酷異離散:李翊雲短篇小說中的親屬關係
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2019
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本論文探討李翊雲兩部短篇小說集《千年修得共枕眠》與《金童玉女》中的三個短篇:〈千年修得共枕眠〉、〈內布拉斯加公主〉與〈金童玉女〉。論文著重於故事中多元的親屬關係如何呼應或悖離傳統對親屬關係的想像。為了理解李翊雲作品中的親屬關係是如何產生與維繫,我主張將性別以及離散身分納入討論。藉由「酷異離散」的概念探討李翊雲的作品,我主張她的作品展示另類的、「酷異」的親屬關係形式,這些關係將有重新定義與重新想像親屬關係結構的潛能。
論文分成五章。第一章首先爬梳現存探討李翊雲的研究。雖然這些研究中有些曾談及親屬關係,但卻未深入探究這些關係如何產生與維繫。因此,我主張以「酷異離散」的概念分析文本中的親屬關係。同時在這章中,我追溯酷兒政治理論與亞美研究的交會以說明「酷異離散」的概念。第二章探討〈千年修得共枕眠〉之中父女關係形成的過程中,族裔身分的作用。我指出,這個短篇描繪一種由「談話的行動」形成與維繫的「酷異」親屬關係。第三章探討〈內布拉斯加公主〉中的三角關係。本章著重於女主角未出生的胎兒對於女主角以及兩位主要男性角色的意義,分析文本如何呼應或挑戰以父系繼承概念為中心的親屬關係。第四章探討〈金童玉女〉中主要角色的婚約關係。我主張這段婚姻關係被注入新的意義,被挪用為性少數社群在政治及文化高壓環境(中國)之下的一種生存策略。第五章反思與論文完成時,同時發生於台灣的同性婚姻合法化一事例,思考其對親屬關係想像可能造成的影響。
This thesis aims to study three short stories selected from Yiyun Li’s first two short story collections, Thousand Years of Good Prayers and Gold Boy, Emerald Girl: “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers,” “The Princess of Nebraska,” and “Gold Boy, Emerald Girl.” The thesis focuses on the diverse representations of kinship in these stories and look into how they resonate or challenge our common conception of kinship. To better understand how the kinship relations in Li’s fiction is produced and sustained, I argue that we need to take not only sexual but also diasporic identity into consideration. By locating Li’s works in the critical framework of “queer diaspora,” I argue that Li’s works offer us alternative and “queer” accounts of kinship, which have the potential to redefine and reimagine kinship structures. The thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One first offers a brief review of existing scholarship on Li’s fiction. Among these studies, although some have touched upon the issue of kinship, they do little in probing into how such relations are produced and sustained. I argue that the idea of “queer diaspora” would be fruitful in our discussion of kinship in the texts. Then I move on to elaborate on the notion of “queer diaspora” by tracing the convergence between queer politics and Asian American studies. Chapter Two delves into the father-daughter relationship in “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers” and argues how one’s ethnic identity comes into play in kinshipformation. The story also demonstrates an alternative “queer” account of kinship built by contingent encounters and sustained by acts of talking. Chapter Three looks into the triangular relationship in “The Princess of Nebraska.” This chapter focuses on the meanings of the female protagonist’s pregnancy to the three main characters and analyze show it resonates with or challenges conventional conception of kinship based upon heteronormative patrilineage. Chapter Four probes into the marriage arrangement in “Gold Boy, Emerald Girl” and examines its signification. I argue that this seemingly heterosexual marriage is invested with new meaning as a survival strategy for sexual minorities to survive in a politically and socially constraining environment (i.e., China). In the concluding chapter, I reflect on the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan and its possible impacts on kinship formation.
This thesis aims to study three short stories selected from Yiyun Li’s first two short story collections, Thousand Years of Good Prayers and Gold Boy, Emerald Girl: “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers,” “The Princess of Nebraska,” and “Gold Boy, Emerald Girl.” The thesis focuses on the diverse representations of kinship in these stories and look into how they resonate or challenge our common conception of kinship. To better understand how the kinship relations in Li’s fiction is produced and sustained, I argue that we need to take not only sexual but also diasporic identity into consideration. By locating Li’s works in the critical framework of “queer diaspora,” I argue that Li’s works offer us alternative and “queer” accounts of kinship, which have the potential to redefine and reimagine kinship structures. The thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One first offers a brief review of existing scholarship on Li’s fiction. Among these studies, although some have touched upon the issue of kinship, they do little in probing into how such relations are produced and sustained. I argue that the idea of “queer diaspora” would be fruitful in our discussion of kinship in the texts. Then I move on to elaborate on the notion of “queer diaspora” by tracing the convergence between queer politics and Asian American studies. Chapter Two delves into the father-daughter relationship in “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers” and argues how one’s ethnic identity comes into play in kinshipformation. The story also demonstrates an alternative “queer” account of kinship built by contingent encounters and sustained by acts of talking. Chapter Three looks into the triangular relationship in “The Princess of Nebraska.” This chapter focuses on the meanings of the female protagonist’s pregnancy to the three main characters and analyze show it resonates with or challenges conventional conception of kinship based upon heteronormative patrilineage. Chapter Four probes into the marriage arrangement in “Gold Boy, Emerald Girl” and examines its signification. I argue that this seemingly heterosexual marriage is invested with new meaning as a survival strategy for sexual minorities to survive in a politically and socially constraining environment (i.e., China). In the concluding chapter, I reflect on the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan and its possible impacts on kinship formation.
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酷異離散, 親屬關係, 李翊雲, 〈千年修得共枕眠〉, 〈內布拉斯加公主〉, 〈金童玉女〉, Queer diaspora, kinship, Yiyun Li, “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers”, “The Princess of Nebraska”, “Gold Boy, Emerald Girl”