“Only her tight, tight eyes were left. They were always left...They were everything. Everything was there, in them...Thrown, in this way, into the binding conviction that only a miracle could relieve her, she would never know her beauty. She would see only what there was to see: the eyes of other people.”
The Bluest Eye是Morrison的第一本小說,於1970年出版。故事中因為出現暴力、亂倫、種族歧視、賣淫、強暴等內容,多次被美國學校圖書館禁止上架。 故事劇情並不複雜,但Morrison並不是以一般的小說形式平鋪直敘創作的。而是每篇以各階層的美國黑人為敘事主角,由生活中的點點滴滴拼湊在一起,正面與側面的描述Pecola Breedlove的悲劇人生,看她是如何在這樣的環境下精神失常的,同時也講述經濟大蕭條後,約1940年代左右美國黑人自我認同的處境。 The Bluest Eye也是英文系(至少中央英文系)的必讀文學之一,也是當時我讀到最喜歡的書之一(第二名是The Wide Sargasso Sea)。 "Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door. It is very pretty. Here is the family. Mother, Father, Dick, and Jane live in the green-and-white house. They are very happy. See Jane. She has a red dress. She wants to play. Who will play with Jane? See the cat. It goes meow-meow. Come and play. Come play with Jane. The kitten will not play. See Mother. Mother is very nice. Mother, will you play with Jane? Mother laughs. Laugh, Mother, laugh. See Father. He is big and strong. Father, will you play with Jane? Father is smiling. Smile, Father, smile. See the dog. Bowwow goes the dog. Do you want to play with Jane? See the dog run. Run, dog, run. Look, look. Here comes a friend. The friend will play with Jane. They will play a good game. Play, Jane, play." 書的一開頭就是這樣開場,看似跟整本書劇情毫無關聯,帶Dick and Jane卻是當時美國小學一二年級的課文主角。 Dick and Jane的家是美國完美家庭的寫照,有大房子、父母無經濟壓力、有養寵物、一家人和樂融融、小孩在庭院玩耍。而最重要的是,這個美國夢想家庭的成員都是白人。 Dick and Jane住在"green-and-white"的房子裡,而The Bluest Eye裡面最接近幸福家庭的MacTeers一家,則是住在"old, cold and green" 的房子裡。 美國理想家庭的畫面真的有點恐怖,在我腦海中就大概跟Oh! Mikey 一樣獵奇。 沒看過Oh! Mikey的,以下圖片支援: 後來Morrison把這整段的空格和標點符號都拿掉,間距也縮小,看起來黑壓壓的一片,還有擁擠的感覺。這是個美國黑人社會的投影,當黑人嘗試複製美國"完美家庭"的樣貌時會出現的樣子。而這也顯示了美國黑人習慣從社會的價值觀來看自己,這也間接帶出了Pecola Breedlove未來的不幸。 Morrison在後記中提到,這本書的創作靈感是來自她童年時的一個黑人女孩。她記得那個女孩說她想要藍色的眼睛,而Morrison當時就像書中的Claudia MacTeer一樣生氣。 後來在1960年代的"Black Is Beautiful" 運動中,Morrison決定把這個故事改編為小說,讓大眾看到內化的種族歧視會怎麼樣影響美國年輕黑人---不論是正面還是負面的。 故事就這樣展開: 1941年的秋天,9歲的Claudia Macteer和家人住在俄亥俄州的Lorain,Macteers家暫時收留了Pecola Breedlove,因為Pecola的父親Cholly又毆打她母親Pauline,還想放火把家裡燒了。 Pecola是個安靜又超愛Shirley Temple的小女孩,認為白種人才是美,而且有自覺自己長得醜,但她將自己的醜歸因於自己是黑人。 不知道Shirley Temple是誰的話,以下圖片支援: Pecola 一直相信自己如果長得漂亮一點,父母的感情也會好起來。而因為Pecola認為白才是美,她開始祈禱自己有藍色的眼睛。 Pecola因為個性與長相,朋友並不多,在班上也常被欺負。還曾被Louis Junior引到家中,Junior殺了貓之後把錯推到Pecola身上,讓Junior的媽媽Geraldine暴怒把Pecola趕了出去。 而除了Claudia和Frieda兩姊妹之外,Pecola就剩下三個朋友--- 住她家樓上的三位妓女: Miss Marie、Poland、China。三位妓女對Pecola挺好的,也常跟她說性、愛、金錢的故事。 Pauline和Cholly以前曾經真的相愛,但Cholly跟初戀女友打野炮時被白人羞辱過,當Cholly無法把這個憤怒扔在白人身上時,他只好宣洩在黑人身上。Cholly經過一個又一個鎮,睡了一個又一個女孩,直到遇見Pauline。 而Pauline有一隻腳畸形,她年輕時總覺得自己因為腳的關係跟大家格格不入。她沉溺於對愛情的幻想、教會的詩歌還有好萊屋愛情電影。