馬克吐溫作品中孩童對權威的反應

Abstract

摘要

藉由分析馬克吐溫三個文本：《湯姆‧索亞歷險記》(1876)、《哈克貝里‧芬恩歷險記》(1884-85)、以及《好孩子倒大楣》(1870)，本論文旨在檢視作者筆下的模範生與頑童對權威的反應以及呈現由權威操控策略所發展出的教育機制是如何塑造出四種青少年形象。第一章首先呈現《湯姆‧索亞歷險記》與《哈克貝里‧芬恩歷險記》所描述的各種權威，從中除了顯示家庭、教會、學校與社會四種權威如何操控或壓迫孩童，也會將壓迫孩童的方法分成兩種教育機制。第一種教育機制是包含陰柔行為法則的訓誡措施，其中包括控制機制與模範生論述，其目的是用來訓誡孩童，使他們具有責任感。第二種教育機制是包含陽剛行為法則的男孩文化，其目的是為了塑造具有男子氣慨的孩童。以此兩種教育機制為本論文的架構，第二章研究《湯姆‧索亞歷險記》與《好孩子倒大楣》所呈現出兩種願意接受訓誡措施操縱的模範生—席得與賈格。藉由分析他們如何回應權威的束縛以及檢視訓誡措施對其影響，此章節除了呈現作者如何挑戰訓誡措施，也會揭露模範生的服從的假面具。第三章研究《湯姆‧索亞歷險記》與《哈克貝里‧芬恩歷險記》所呈現的頑童—湯姆與哈克。藉由檢視頑童們如何回應權威束縛與檢視男孩陽剛文化對他們的影響，本章節除了顯示聖彼得堡如何塑造具有男子氣慨的男孩外，也會解釋他們調皮的原因，這些原因可揭露陽剛外表下的真面目。藉由研究馬克吐溫筆下的四個孩童—席得、賈格、湯姆、哈克—本論文最後呈現四種不同青少年形象。Abstract

This thesis examines how Mark Twain’s two distinctive types of children—model children and masculine urchins—respond to authority and reveals how the two educative mechanisms that develop from the authority’s manipulative strategies fashion four different kinds of juvenile images through the analysis of his three works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884-85), and “The Story of the Good Little Boy Who Did Not Prosper” (1870). Through showing a panorama of different forms of authority described in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the first chapter of this thesis not only reveals how the four major authorities—family and church, school and society—manipulate or repress the children portrayed by Mark Twain but also categorizes the manipulative ways of these authorities into two educative mechanisms. The first type of the educative mechanism used as a means of imposing discipline and obligation upon children is embodied in a set of disciplinary practices, including control mechanisms and a discourse on model children. These disciplinary practices, which derive from the authorities’ manipulative measures, include a set of effeminate codes of conduct that instruct children how to comport themselves in a socially acceptable way. In contrast to the disciplinary practices whose aim is to civilize children, the second type of the educative mechanism used as a means of training children to become masculine boys is represented by a dominant boys’ culture. This dominant boys’ culture, which develops from the demands of authorities, comprises a set of masculine codes of conduct that teach children how to behave in a masculine manner. By using these two educative mechanisms as a framework of the ensuing chapters, the second chapter of this thesis concentrates upon Mark Twain’s two distinctive types of model children, who are more susceptible to the disciplinary practices, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and “The Story of the Good Little Boy Who Did Not Prosper.” Through analyzing the ways the model children respond to the shackles of multiple authorities and examining the impact of the disciplinary practices upon the model children, the second chapter not only reveals how Mark Twain undermines the disciplinary practices but also lifts the masks of obedience worn by the “model” boys. The third chapter of this thesis focuses on Mark Twain’s two distinctive types of masculine urchins, who are more susceptible to the dominant boys’ culture, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. By dint of examining how the masculine urchins respond to the constraints of multiple authorities and analyzing the influence of the masculine boys’ culture upon Mark Twain’s teenage boys, the third chapter not only shows how the fictional society, St. Petersburg, shapes its adolescent boys into masculine men but also elucidates the possible causes of their disobedience in the hope of stripping off the “masculine” armor worn by those masculine urchins. Through studying the impact of the two educative mechanisms upon the model children and masculine urchins, this thesis eventually shows four distinctive juvenile images respectively embodied in Sid, Jacob, Tom, and Huck.