萊克特醫師與德古拉伯爵：連續殺人犯小說中兩種原型之研究

Abstract

長久以來，連續殺人犯的故事一直深深吸引著一代代的讀者。最早從維多利亞時期大眾對開膛手傑克事件的執迷，到近期《沈默的羔羊》、《驚聲尖叫》、《漢尼拔》等小說、影視作品的暢銷，連續殺人犯文類漸漸成為了大眾文化中非常重要的一部分。鑑於連續殺人犯文類的重要性，這個研究將聚焦於連續殺人犯小說上，並探索幾個主要的研究問題：第一，連續殺人犯在小說中是如何被描寫的？第二，連續殺人犯在小說中呈現的這些形象，如何反映著當代社會的焦慮？第三、連續殺人犯小說有什麼社會功能？最後，為什麼連續殺人犯故事可以吸引一代代的大眾，歷久不衰？ 對於這些問題，歷來學者們提出各式各樣的答案。有些學者指出，連續殺人犯的形象跟自然界中殘暴的獵食者很相似，所以這樣具有動物性的角色其實表達了大眾對於「低於」人類的物種的恐懼（Jenkins）。也有學者認為，這樣具有動物性的連續殺人犯角色的存在，反映著大眾對於自己心靈裡頭那個暴力、原始、動物性的層面的焦慮（Grixti）。也有學者宣稱，連續殺人犯角色（尤其是1980年代的那群）是宣揚保守主義、打壓自由主義的工具（Caputi）。乍看之下，這些不同學者的說法似乎少有交集，甚至有時候互相抵觸。 在本篇研究中，筆者將試圖通盤思考各個學者的說法，並證明這些不同學者的理論其實不盡然是互相矛盾，而是分別討論到連續殺人犯文類的不同面向。奠基在這些學者的理論之上，本研究也會閱讀與思考兩部相當具有代表性的經典連續殺人犯小說—《德古拉》、《沈默的羔羊》—希望藉此更深入的了解連續殺人犯文類。在完成這些後，本研究會在結論時試圖證明：連續殺人犯文類中，其實存在著兩個不同的連續殺人犯角色原型，並且，此兩種原型可以用本研究所發展出的一種量尺去理解—連續殺人犯角色的光譜。總而言之，本研究希望能讓大眾更加清楚：連續殺人犯小說中的角色塑造、恐懼指涉、社會功能。也希望能讓我們更了解：為什麼連續殺人犯文類可以如此吸引一代又一代的大眾，歷久不衰。

Serial killer stories have long fascinated the public. From the Late Victorian obsession with the notorious Jack the Ripper to the modern thirst for serial killer novels, films, and TV dramas, serial killer narratives, no matter fact or fiction, have never been out of print, dominating the bestselling list worldwide throughout the century. In view of the importance of the serial killer fiction genre in popular culture and in literature, this research intends to explore several questions: how are serial killers reimagined and portrayed in fictions? How do these portrayals resonate with the fears and desires of the contemporary public? What social functions do these serial killer narratives serve? Finally, why have serial killer stories remained one of the most popular genres throughout the decades? Scholarly discussions on the serial killer genre have provided various answers. Some argue that the fictional serial killer expresses the public’s fears about animalistic beings—creatures below the human being (Jenkins). Some claim that serial killers speak to people’s anxieties about the animalistic self within them (Grixti). Others see the serial killers, especially the killers in the slasher films of the 1980s, as a medium to promote certain ideologies, such as the new conservatism in the Reagan era (Caputi, Simpson). On the surface, scholars’ numerous interpretations of serial killer fiction seem barely related or even contradictory. In this research, I will attempt to integrate the various arguments on the serial killer fiction and show that these loosely related arguments, when seen together, actually shed light on different aspects of the serial killer genre. By reading these arguments alongside two representative works in the genre—Dracula and The Silence of the Lambs—I will attempt to provide a more holistic view on the serial killer genre, proposing that in the genre exist two important archetypes of serial killers and that these two archetypes can be understood with the idea of a “spectrum.” I will argue that these discoveries can help us understand how serial killers are depicted in fiction, what contemporary fears and desires they resonate with, and, most importantly, why serial killer stories have remained so popular throughout all these years.