Vulnerable Lives and Ethical Recognition in Toni Morrison's A Mercy

在童妮．摩里森的創作生涯裡，奴隸制度此議題不只一次被提及；從散文、小說到劇本，摩里森曾經從文學敘述、社會寫實以及心理創傷等不同的面向探討過奴役的現象和制度等問題。在《施惠》這本小說裡她再次處理此議題，讓人不禁要問此次的處理有何不同。在本文裡，我以思考此問題作為起點，首先觀察到小說的關懷由奴隸制度擴展至種族關係，由此帶出以脆弱為基礎的倫理識認內涵。為進一步探究此內涵，我討論到朱迪斯．巴特勒提出的「原初脆弱」概念，認為小說描繪了十七世紀殖民美洲艱困生活裡不分種族都面臨到的生命脆弱，小說裡不同人物間的施惠行為不但回應此生命脆弱性，也開啟更為正向、互惠的種族相遇情境。

關鍵字

童妮．摩里森；《施惠》；奴役；朱迪斯．巴特勒；原初脆弱

並列摘要

In A Mercy, Toni Morrison again takes up the theme of slavery, which she has dealt with many times throughout her writing career. In essays and novels, as well as a libretto she wrote for a two-act opera that was first performed in 2005, Morrison has established this area of inquiry by exploring facets of slavery in the contexts of literary narrative, social reality and psychological impact. With so much effort already expended on slavery, it might be asked why A Mercy returns to this theme. This essay attempts to answer this question, and I begin by observing the novel's expanded concern, from slavery to race relations. I maintain that this expanded concern offers insights into the nature of ethical recognition conditioned by a shared vulnerability. To further illustrate this point, I discuss Judith Butler’s recent thinking on the ＂primary vulnerability.＂ I argue that by exposing a shared vulnerability in a precarious human situation in which genuine racial encounters are rendered difficult, not only by socio-economic unsteadiness but also by racialcultural ambivalence, the novel points toward the possibility of a productive racial encounter hinged on an (un)intended act of mercy.