中國現代文學傳統以寫實、啟蒙為號召,以「驅妖趕鬼」強調理性思維。1980年代起,「人」的強調與「鬼」的渲染開始並存於新時期文學作品裡,莫言(1955年生)尤是其中書寫之佼佼者,本文試圖在目前聚焦較多的「唯物」書寫之外,展開對於莫言小說的鬼魅討論。首先分析莫言如何藉由色彩及聲響的渲染、鬼怪傳說的穿插等,營造一鬼氣森森的世界;又如何藉由夢中「見鬼」、誤闖鬼魂世界、行走陰陽邊緣的離魂敘述及鬼魂現身與生者互動等方式書寫「見鬼」歷程,從而指出莫言的鬼魅敘事,與《聊齋誌異》等傳統小說的慣用手法實有相似之處。其次歸納莫言中、短篇小說裡的鬼魅敘事,區別為二大型態,一是純粹的鬼魅書寫,傾向以詩意的審美取代道德論述。另一類則是藉鬼魅以進行時代之諷喻,或將鬼魅編織入戰爭、飢荒、文革、知青等社會背景;或藉由個人生活的經驗的轉化,對權勢、飢餓及人性,展現一定程度的批判。本文最後指出莫言的鬼魅敘事,實深受中國傳統小說啟發,由此從另一側面印證莫言的民間立場。而就內涵而言,具有批判指向的作品,比例也多於鬼魅形象的純美展現,小說家寄感喟於鬼魅敘事,遂形成了敘述之外的「惡」聲,其政治觀點及社會批判,都可在作品中展現。
Modern Chinese literature has traditionally appealed to realism and enlightenment, which includes narratives of "expelling demons and ghosts," in an effort to emphasize rational thinking. From the 1980s, the emphasis on "people" and the exaggeration of "ghosts" began to coexist in New Era Literature, especially in the works of Mo Yan 莫言(1955- ), one of the movement's most outstanding writers. Unlike the earlier scholarly focus on "materialistic" writing, this article attempts to expands the discussion of ghosts and goblins in Mo Yan's novels. First, I analyze how Mo Yan creates a world full of ghosts by exaggerating colors and sounds, interlacing ghost legends within the narrative, and so on. I also point out that Mo Yan's discussion of ghosts and goblins is similar to that contained in the Liaozhai zhiyi 聊齋誌異. In particular, his descriptions of ghosts that appear to interact with the living, of souls departing when "meeting ghosts" in dreams, and of individuals straying into the ghost realm and walking the border between the world and hell share affinities with depictions found in that work. Second, I divide the narratives of ghosts and goblins in Mo Yan's novels into two types: the first is pure ghost writing, which tends to replace moral discourse with poetic aesthetics; the second is allegorical, which either weaves ghosts and goblins into war, famine, the Cultural Revolution, educated youth or other social backgrounds, or employs conversion in personal life experience to criticize power, hunger and humanity. I conclude that Mo Yan's narratives on ghosts and goblins were indeed inspired by traditional Chinese novels, which provides indirect proof of Mo Yan's folk orientation. As for the implications of these narratives, the proportion of critical works to those on ghosts and goblins is greater; however, in the latter the novelist places his lament within the narrative and gives form to a "bad" voice outside it. It is my contention that Mo's political positions and social criticisms can be seen in these works.