對失憶的反思：石黑一雄《被埋葬的記憶》中的記憶敘事

Abstract

在石黑一雄（Kazuo Ishiguro）的第三人稱小說《被埋葬的記憶》（The Buried Giant）中，敘事策略與記憶的方式密不可分。這本小說提供了不同的敘事觀點，從多樣的角度，述說了一個關於記憶的故事。藉由拼湊各角色的個人敘事，讀者察覺出他們皆有著一個共同的記憶。雖然小說採不同於以往的敘事風格來書寫，記憶依舊為本小說的主題。石黑一雄不僅描繪了個人對於自己過去的記憶與遺忘，更展現了國家對其歷史的記憶與遺忘。本論文以蘇珊．納爾班提恩（Suzanne Nalbantian）所研究之文學中的記憶呈現為基礎，並藉由納爾班提恩閱讀敘事的方法，來檢視《被埋葬的記憶》中的記憶敘事。第一章著重在石黑一雄的敘事風格，通過討論其小說中的不可靠敘事，了解個人記憶如何能在各自的敘事中被呈現。即使這些敘事看似不完整，卻仍揭露了一個需受譴責的集體過去。第二章從小說設定的歷史背景、文學傳統和奇幻元素等面向，來分析石黑一雄的敘事風格，並討論其如何創造出一個失憶的世界。本論文的結論是，這本小説的記憶敘事，不應被解讀成平淡的記述。經由石黑一雄的描寫，個人記憶與集體記憶，相互交織，而非站在彼此的對立面。這本小說除了呈現個人記憶，另一方面，也關注國家的集體記憶。與石黑一雄之前的作品一樣，《被埋葬的記憶》講述了關於記憶的動人故事。

This thesis explores the relationship between narrative and memory in Kazuo Ishiguro’s third-person novel, The Buried Giant (2015). The novel portrays the narratives of different characters, telling the story of memory from various angles. Piecing together these narratives, readers can detect a shared memory of these characters. Even though the novel is written in a style different from Ishiguro’s previous ones, the theme of memory is retained. Not only does Ishiguro illustrate how one remembers and forgets one’s past, but he demonstrates how a nation remembers and forgets its history. This thesis takes Suzanne Nalbantian’s research on the presentation of memory in literature to look into the narrative of memory in The Buried Giant. The first chapter focuses on Ishiguro’s narrative style. With a discussion on narrative unreliability, this chapter investigates how personal memory can be traced in each character’s narrative. These characters’ narratives, though fragmentary, reveal that they have a culpable past. The second chapter analyzes narratives regarding the historical setting, the literary traditions, and fantastic elements to see how Ishiguro creates a world where the collective memory is forgotten. This thesis concludes that the narrative of memory in the novel should not be read as flat-footed accounts of events. Personal and collective memory are not at polarity. Through Ishiguro’s narrative style, personal and collective memory are intertwined. The novel demonstrates memory of individuals, and on the other hand, it calls the attention to the collective memory of a nation. The Buried Giant tells a story of memory that is as mesmerizing as Ishiguro’s previous works.