也斯作品中之歷史、記憶與文化身份

Abstract

本文探討香港作家也斯如何藉著他的作品處理歷史、記憶與文化身份的問題。分析的作品包括小說《記憶的城市，虛構的城市》（1993）、《形象香港》（1992）裡有關天安門事件的詩、以及收入《蔬菜的政治》（2006）的組詩「亞洲的滋味」。在這些作品中，也斯展現他對個人記憶及香港歷史發展的關切，也經由他的親身經驗和觀察去引導讀者思考香港的文化身份等問題。

本文共分為三章。第一章集中討論小說《記憶的城市，虛構的城市》的敘事者如何在其異國旅途上回顧過去，回溯他在香港成長與接受教育的過程，並思考他和他的朋友身為作家與藝術家所面臨的困境。在接近九七回歸的特殊歷史脈絡中，主角時常深陷於文化身份危機的苦思，卻又將自身的憂慮弔詭地混雜入當時香港大眾普遍的政治焦慮之中，試圖獲得讀者的共鳴並為自己找尋出口。第二章檢視三首有關天安門事件的詩，其中也斯探討天安門事件對中國人民的心理衝擊，同時也指出受到當時影響的香港移民問題。第三章的研究對象是組詩「亞洲的滋味」，闡釋也斯如何巧妙地結合食物與記憶，並檢視當中涉及的歷史記憶和文化身份的關係。在『盆菜』與『黃飯』中，也斯回溯香港和印尼的歷史發展，試圖透過這兩個地方的在地食物來探索當地獨特的文化身份。而在『亞洲的滋味』一詩中，也斯則期盼亞洲各國既可尊重彼此之間的文化差異，也能建立某種互相關懷的友好情誼。

This thesis explores the related themes of history, memory and cultural identity in Yesi’s works. The major texts included in this study are the novel Cities of Memory, Cities of Fabrication (1993), the Tiananmen poems in City at the End of Time (1992), and the verse cycle “Tasting Asia” (collected in Vegetable Politics [2006]). In these writings, Yesi shows his obsessions with personal memory as well as Hong Kong history. His recollections and observations as a Hong Kong writer invite the reader to reflect on the making of and anxieties about cultural identity. My thesis is composed of four parts: an introduction and three consecutive chapters. The introduction provides the readers with the basic biographical information about Yesi and outlines my undertakings in the three consecutive chapters. Chapter 1 copes with the semi-autobiographical novel Cities of Memory, Cities of Fabrication, attending to the narrator’s obsessions and apprehensions as a Hong Kong writer brought up during the British colonial rule and facing the handover of sovereignty back to Red China. I try to relate his highly personal experience and memory to the larger questions about Hong Kong identity. Chapter 2 discusses three Tiananmen poems in relation to the psychological impact of the 1989 June Fourth Incident on Chinese and Hong Kong people. Chapter 3 analyzes how Yesi skillfully writes about history and cultural identity through his depictions of some indigenous food.