柯慈小說中不可呈現的倫理抗力

Abstract

摘 要 本篇論文「柯慈小說中不可呈現的倫理抗力」主要處理柯慈寫於種族隔離政策時期的兩個文本：等待野蠻人(1980) 以及鐵器時代(1990)，探討小說中的不可呈現的角色以及其帶出的倫理向度。本文著重處理三個層面：第一章討論的小說的形式，為什麼柯慈不用一般的寫實主義來寫小說而是選擇一種引起各種批評的寫作方式。從李歐塔（François Lyotard）的岐論（differend）的觀點切入，同時也從南非種族隔離政策的時期的政治狀況和柯慈個人美學追求來說明一種新的書寫形式的必要性。第二章則從德希達（Jacques Derrida） 的來臨者(l’Arrivant) 和列維納斯 (Emmanuel Levinas)的在家(chez soi) 和人質(l’otage) 來討論這些不可呈現的角色為什麼能夠讓書中的敘述者重新審視自己、發現他者、最後甚至為他者犧牲。最後則會用白朗修( Maurice Blanchot)來說明如何能在文學作品中，比在其他論述中，更能帶出倫理的面向。第三章的問題則是：讀者是否也能夠在閱讀此類帶有不可呈現的角色文學作品中感受到倫理召喚？本章則會使用史碧娃克（Gayatri Spivak）的反聚焦(Counterfocalization) 來說明。除此之外，本文也同時處理哪一種再現的方式更能呈現他者以及對尊重作者仍為他者，免於他者陷入自我（Self）的吸納，無法真正對他者(Other)作出倫理回饋，而文學的獨特性,在書寫他者時，比起哲學和歷史，更能真正地帶領讀者打破藩籬，邁向他者。 關鍵字: 柯慈、倫理、自我、他者、不可呈現、列維納斯、德希達、白朗修、史碧娃克

Abstract This thesis seeks to examine two novels of J.M. Coetzee written during apartheid, Waiting for the Barbarians (1980) and Age of Iron (1990), investigating the unrepresentable characters in the novels and their ethical dimensions. This thesis deals with three perspectives: the first chapter will demonstrate through use of François Lyotard’s concept of différend how the historical condition of South Africa and Coetzee’s personal aesthetic pursuits underscore the urgency of a new novelistic form rather than the existing ones in South Africa literary history. In the light of work by Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas, and Maurice Blanchot, chapter two sets off to see how these unrepresentable characters, functioning as what Derrida dubs l’arrivant, compel the narrators to leave their homes (chez soi), and even to an extent to make sacrifice for the Other in becoming his/her hostage (l’otage). At the end, with recourse to Blanchot, the discussion reaches out to how literature can pursue the ethical. The last chapter talks about how readers can participate in the discovery of the Other while reading. Gayatri Spivak believes that “counterfocalization” will lead the readers to read against the hegemonic discourse of the narrator or focalizor, to “counterfocalize” the focalized narration. In addition, this thesis also hopes to argue for the singularity of literature in terms of its capability to retain and exhibit ambiguity, paving the way to the Other better than history and philosophy.

Keywords: J.M. Coetzee, Ethics, Other, Self, Unrepresentable, Levinas, Derrida, Blanchot, Spivak