現代散文中的中年視角和親情書寫—以張曼娟《我輩中人》、郭強生《何不認真來悲傷》、《我將前往的遠方》為論

摘要親情是人從哇哇墜地後，最開始接觸的一種感情，這種感情就像呼吸一樣的自然，是一種本能。親情是親人之間的感情，出自於關愛，是父母之愛，是手足之情，是血脈之親，是長者對晚輩的疼愛，是晚輩對長輩的愛戴。幼年時期，我們是父母手心的寶，備受呵護，使得生命的內蘊更顯繁複悠長；等到年紀漸長，我們已能獨當一面時，父母卻是頭髮斑白，臉頰上也多了歲月的痕跡，此時的我們，面對衰老與健康都亮起了紅燈的父母，才開始正視這個問題，在未來的日子裡，陪伴、照顧他們的生活起居。能再次重新和父母一起生活，這原本應是最自然不過的，可是現實狀態卻非如此。每個人在成長過程中，經歷了求學、工作等種種挑戰，父母也有自己的重心，彼此獨立自主的生活方式儼然已經習慣了，不知何時，老天爺突然安插進來一個無法抵擋的任務，這也是中年子女意想不到的，當父母年事漸長，身體機能大不如前，一個個疾病的訊號開始提醒了自己的責任。當自我成就與照顧父母的生活產生了交疊時，便思考該如何分配時間，對彼此而言，新的挑戰與適應正在等老父母與子女們。正因這是大家都會面對的問題，有鑒於此，本文以中年視角去探討親情照顧的種種心理現象。本文以張曼娟《我輩中人》、以及及郭強生《何不認真來悲傷》、《我將前往的遠方》為探究中心，這三本書皆是以中年視角去探討親情和反思生命，透過個人日常生活的生存意義和情感世界，在冷靜的敘述中潛藏著對父母照護責任的困惑與思考。筆者擬從作家的人生閱歷和中年視角為考察，探究文本中所揭露出的人生困境與社會議題。從關注個人到關懷人生再到社會的衍變過程中，在細讀文本的基礎上，以探討中年親情書寫所蘊含的生命意識。關鍵詞：中年心境、親情、老病書寫、長照關懷、張曼娟、郭強生

關鍵字

中年心境；親情；老病書寫；長照關懷；張曼娟；郭強生

並列摘要

Abstract Family love is the first kind of affection experienced after birth. As natural as breathing, this affection is an instinct. Family love is affection for loved ones out of love; it is parental love, brotherhood, flesh and blood, the love of elders for juniors and vice versa. When we were young, we were gems in the palms of our parents and were pampered. This made the intrinsic quality of life more inextricable and lasting. As we grew older and started to take charge, our parents already had gray hair with marks of old age on their faces. Seeing our parents get old with deteriorating health, we finally start to take the issue seriously and realize that we must keep them company and take care of them on a day-to-day basis. Being able to live with our parents again is supposed to be the most natural thing to do, but it is quite the contrary in reality. Growing up, everyone has taken on challenges from school and work, and parents too have had their own priorities. Everyone is apparently used to living independently. Then one day out of the blue, God decides to give middle-aged children a task that they cannot refuse, something that they never anticipated. As one’s parents get older, their physical functions become much worse. The signs of illness act as reminders of their responsibilities. When self-accomplishment and having to take care of parents in daily life come into conflict, they start thinking about how to manage their time. To the parents and the children, new challenges and adaptations await them, an issue everyone will eventually face someday. In view of this, this paper explored the various psychological phenomena arising from offering care out of filial love. The focus of the discussions in this paper include: “Of Us in Midlife” by Chang Man-chuan and “Why Not Take Grief Seriously” and “The Distance I will Go” by Kuo Chiang-sheng. These three books explore family love and reflect on life from the perspective of middle-aged people. Through the meaning of life and the world of affection in one’s daily life, behind the seemingly calm narrative are confusion and contemplation on the responsibility of taking care of parents. The author investigated and explored the plights in life and social issues disclosed in this paper from the authors’ life experiences and the perspective of middle-aged people. Throughout the process of paying attention to individuals, caring for life and social change and on the basis of reading the text carefully, the life consciousness contained in the writings about middle-aged family love was explored. Keywords: Middle-age Metal State, Family Love, Writing of Sickness and Old Age, Long-term Care, Chang Man-chuan, Kuo Chiang-sheng