The Mirage of a Free Self: The Unavoidable Doom of Edna Pontellier in the Social Bondage

自由我之幻像：艾丹娜於社會枷鎖下無可避免之厄運

柯量元(Liang-Yuan Ko)

《致遠管理學院學報》 3_1期 (2008/09) Pp. 25-46

https://doi.org/10.6595/BDCM.2008.3(1).2

摘要

本文旨在探究美國作家凱特˙蕭邦(Kate Chopin)在其所著覺醒(The Awakening)一書中，主人翁艾丹娜(Edna)走上自我毀滅的原因。分析發現，艾丹娜非社會化之個性固然是一大原因，最主要則是她未確切體認到人絕無法斷然忽略他者，來做純粹的自我追求。 她未能透析人生而必需面對，並解決孤寂的困境。艾丹娜認為在社會生活下，沒了自我。幾經束縛與挫折，便毅然斷絕自我與他者的關係。殊不知這種斷絕，不僅斷了自我與他者，也斷了自我排除孤寂的路。過度追求自我，最後終究讓自己淹沒於隔絕的孤寂中。

關鍵字

自我 ； 他者 ； 孤寂 ； 責任

並列摘要

This research is aimed at finding the reasons for the self destruction Edna, the protagonist in The Awakening by Kate Chopin, eventually leads herself to. The analysis shows that though the personality of Edna plays a part, the major problem lies in her being unable to realize the impossibility of one's breaking completely with the Other. She fails to understand the fact that once born as an individual into the world, she is sure to face solitude, which is something she has to solve in her whole life. Feeling bound and suffering from several setbacks in the interpersonal relationships, she abruptly breaks herself of the tie with the Other, not knowing this not only ends her interpersonal relationships, but also cuts off an outlet to ease herself of any sense of solitude. The over-emphasis of the pursuit of a complete and unhindered self only pushes her further into a desolate situation of solitude, ending in her self destruction.

並列關鍵字

self ； the other ； solitude ； responsibility

參考文獻

Bergen-Aurand, Brian K.(2002).Solitude and the Infinite in Soldati and Levinas.Romance Studies.20,165-178.

Chopin, Kate.(1992).The Awakening.New York:Everyman's Library.

Harmon, Charles.(1998).Abysses of Solitude: Acting Naturally in Vogue and The Awakening.College Literature.25,52-66.

Jones, Paul Christian.(2003).A Re-Awakening: Anne Tyler's Postfeminist Edna Pontellier in Ladder of Years.Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction.44,271-283.

Levinas, Emmanuel.,Bettina Bergo (Trans.)(1993).GOD, DEATH, AND TIME.California:Stanford UP.