怀特作为后现代历史“ 修辞学”转向的代表，在国内外备受关注。但是很少有人注意怀特对马克思的解读。怀特从后现代历史编撰学的角度对马克思进行修辞学分析，主要集中在《元史学》一书中。鉴于19世纪历史学的困境，怀特希望历史能真正地向人们敞开，对历史实在能够自由想象。因此，怀特通过借用文学、政治学等领域的比喻、情节化、形式论证以及意识形态等理论，组装了他的历史修辞学理论。在历史深层，历史著述者运用所选择的主导比喻进行诗性预构；历史显层是由情节化解释、形式论证解释和意识形态蕴含式解释三种解释构成的。历史修辞学理论便成为怀特解读马克思的理论基础和工具。马克思对历史进行了想象，其中包含了马克思对历史的美好愿望。怀特抓住这一点，把马克思置于他的历史修辞学理论之下：马克思综合运用转喻和提喻的策略，意图在于说明人类社会如何从分裂走向融合；历史朝向一种喜剧式的发展结局，而对于作为人类史前时期最后阶段的资本主义社会，马克思做了重点分析，分别就资产阶级和无产阶级的发展前景进行了情节设置。从隐喻、经转喻和提喻到达反讽，这种转化范式，可以作为分析马克思历史理论现象层面转变的一个模型，不管马克思分析什么，都对应于这种比喻的变化。按照怀特历史修辞学理论结构，马克思还对历史预构进行了论证，这种论证建立在对经济基础和上层建筑的辩证分析上，特别是对上层建筑的辩证分析。上层建筑形式的转化类似于四重比喻的转化，因此在反讽的资本主义社会，可以预见下一个阶段隐喻的共产主义社会的到来。马克思强烈的意识形态色彩彰显在诗性预构、情节化等各个方面，怀特进一步把马克思确定为左派激进主义。怀特还用历史修辞学理论重点分析了马克思的《雾月十八日》，其中闹剧的情节结构、机械的形式论证、激进的意识形态一一俱全。怀特是一名道德上的马克思主义者，与马克思一样都相信人类社会的发展前景是美好的。怀特对马克思的解读首先凸显了马克思与历史想象的关系。但在马克思那里，个人关于历史的想象必须与生产方式相结合；怀特以意识转变的比喻逻辑为依据论证马克思的历史预构，可以看做一种论证方式。其次，怀特的解读凸显了马克思历史理论的三个维度，即审美维度、认知维度和政治维度。

As a historical "Rhetoric" representative , White attracts many researchers’attention at home and abroad. But few people took note of White’s interpretation of Marx. From the post-modern and historiographical perspectives,White analyses Marx rhetorically, mainly concentrated in the book Metahistory.but many other articles also referred Marx. In view of the plight of the 19th century history, White hoped that history could open to people truly, and be freedom to imagine. Therefore, White assembled his theory of history rhetoric by borrowing the Theory of Tropes, Emplotment, Argument and Ideology from other fields like literature and political. In the deep level history, one prefabricates history by the dominant trope he selected; In the shallow level history, it is consisted by Explanation by Implication strategies which are Explanation by Emplotment , Explanation by Formal Argument and Explanation by Ideology Implication.The theory of history rhetoric has become the foundation and tools which White interpretes Marx’s historical theory.Marx just imagines on history, including Marx’s desire for history. White grasped this point and put Marx’s historical theory under his rhetoric theory: Marx applies metonymy and synecdoche strategies compositely to describe how the human society develops from split to integration;The historical development is towards a kind of comic-style result. Marx made a priority to analyse capitalist society, the final stage of human prehistory, in which the future of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat were plotted by Marx. From the metaphor, through metonymy and synecdoche to irony, The form of tropes transformation can be regarded as a model of phenomenon changing Marx’s historical theory. Regardless whatever Marx analysis, they can correspond with the form of Tropes changing. In accordance with the structure of White's history of rhetoric, Marx demonstrated his pre-figuration.This argument based on dialectical analysis on the economic base and superstructure, especially the superstructure. The transformation form of Superstructure is similar to the conversion of the four tropes, so the irony capitalist society can foresee a metaphor stage,communist society. Marx strong ideological color highlights in the poetic prefabricatione, emplotment and other aspects.White identified Marx as left-wing radicalism furtherly. White focused on analysis of Marx's 18th Brumaire by his rhetorical theory of history, which has the plot structure, formal argument and the radical ideology. White is a moral Marxist and believes that human society will be better in the progress of history with Marx. White’s interpretation of Marx highlights the relationship between Marx and the Historical Imagination. In Marx, individuals’ imagination on the history must combined with the mode of production. White’s argument Marx's historical prefabrication bases on sense changes in the logic of tropes. Moreover, White's interpretation highlights the three dimensions of Marx’s historical theory, these are the aesthetic dimension, cognitive dimension and political dimension.