戰爭與帝國殘骸的再現： 閱讀阮清越《同情者》及《已提交》

Abstract

本論文旨在藉由批判性難民研究（Critical Refugee Studies）的理論視角，探討美國越南裔作家阮清越（Viet Thanh Nguyen）之兩本小說《同情者》（2015）及《已提交》（2021）對於戰爭、帝國及難民的「再現」（representation）。藉此理論，本論文認為阮清越透過該兩本小說，試圖打破越戰時間與空間上傳統的認知框架，並揭露越戰與其他歷史、暴行之間的連結，亦即小說本身即提供對主流、被曲解的戰爭與帝國形象重新省思的機會。論文第一章介紹批判性難民研究中具代表性的學術研究、移居法國中南半島難民的相關文獻以及目前討論《同情者》、《已提交》兩本作品的文章及書評，並解釋所謂「再現」的定義。第二章探討《同情者》一書，以難民旁白的視角與路徑，呈現越戰過後從越南流離至美國的經歷，並討論戰爭的「再現」是由誰掌控。第三章探討《已提交》一書，如何以接續《同情者》，更進一步擴大越戰的時間與空間至法國，並討論法蘭西殖民帝國以及柬埔寨紅色高棉屠殺等暴力的「再現」。第四章總結本論文研究發現，以及延伸討論近期有關澎湖難民營之相關作品。

This thesis investigates the representation of war, empire, and refugees in Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novels The Sympathizer (2015) and The Committed (2021). By reading the two novels together through the lens of Critical Refugee Studies, this thesis suggests that Nguyen disrupts both the spatial and temporal boundaries of the Vietnam War while uncovering the war’s linkages to other histories and atrocities. In this way, this thesis attempts to show that these novels offer an opportunity to reconsider popular yet distorted versions of war and empire. Chapter One reviews the main scholarship in the field of Critical Refugee Studies, studies on refugees from Indochina in France, and selected key studies about and book reviews of Nguyen’s The Sympathizer and The Committed. A discussion of the key term representation is also included in this chapter. Chapter Two examines The Sympathizer by focusing on Nguyen’s tracing of the refugees’ routes and perspectives from Vietnam to the U.S. after the Vietnam War. This chapter also examines the question of who controls the means of representation. Chapter Three explores how The Committed further expands the spatial and temporal boundaries of the Vietnam War by following the refugee protagonist to France. This chapter also discusses the representation of French colonial empire and other atrocities such as those committed by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Chapter Four concludes the thesis by summarizing its findings and by foregrounding recent film projects about the Indochinese refugee camp in Penghu.