威廉˙霍加斯「現代道德主題」版畫中女性的罪與罰

Abstract

威廉‧霍加斯以「現代道德主題」畫中的《浪女進程》系列，打造十八世紀英國「墮落女性」經典形象，成為後世各種學術研究的主題。根究西方「墮落女性」源頭 --- 聖經中接受惡魔誘惑的夏娃 --- 她被上帝逐出天堂、背負原罪，並使女性承受十月懷胎的折磨。在背景為十八世紀英國倫敦城的《浪女進程》故事裡，霍加斯呈現了俗世墮落女性的罪惡，與法律、疾病和死亡所帶給她的懲罰。此模式延伸至「現代道德主題」畫其它作品，霍加斯也安排許多同樣踰越規範的女性角色，犯下了包括外遇、偷竊、殺嬰或拋棄兒女等罪，但在處罰部分，經本論文調查十八世紀英國「血腥法典」時期背景，卻發現這些女性角色原本該受的法律刑責，幾乎皆未如實呈現，而是以身心折磨、非自然死亡以及社會的剝削與忽視等手法給予責罰。

透過這些懲罰手段和女性角色犯罪的過程，霍加斯不僅呈現女性所犯的錯誤，也包括男性及社會在女性罪與罰中所佔的分量。Norman Bryson認為在霍加斯安排下，英雄可以變成惡棍，惡棍可以變成受害者，端看觀者如何解讀。本論文將以此概念，進一步解析「現代道德主題」畫中十八世紀英國女性如何面臨各種社會現實與男性之壓迫，使觀眾得以將「惡棍變成受害者」、模糊原本道德立論。本論文亦探究霍加斯個人經歷的影響，最終呈現霍加斯如何以「現代道德主題」版畫中女性的罪與罰，表達他對女性道德標準、社會地位與功能之看法。

William Hogarth created a paradigmatic figure of “fallen woman” with Harlot's Progress in his "Modern Moral Subject" series. It has become the research subject of countless studies. Tracking the source of fallen women in western culture --- Eve who accepted devil's temptation --- she was expelled by God, bore the name of original sin and women had to be tortured by pregnancy ever since. In Harlot's Progress which depicts London city in eighteenth century England, Hogarth presents crimes committed by secular fallen harlot, and the following punishments of penalties, diseases and death. The model extends to other engravings of "Modern Moral Subject". There are also many female figures who exceed norms, and commit crimes of adultery, theft, infanticide or children abandonment. But for their punishments, however, this study investigates the background of eighteenth century "Bloody Code" era in England and finds that the penalties these women supposed to have are almost absent. They are punished by tortures, unnatural death, or neglected by society instead.

Through these punishments and the process of female crimes in the "Modern Moral Subject" series, Hogarth presents not just women's faults, but also the responsibilities which men and society shared in women's crime and punishment. Norman Bryson mentioned that, in Hogarth's arrangement, heroes can become villains, and villains victims, depending on which interpretation the onlooker has chosen to read. According to the concept, this study analyzes how male and society place the pressures on women, which make the onlooker change the villains into victims and blur their ethical judgments. This study also explores Hogarth’s personal experiences and their influence, and finally reveals Hogarth’s opinions about women’s ethical standards, social status and functions through women’s crime and punishment in his “Modern Moral Subject” engravings.