting an illusory escapism that breeds dissatisfaction with one’s reality. Finally, the sea serves as both a daily nurturer that provides identity and sustenance to the community, and an ultimate destroyer. Through this symbolic analysis, the paper concludes that it is the inherent contradiction and complexity of these symbols that collectively forge the core tragedy of the story, illuminating the irreconcilable conflicts between obligation, freedom, and memory.
Keywords: Alistair MacLeod; The Boat; Duality; Symbols
Author Biographies: Liu Kedong (Corresponding Author), PhD, is professor and PhD Student Supervisor in the Department of English, School of International Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology. His research focuses on English Education, Literature in English, Indigenous and Ethnic Minority Literature, Translation Practice, Cross-Cultural Communication, Country and Area Studies, International Relations and International Organizations, Global Governance, Literary Sociology, and Ethnic Sociology. E-mail: rjoykliu@hit.edu.cn. Cui Yihang is a Master’s Candidate in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology. Research Area: English Language and Literature. E-mail: cuiyihang0702@163.com.
题目：麦克劳德《船》中象征作用的二元性：船、书与海的象征性分析
摘要：阿利斯泰尔·麦克劳德的短篇小说《船》通过丰富的象征体系，深刻探讨了传统与变革之间的张力。本文分析了故事中三个核心象征物:船、书与海与其内在的二元性。首先，船既是维系家庭生计与文化传承的根基，亦是个体命运中无法挣脱的永恒枷锁，束缚着人对生活的自主选择。其次，书象征着两种逃离的可能：一方面，它代表理想化的智性自由与更广阔的世界；另一方面，它也构成一种虚幻的逃避，滋生人与现实之间的疏离与不满。最后，海既是日常的养育者，为沿海社群提供身份认同与生存资料，又是最终的毁灭性力量，吞噬希望与生命。通过这一象征性解读，本文指出，正是这些象征本身内在的矛盾性与复杂性，共同铸就了故事的核心悲剧，揭示了义务、自由与记忆之间难以调和的冲突。
关键词：阿利斯泰尔·麦克劳德；《船》；二元性；象征
作者简介：刘克东（通讯作者），博士，哈尔滨工业大学人文社科学部外语学院英语系教授、博士生导师，研究方向：英语教学、英语文学、少数族裔文学、翻译实践、跨文化交际、国别与区域研究、国际关系与国际组织、国际社会治理、文学社会学、民族社会学。电邮：rjoykliu@hit.edu.cn。崔舣航，哈尔滨工业大学2025级硕士研究生，研究方向：英语语言文学。电邮：cuiyihang0702@163.com。
Received: 28 Mar 2026 / Revised: 25 Apr 2026 / Accepted: 25 Apr 2026 / Published online: 30 Apr 2026 / Print published: 30 May 2026.
