以星球性之觀點閱讀鍾芭˙拉希莉
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2009
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本論文試圖藉由印裔美籍作家鍾芭．拉希莉之兩部作品《同名之人》與《陌生的土地》探討移民第二代之身分認同：從傳統的根源之認同轉向關係認同。愛德華．葛利松之概念「關係認同」強調個人身分認同須建立在自己與他人之關係上。而此概念呼應史畢娃克之「星球性」理論。由字面可知，星球性為全球化現象之反思。史畢娃克批評全球化帶來的資本主義已將地球上的生命或資源商品化；因此，她提出星球性之理論，提醒人類面對全球化之洪流時，應有能力維持自己文化的獨特性。除此之外，星球性更進一步建議，若人類能意識你我皆為棲身在地球的同一物種，更應該再次思考人與人之間的關係，不該因為人類劃分的國家或種族界線而有所疏遠，相反地，應該親密且沒有藩籬。
本論文分為四個章節。第一章為論文之介紹，包括拉希莉之背景、作品內容及風格、與星球性理論之概略。第二章檢視史畢娃克之「星球性」理論，並以此概念分別討論亞美文學及離散身分認同。史畢娃克將星球性運用在文學範疇上，認為將傳統比較文學與區域研究結合是實踐星球性最好的方法。如此一來，新的比較文學研究將能跨越國族界線，並能照顧各地不同文化。利用此概念分析亞美文學，希望亞、美之內的多元性能被關注。至於離散身分認同，第二代已逐漸轉向葛利松所強調的關係認同：除了「根」之外，身分認同必須建立在人與人之關係。其中，由於「愛」擁有結合你我的特質，所以在人類互動中格外重要。利用以上所提之概念，第三章分析拉希莉的兩部作品：《同名之人》與《陌生的土地》中之短篇故事。拉希莉在故事中分別巧妙運用「姓名」與「攝影」之譬喻影射主角心境與身分認同的轉變，而家人朋友的愛以及人與人之間之關係與互動最終扮演關鍵角色。第四章為結論。除了回顧此篇論文重點，也對史畢娃克的星球性是否可行提出質疑。
This thesis aims to analyze the Indian American writer Jhumpa Lahiri’s works, The Namesake and Unaccustomed Earth, so as to explore how the second-generation immigrants’ identity transforms from the root identity to the relation identity. Based on Édouard Glissant’s concept, I argue that the relation identity emphasizes how one builds his/her identity on the relationship with others. Apart from that, I also incorporate Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s concept of “planetarity,” which Spivak regards as an alternative to globalization, into Glissant’s identity theories. Criticizing capitalism and commodification brought by globalization, Spivak calls on “planetarity” to alert her reader to the danger of different local cultures being subsumed under globalization. In addition, viewing people as the same species inhabiting on earth, she invites us to reconsider the intimate relationship among human beings. This thesis is composed of four chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the main ideas of the thesis, which includes Jhumpa Lahiri’s background, her major works, and the basic concepts of “planetarity.” Chapter two examines Spivak’s “planetarity” which serves as a theoretical base for my discussions of both Asian American literature and the diasporic identity. Regarding planetarity as a literary trope, Spivak wishes to propose this humanitarian project in the hope that it may combine area studies with studies of comparative literature. In doing so, she anticipates a new vision in the future when comparative literature can transcend national boundaries and embrace difference, which inspires me to read Asian American literature planetarily. In this similar light, I argue that the second-generation immigrants have developed a special type of diaspora identity which is relational with its emphasis on multiple relationships with others. Also, in the course of relation identity formation, the emotion of love plays a critical role in binding people together. Chapter three intends to analyze Lahiri’s The Namesake and the “Hema and Kaushik” trilogy collected in Unaccustomed Earth on the basis of the theories elucidated in the secondchapter. By using names and photography as metaphors, Lahiri dramatizes the transformation of the characters’ mentality and their identity formations. Characters, relationship, and love hence serve as the very essential elements for identity formation. The fourth (final) chapter concludes my arguments by reviewing the main points discussed previously. It attempts not only to re-evaluate the feasibility of Spivak’s utopian project but also to exhibit more possibilities of productive dialogues that “planetarity” might open up to the question of diaspora identity.
This thesis aims to analyze the Indian American writer Jhumpa Lahiri’s works, The Namesake and Unaccustomed Earth, so as to explore how the second-generation immigrants’ identity transforms from the root identity to the relation identity. Based on Édouard Glissant’s concept, I argue that the relation identity emphasizes how one builds his/her identity on the relationship with others. Apart from that, I also incorporate Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s concept of “planetarity,” which Spivak regards as an alternative to globalization, into Glissant’s identity theories. Criticizing capitalism and commodification brought by globalization, Spivak calls on “planetarity” to alert her reader to the danger of different local cultures being subsumed under globalization. In addition, viewing people as the same species inhabiting on earth, she invites us to reconsider the intimate relationship among human beings. This thesis is composed of four chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the main ideas of the thesis, which includes Jhumpa Lahiri’s background, her major works, and the basic concepts of “planetarity.” Chapter two examines Spivak’s “planetarity” which serves as a theoretical base for my discussions of both Asian American literature and the diasporic identity. Regarding planetarity as a literary trope, Spivak wishes to propose this humanitarian project in the hope that it may combine area studies with studies of comparative literature. In doing so, she anticipates a new vision in the future when comparative literature can transcend national boundaries and embrace difference, which inspires me to read Asian American literature planetarily. In this similar light, I argue that the second-generation immigrants have developed a special type of diaspora identity which is relational with its emphasis on multiple relationships with others. Also, in the course of relation identity formation, the emotion of love plays a critical role in binding people together. Chapter three intends to analyze Lahiri’s The Namesake and the “Hema and Kaushik” trilogy collected in Unaccustomed Earth on the basis of the theories elucidated in the secondchapter. By using names and photography as metaphors, Lahiri dramatizes the transformation of the characters’ mentality and their identity formations. Characters, relationship, and love hence serve as the very essential elements for identity formation. The fourth (final) chapter concludes my arguments by reviewing the main points discussed previously. It attempts not only to re-evaluate the feasibility of Spivak’s utopian project but also to exhibit more possibilities of productive dialogues that “planetarity” might open up to the question of diaspora identity.
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鍾芭．拉希莉, 《同名之人》, 《陌生的土地》, 離散, 星球性, 關係認同, 根源認同, 亞美文學, Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth, diaspora, Planetarity, relation identity, root identity, Asian American Literature