當⽣命的脈絡由海洋編織：與尾關‧露絲《時光的彼岸》共寫人類世敘事

Sea-ing Through the Skein of Life: Scripting Anthropocene Connections with Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being

陳佳妤(Chia-Yu Chen)

指導教授 ： 李紀舍

國立臺灣大學/文學院/外國語文學研究所/碩士(2019年)

https://doi.org/10.6342/NTU201904120

摘要

本文檢視文學作品在人類世中的位置及其能動性，以新物質主義的觀點切入，探討尾關・露絲《時光的彼岸》一書中關於「連結」的問題。透過將人類世中的物質要素以及文學小說特殊的物質性相提並論，討論人類世文學中著墨於人與物件交織的敘事作品、重新思考虛構敘事在多樣現實維度中的相對位置並分析這類作品如何有效地鬆動現有的知識體系。此外，本文主張人類世小說能更清楚地描繪人與非人之間錯綜複雜的連結及其重疊地帶，也試圖藉由交叉閱讀布魯諾・拉圖的新物質理論與尾關・露絲的小說，將虛構想像理論化。
全文自「人類世」一詞的矛盾出發，首先於緒論中追朔人類世一詞的歷史根源，從中凸顯該詞語如何連結人與非人之關係。第一章延續緒論提出之連結問題、爬梳連結一詞在概念上的演變，尤其聚焦在「絆」（kizuna）一字上，說明該字彙在全球環境災難語境中的政治性，並剖析《時光的彼岸》一書如何重新詮釋「絆」的概念。第二章論述從「絆」字延伸，圍繞著跨物種連結之題，同時援引新物質主義與科技與社會研究的相關理論，嘗試將虛構想像理論化。此章節亦列舉文學在科技與社會研究領域中的介入實例，說明虛構小說作為一種特殊的再現形式，如何展示人物交聯的複雜關係。第三章細究尾關・露絲的敘事手法如何補足並說明布魯諾・拉圖的新物質理論，尤其列舉《時光的彼岸》中特有的泛靈語言及超海洋元素，強調該敘事手法除能有效呈現出多種不同以往的存在形式之外，更能增進我們對非人生命的理解。最後，結論章節中提出一個重要的觀察：人類世中的文學作品不僅能解放更多非人生命，亦同時將人類從人類中心主義之中解救了出來。
本文希望藉由對《時光的彼岸》一書的閱讀，分析生命萬物盤根錯節的本質。以上章節細看文學作品中人與物的交錯連結，以期探索更多不同於人類但卻不亞於人類的生命樣態。本文尤其強調閱讀彈性空間與鄰近關係，這類從新物質主義出發的閱讀方法論開拓更廣闊的思辯空間，除有助於提升人類對非人他者的認知之外，亦協助我們看見人與非人的緊密連結。諸如此類的文學能動性就虛構小說的社會功能而言，帶有重要的涵義。

關鍵字

《時光的彼岸》 ； 絆 ； 超海洋元素 ； 新物質主義 ； 人類世文學

並列摘要

This thesis examines the role of literature and its agency in the Anthropocene by looking closely at the question of bonds in Ruth Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being through a new materialist lens. Drawing on critical juxtaposition of material causes in the Anthropocene and the unique materiality of literary fiction, this thesis discusses readings on the intertwining of humans and material agencies in Anthropocene literature; how fictional narratives have been relocated to the scalar dimensions of reality and have contributed to a destabilization of knowledge system; how an Anthropocene fiction can better describe inextricable bonds and overlapping spheres between the humans and the nonhumans; and how to theorise imagination by reading Bruno Latour’s New Materialist Theory together with Ozeki’s novel.
My reading of Ozeki’s A Tale for the Time Being starts with a discussion on connections in the Anthropocene, particularly delving into the historical roots of the word Anthropocene to see connections between the humans and the nonhuman entities. Chapter One delineates the changing meanings of the concept of bonds, focusing on the word kizuna (literally meaning, the bonds). The chapter addresses how the word become a political concept read together with global climate disasters; and how A Tale for the Time Being has proposed alternative meanings for existing concept of bonds. Chapter Two continues to focus on the interspecies entanglements, turning to new materialism and STS studies with an aim to theorise imagination. In this chapter, I draw on examples of literary intervention in the field of STS, demonstrating how fictions, as a unique means of representation, can better explain the complexities of our interconnectedness. Chapter Three looks closely at how Ozeki’s narratives can sufficiently replenish and clarify Latour’s theory. In this chapter, I highlight both the animist languages as well as the hypermarine elements in A Tale for the Time Being, through which new modes of existence is brought to light and that various conceptualisation of earthly beings is enabled. I sum up my thesis in the concluding remarks by arguing that literature in the Anthropocene allows for the emancipation of earthly agents and liberates human beings from human-centrism.
This thesis aims to see through the skein of life through an experimental reading of A Tale for the Time Being. With a focus on the material bondings, the discussions contribute to an exploration of alternative life forms that are other than human but no less than human. In particular, I wish to give important meanings to a new reading practice which draws inspiration from new materialism and offers spaces for speculative flows, as it addresses issues of flexibility and proximity. Not only can we recognize but build a relationship with the many nonhuman entities. Literary agencies as such bring to light the important social purpose of fiction.

並列關鍵字

A Tale for the Time Being ； Kizuna ； Hypermarine elements ； New Materialism ； Anthropocene literature

參考文獻

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