摘要內容：
本論文旨在重新思考威廉∙福克納《八月之光》中人類能動性之困境。透過運用漢娜∙鄂蘭《人的條件》中人類勞動、工作、和行動以及《極權主義的起源》中極權主義之概念作為理論基礎，本論文重新檢視福克納《八月之光》中人類能動性之困境。本論文推斷，福克納《八月之光》中人類能動性之困境、在鄂蘭理論的範疇下，起源於人類本身之活動及其與社會意識相互拉扯之結果。

福克納小說中的「約克納帕塔法」縣，是一種族主義及清教主義盛行、且社群思維帶有絕對控制力量的區域。在1932年出版的《八月之光》中，福克納也讓其主角喬∙克里斯莫斯、這一疑似帶有黑人血統的外來移民者，為他的種族身份及其對傑佛森小鎮構成的潛在威脅、付出看似注定之歷史代價。

學界在討論福克納《八月之光》時，不免於從主角之種族問題作為切入點進行探討、從文化主義和後殖民主義作為理論範疇的研究也十分豐富。然而，在《八月之光》研究中，學者卻鮮少從喬∙克里斯莫斯本身、人類活動之角度去探討他的能動性及其在社會/社群生存之問題。

本論文採用漢娜∙鄂蘭在《人的條件》中三種人類活動，勞動、工作、和行動及《極權主義的起源》中極權主義、意識形態、以及恐懼等概念作為理論基礎，分析《八月之光》中喬∙克里斯莫斯人類能動性之優劣勢，及其面對之難解的社會思維。

本論文透過鄂蘭的哲學思辨，重新檢視《八月之光》中人類能動性之問題，並解析該小說中人類能動性之困境、並非僅始於舊有之美國南方意識型態。相反地，本論文發現，人類之命運及能動性，更歸因於人類本身之活動; 如同無止境的繩結一般，注定與歷史殘骸不間斷地共生、纏繞。唯有不斷修正自身在社會環境下之活動，人類才能真正體現他們的能動性及其身份之特殊性。

本論文包含五個章節。第一章為緒論，介紹研究背景與問題意識，福克納《八月之光》之主要角色喬∙克里斯莫斯如何藉由人類的三種活動、在社會中體現自身之能動性。第一章同時提供福克納《八月之光》之文學評論，作為學者文獻回顧之參考。第二章為方法論，採用漢娜∙鄂蘭《人的條件》以及《極權主義的起源》作為本論文之理論基礎。此章節更進一步闡述，何以鄂蘭人類活動及極權主義的概念，能幫助本論文檢視《八月之光》中人類能動性之困境。第三章及第四章為文本分析。第三章聚焦於《八月之光》中喬∙克里斯莫斯的三種人類活動，亦即勞動、工作、及行動，以及喬∙克里斯莫斯如何透過此三種人類活動展現他的能動性、及其在社會環境中失能之原因。此章提出，喬∙克里斯莫斯之失能最終歸因於兩大主因，1)其個體活動的不完整性、及2)社會群體意識凌駕於個體。第四章著重探討極權主義在《八月之光》中，如何運用意識形態及恐懼、阻礙喬∙克里斯莫斯個人能動性之展現。第五章為本論文之結論，提供研究發現與貢獻。

Abstract

This dissertation reexamines the dilemma of human agency in William Faulkner’s Light in August (1932) through Hannah Arendt’s approach of the human condition in The Human Condition (1958) and the theory of totalitarianism in The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951). By employing Arendt’s idea of human conditions, including labor, work, and action in The Human Condition and the notion of totalitarianism, including ideology and terror in The Origins of Totalitarianism as analytical framework, this dissertation investigates the human agency of Christmas along with his resistance to totalitarian authority in Light in August through a perspective of Arendt’s philosophy of humanity.

Renowned for his description of racial dualism of the Old South in Yoknapatawpha, Faulkner depicts Christmas as a typically tragic hero who owns no human agency in Jefferson. Academic researchers in the Faulkner’s study have evaluated Light in August and Christmas’ tragedy predominantly through the lens of cultural criticism and post-colonialism in view of racial identity, gender, and class contradiction. However, few of the scholars investigate Christmas’ issue of human agency mainly through his identity as a human being and his human activities. On this score, this dissertation studies Christmas’ predicament through the lens of his human activities and his resistance to totalitarian authority in Yoknapatawpha. With the application of Arendt’s theories of human condition and totalitarianism, this dissertation argues that Christmas does not lack human agency. To the contrary, he lacks alternatively wholesome relationships with others. Particularly under a milieu where there is absolute provision regarding racial/social/economical identity, Christmas eventually did not attain his human agency owing to ideological thinking in a form of collectivism. This dissertation argues, it is under such ideological government that Christmas becomes tragic and paralyzed and whose ontological predicament remains unresolved.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement iii
Chinese Abstract vii
Chapter One Introduction 13
1.1 Theoretical Formulation 14
1.2 A Brief Literature Review 16
1.3 Methodology 19
Chapter Two Hannah Arendt’s The Human Condition and
The Origins of Totalitarianism 23
2.1 Chapter Map 24
2.2 General Background 25
2.3 The Three Human Activities 28
2.3.1 The Human Condition of Labor 29
2.3.2 The Human Condition of Work 35
2.3.3 The Human Condition of Action 40
2.4 The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951) 47
2.4.1 The Power of Persuasion 48
2.4.2 Ideology and Terror 50
2.5 Chapter Two Conclusion 54
Chapter Three Human Activities in Light in August 57
3.1 Christmas’ Human Condition of Labor 57
3.2 Christmas’ Human Condition of Work 64
3.3 Christmas’ Human Condition of Action 69
3.3.1 Christmas as an Instigator in Light in August 77
3.3.2 Christmas and His Uncertainty in Light in August 78
3.3.3 The Condition of Isolation in Light in August 81
3.3.4. Christmas and his Failed Faculties: ‘To Forgive’ and ‘To Promise’ 83
3.4 Chapter Three Conclusion: On Christmas’ Human Agency in Light in August 84
Chapter Four Totalitarian Authority in Light in August 87
4.1 On the Authority of Totalitarianism in Light in August 87
4.2 Christmas and the Authority of Totalitarianism 95
4.3 Chapter Four Conclusion 99
Chapter Five Conclusion 101
Works Cited 105

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