從魔都到夢土：《紐約客》的同志情慾、「異國」離散與家國想像

From a Surrealist City to a Fairyland: An Exploration of Homo Sexuality, Diaspora Experience and Imagined Homeland in Pai Hsien-Yung's "New Yorkers"

曾秀萍(Hsiu-Ping Tseng)

《師大學報：語言與文學類》 54卷2期 (2009/09) Pp. 135-158

摘要

本文分析《紐約客》兩篇同志小說中性傾向與離散經驗、身分認同、家國想像間的關連，以補充當前離散研究偏重種族、國族而忽略情欲政治的傾向。紐約在白先勇筆下由「魔都」轉為「夢土」，成為離散同志的「安樂鄉」。「根」與「家」在此產生新的連結與辯證迴路，國族身分屬性與建構變得游移不定、內涵可疑。一向被國族論述所貶抑的情欲，反倒成為對國族認同最基進的質疑。但需注意在跨國越界積極意涵下所隱藏的危險，不僅是認同、文化的衝擊，更可能是關乎越界者的切身安危，在開拓迂迴、流動的認同策略中不可忽視現實的基礎。此外，小說流露救贖、淨化傾向及其對父親、原生家族的執著，恐有再度鞏固父權、中產階級價值之虞，值得進一步思考、商榷。

關鍵字

白先勇 ； 同志 ； 紐約客 ； 家國想像 ； 離散

並列摘要

This article aims to explore the relationship between sexual inclination, diaspora experience, personal identity, and the imagined homeland in Pai Hsien-yung's two homosexual fictions in ”New Yorkers.” As too much has been talked about races and nations while too little has been said about the politics of sexuality in recent diaspora studies, this article intends to fill in this void.It is argued that the two stories were about the elusive relationship between sexuality and national identity. While the personal identities of these estranged homosexuals have changed from ”Guests in New York” to ”New Yorkers,” New York, once a surrealist city for them, has now become a ”fairyland,” a new hometown. ”Root” and ”Home” were reconnected in a dialectical loop. The construct of national identity was no longer clear and subject to suspicion. Sexuality has become a fundamental questioning of one's national identity.It is also worth pointing out that although multiple identities may be developed through home-leaving and immigration, boundary crossing, for all its positive meanings, could pose as a danger of crossing the limit. Not only was one's personal and national identity suffering from this impact in a symbolic level, one's basic existence might also be threatened. This was a fact that cannot be ignored while negotiating between liquid identities. Moreover, the redemption and purification process of our protagonists in this imagined homeland will be examined and discussed.

並列關鍵字

Pai Hsien-Yung (Kenneth Pai/Bai Xianyong) ； homosexual ； New Yorkers ； the imagined homeland ； diaspora