重繪移民女性：聶華苓與嚴歌苓作品中的華裔美國移動論述

Abstract

本文借用亞美研究學者黃秀玲（Sau-ling C. Wong）的雙向移動理論來探討華裔移民女性之移動、抵拒男性宰制並建立起主體性的過程。此移動理論包含平行的地理式移動與垂直的社經式移動。在聶華苓的《桑青與桃紅》中，女主角藉著移動力量產生不同的空間意識，以抵抗宰制並建立新主體性。另一方面，嚴歌苓故事中的華裔移民女性則較關切異國生存問題。在《無出路咖啡館》、<少女小漁>、<處女阿曼達>裡，她們表現出對垂直式移動的矛盾感受，同時也抗拒著主流文化的再現。此論文盼能藉華裔移民女性的異質經驗來豐富、活化華裔美國移動論述。

全文共四章。第一章針對移動女性主體之構成做理論分述。其中，除回顧華裔美國移動論述中女性的邊緣化地位之外，亦論述黃秀玲的雙向移動概念作為理論基礎。此章中並借用鄭明河（Trin T. Minh-ha）的女性主義觀點來探究華裔移民女性在原生結構與社會關係（filiation/affiliation）之間的主體性構成與抵拒。

第二章借用黃秀玲雙向移動論述中將移動視作可消融宰制論述之「競爭的文化論述」（rival cultural discourse）來分析聶華苓《桑青與桃紅》中的平行移動。由此，桑青與桃紅的平行移動可策略性突破宰制力量的限制。在移動中，桑青與桃紅創造了不同於宰制力量的空間論述，也在過程裡產生強力的主體性。

第三章分析嚴歌苓故事中女主角的社經移動、在原生關係與社會關係中的掙扎。她們的經驗揭露了模範弱勢論述（the model minority thesis）的虛假與種族主義本質，也顯示嚴歌苓本身對依附白人主流者的質疑。同時，本章亦討論了華裔移民女性的垂直向上移動將會帶來華裔美國社群中性別階級的翻轉。

第四章總結本文，除提出更多異質經驗的可能性，並藉此將華裔美國移動論述視作持續開放的文化論述。

This thesis tries to explore the themes of women’s mobility in dislocation in the context of Chinese American immigrant literature and to discuss the ways in which they set up subjectivities from their mobility experiences. Adapting from Sau-ling C. Wong’s theory of mobility discourse, which considers the issue of mobility both horizontally (geographically) and vertically (socio-economically), I argue that to women mobility is a way of resisting male domination and of constructing subjectivity. On one hand, in Nieh Hualing’s Mulberry and Peach, the female protagonist creates alternative consciousness of space as a means to empower herself to fight against androcentric domination and constructs a new subjectivity in the new world. On the other hand, the heroines in Yan Geling’s No Exit Café, “The Virgin Amanda” and “Siao Yu” are more concerned about the problem of survival. They show ambivalent feelings toward vertical mobility and resist the representations of the mainstream by a strong subjectivity. This thesis may help to revitalize Chinese American mobility discourse by disclosing the specific experiences of Chinese immigrant women. Chapter 1 firstly discusses women’s marginalized status in Chinese American mobility discourses. I introduce my theorization of the construction of female subject in a mobile condition, which is mainly based on Wong’s two-directional mobility. Also, I borrow Trin T. Minh-ha’s feminist perspective to view Chinese immigrant women’s subjectivity and resistance in a non-filiation/affiliation status. Chapter 2 demonstrates my appropriation of Sau-ling C. Wong’s viewpoints about mobility as “rival cultural discourse” against dominant values. By this I argue that Mulberry/Peach’s horizontal mobility can be regarded as tactics intending to transgress limitations of domination. The results show that mobility empowers Mulberry/Peach by creating new spatial discourses against Chinese patriarchism or American nationalism and further generates strong subjectivity. Chapter 3 focuses on the heroines’ socioeconomic mobility and their struggles between the filiative or the affiliative relations. I argue that their experiences unmask the hypocrisy of the white’s model minority thesis and its racism and reveal Yan’s suspicion to those who attach to the white dominant. Lastly, I discuss how Chinese immigrant women’s vertical movement may result in the reversal of gender hierarchy in Chinese American community. Chapter 4 concludes the thesis with a view of regarding the Chinese American mobility discourses as an open one which may include more and more heterogeneous experiences.