從平衡到改變：論娥蘇拉‧勒瑰恩《地海六部曲》之龍的演變

Abstract

娥蘇拉‧勒瑰恩《地海六部曲》的創作橫跨三十多年，而每一部新的地海作品總是不斷改寫前一部作品中既有的架構，其中對龍的描寫更是不斷顛覆西方古典敘事中龍的原型，使龍有愈趨人性化的傾向。在不斷對龍去妖魔化與動物化的過程中，勒瑰恩也跳脫了傳統西方英雄敘事中以人征服自然為主軸的架構，並加入了女性主體的覺醒，從而與德希達的動物論述與東方老子哲學的柔弱思想，能夠相互呼應。地海之龍的形象與塑造，因而可作為進一步探究人、動物、自然三者交互關係的論述對象。另外，勒瑰恩藉著地海之龍的演變，也透露出她對「改變」一詞所持的看法，與之在地海作品中不斷提到的「平衡」觀，產生持續的相互辯證關係。故本論文希冀從觀察地海之龍的改變與發展，除了討論地海世界不斷產生的自我解構外，也在東西方對人性與動物性的探究上，提供一種融合的詮釋之道。Ursula K. Le Guin has spanned over three decades to create her classic fantasy The Earthsea Cycle, and in each new Earthsea book, she keeps rewriting the structure she designates for the previous one. Among all the changes, her depiction for the Earthsea dragons especially subverts the draconian archetype in the Western conventional narratives, enabling her dragons to be humanized step by step. In the process of de-demonizing and de-animalizing the Earthsea dragons, Le Guin also escapes the confines set by the traditional Western heroism, which often acclaims the human conquering over Nature. The Earthsea dragons, characteristic of the awakening feminism, correspond to Jacques Derrida’s animal discourse and the Daoist thinking of softness and femininity. In this way, the Earthsea dragons serve as the integral figure to structure the triangle relation between humans, animals and Nature. By presenting the gradual development of the Earthsea dragons, through their different stages, Le Guin also reveals her viewpoint about the term “Change,” which mirrors the ubiquitous concept “Equilibrium” in Earthsea and also helps to explain why she keeps deconstructing the old order of Earthsea. Therefore, the thesis aims to observe the change and development of the dragons, in an attempt to discuss the self-deconstruction of Earthsea and also provides a new perspective to delve into the issue of animality and humanity in a context that brings Eastern and Western cultures together.