The Mixed-Race Women in Joseph Conrad's Almayer's Folly and William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom!

康拉德的《奧邁耶的癡夢》與福克納的《押沙龍，押沙龍！》中的混血女性

高珮文(Pei-Wen Clio KAO)

《英美文學評論》 39期 (2021/12) Pp. 27-59

https://doi.org/10.6711/REAL.202112_(39).0002

摘要

As inspired by Peter Mallios's pioneering work Our Conrad (2010) that attempts to contextualize the global study of Conrad in the uncharted territory of American studies once known for its isolationism and parochialism, this paper aims to explore the connection of the ＂global＂ Conrad (set in the European Modernism) and the ＂regional＂ Faulkner (set in American Southern Renaissance) with a specific focus on the legacy of race and gender that Conrad left in his American successor's works. This paper brings forth the issue of gender in addition to that of race. The goal is to bridge Conrad's and Faulkner's concerns of abiding human values of ＂endurance＂ and ＂resilience＂ in the face of the dark forces of modernity, ranging from European imperialism and U. S. Southern racism to the modern patriarchal ideology. In response to Conrad's depiction of racial and cultural otherness, Faulkner in most of his works addresses the problem of racism and its ramifications in Southern society. In light of postcolonial discourse and the ＂mixed race＂ theory, this paper is an attempt to make the voice of the marginalized figures heard and their perspective seen - particularly those of the non-white female characters. Henceforth, it is possible to dig out their potential empowerment and agency to transform the unequal power relations imposed by the colonial and patriarchal ideology. Through an analysis of the non-white women's subversion of the unjust status quo in Conrad's Almayer's Folly and Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom!, this paper intends to reflect on Conrad's and Faulkner's humane as well as humanist vision to speak up for the silenced, marginalized and oppressed. This alternative reading of Almayer's Folly and Absalom, Absalom! might cast a new light on the continuity of the two modernist writers' works, which serve as the historical lesson for the contemporary campaign on human rights.

關鍵字

Joseph Conrad ； William Faulkner ； postcolonial discourse ； ＂mixed race＂ theory ； Almayer's Folly ； Absalom, Absalom!

並列摘要

本文靈感起源來自於馬利歐（Peter Mallios）於2010年出版的開彊闢土之前瞻性作品《我們的康拉德》（Our Conrad）。這部作品將過往以全球化為屬性的「康拉德研究」帶往一向以隔離主義及偏狹主義著稱的「美國研究」全新領域。奠基於此一概念，本文探索「全球化」康拉德研究（因其置於歐洲現代主義背景）以及「地域化」福克納研究（因其置於美國南方文藝復興背景）兩者之間的關聯性，尤其將聚焦探討福克納作品中康拉德的種族與性別思想的傳承。本文嘗試於種族議題之外帶入性別的議題，藉此搭起康拉德與福克納兩位文學大師之間的橋樑，闡釋兩者在描述人類面臨各種現代性的黑暗勢力時（包括歐洲殖民主義及美國南方種族歧視和當代的父權意識形態），所共同秉持具有的「堅忍不拔」之人類價值。福克納仿效康拉德對於「他者文化」（Other culture）的關懷，於多數作品之中探討美國南方社會種族歧視的問題以及其影響層面。基於從後殖民論述的角度出發，並且帶入二十一世紀混血種族理論（＂mixed race＂ theory），以替沉默的他者（silenced Other）發聲為目的，本文將兩位作者作品中的邊緣化人物（特別聚焦於非白人女性角色）之觀點置於文本閱讀的中心位置，並挖掘這些人物發展培力及能動性的潛力，進而扭轉殖民以及父權意識形態橫行下所產生的不公平之權力關係。筆者冀望經由另類性閱讀（alternative reading）過程去闡釋兩位作家作品中的非白人女性如何顛覆不公不義的現狀；以此強調康拉德及福克納的人性及人文願景，以及他們誓言為沉默和受壓迫的邊緣人發聲的理念，從而以全新的角度去了解兩位現代主義作家的相通關聯性，以及對當代人權思想的啟發。

並列關鍵字

康拉德 ； 福克納 ； 後殖民論述 ； 混血種族理論 ； 《奧邁耶的癡夢》 ； 《押沙龍，押沙龍！》

參考文獻

Aboul-Ela, Hosam. “Faulkner as/and the Postcolonial Writer.” William Faulkner in Context. Ed. John T. Matthews. New York: Cambridge UP, 2015. 288-97. Print.

Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin. “Hybridity.” Key Concepts in Post-Colonial Studies. London: Routledge,1998. 118-21. Print.

Bhabha, Homi. The Location of Culture. London: Routledge, 1994. Print.

Bronstein, Michaela. “Conrad’s Faulkner.” Essays in Criticism 62 (2012): 83-99. Print.

Conrad, Joseph. Almayer’s Folly. 1895. New York: the Modern Library. 2002. Print.