她也從電影中知悉了"美"的定義,和自己女兒Pecola一樣,Pauline認為白人最美,且當時她最愛的女星是Jean Harlow。而Cholly出現後,Pauline的人生瞬間變彩色的,兩人結婚後搬到Lorain居住。 不知道Jean Harlow是誰的,以下圖支援: 這眉毛比牙線還細,我無法理解她的美。 後來有天Cholly喝醉酒回到家,看到女兒Pecola在洗碗,就在廚房強暴了她。Pecola在廚房地板醒來之後看見Pauline,但Pauline不願相信Cholly強暴女兒,所以反而打了Pecola一頓。在那之後(書裡沒寫明確什麼時候)Cholly又強暴了Pecola一次。 Pecola懷孕後,她跑去找Soaphead Church---一個混種、有戀物癖又戀童的庸醫/騙子,請Soaphead給她藍色的眼睛。Soaphead討厭房東家中的狗,所以他給了Pecola一塊有毒的肉,叫Pecola拿去餵狗,還說只要狗的表現怪異,Pecola就會有藍色的眼睛。狗當然死了,而Pecola也就認為自己有藍眼睛。 Claudia和Frieda後來透過鎮上的八卦得知Pecola懷孕,雖然全鎮的人都希望嬰兒死掉,但Claudia和Frieda卻希望嬰兒可以平安生下來。她們在院子種了金盞花,許願說如果金盞花長出來了,Pecola的孩子也會平安出生。金盞花沒長出來,Pecola的孩子也沒活下來。 Cholly死後,Pecola和母親Pauline搬去鎮的外圍居住,就像社會把Pecola往外推一樣。Pecola在這之後精神失常,Pecola相信自己有了藍眼睛,開始跟幻想中的朋友講話,或是不斷照著鏡子看自己的"藍眼睛",然後在垃圾堆裡翻東西。 而Claudia和Frieda還是很喜歡Pecola,但她們再也不和Pecola說話了。她們倒不是像其他人怕瘋子,而是Claudia總認為是自己吧金盞花種子埋太深導致Pecola的孩子沒活下來,覺得對不起Pecola。 故事就這樣結束了。 其實這個故事有超多超多藍色窗簾,真的要寫出來沒完沒了。 Pecola由社會(家人、同學、街坊鄰居)得知自己長得醜,再透過媒體、玩具的形象認為白人才美。當所有人都告訴她她很醜,Pecola實在很難對自己的外表產生認同。她把自己的醜怪罪於膚色,於是開始產生對自身種族外貌的歧視。 The Breedloves did not live in a storefront because they were having temporary difficulty adjusting to the cutbacks at the plant. They lived there because they were poor and black, and they stayed there because they believed they were ugly. 這種內化的種族歧視也發生在Pauline身上,Pauline到白人家去當幫傭,而Pecola出現、打翻熱水還被水潑到,Pauline第一時間是賞Pecola兩巴掌,然後輕聲細語去安慰雇主家的白人小女孩。 而讓Claudia不滿的是,當白人小女孩看到她們的時候眼睛中有恐懼,而且小女孩叫不是叫Pauline "Mrs. Breedlove"而是叫她"Polly"。這表示小女孩受到的教育就是黑人是可怕的,但當她稱呼Pauline "Polly"的時候,代表Pauline與小女孩之間是有感情的。從後來Pauline打了Pecola的舉動看來,Pauline在親生女兒和雇主的白人小孩之間選了白人小孩。 Pauline也開始假裝雇主給她買菜的錢是她的錢,假裝雇主的廚房是她的廚房,看起來她也假裝雇主的女兒是她的女兒。Pauline創造了一個她自己幻想的完美世界。 Claudia和Frieda家雖然也不富裕,但家人之間有充分的愛。Claudia並沒有被社會推崇的"白性" (whiteness,要怎麼翻中文啦)給同化,她接受了自己的種族,也沒想過要變得像白人一樣,甚至還認同失敗、奇怪的人。但其實有些時候,可以從Claudia的話語裡面聽出她對白人的不喜。 Claudia就曾經說她討厭Shirley: I hated Shirley. Not because she was cute, but because she danced with Bojangles, who was my friend, my uncle, my daddy, and who ought to have been soft-shoeing it and chuckling with me. Instead he was enjoying, sharing, giving a lovely dance thing with one of those little white girls whose socks never slid down under their heels. 而商店販售的洋娃娃也都是白人形象: 金髮、碧眼、白皮膚。 這種形像的娃娃也被所有人喜愛。 Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window signs – all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl child treasured. 也許這份不喜歡是出於Claudia對白種人的忌妒 而故事中短暫出現的中產階級黑人女性Geraldine,則是黑人族群中又再劃分出來的"上等階級"的人。 這種"好"女性也是從好的黑人社區出身的: Such girls live in quiet black neighborhoods where everybody is gainfully employed. 她們會把頭髮燙直、不抽菸、不喝酒、不罵髒話,而且總是會去教堂。而雖然像Geraldine這樣的女性是黑人楷模、黑人好太太,但她們並不享受性愛,她們討厭流汗而且和丈夫做愛時從來不會高潮。 Geraldine雖然是黑人,但她的膚色也是比較淺的。全書有很多角色不斷透過膚色的深淺來評斷社會地位。而Geraldine這種女性為了保持"美國理想家庭"的形象,生活壓抑,從書中可以感覺得出來她並不愛丈夫與兒子,唯一愛的就只有她的貓。 當Pecola黑、醜陋、衣服破爛的出現在她家,Geraldine看見的是她極度想去除掉的"下等階級"的形象,她不可能讓這種形象出現在她家中。這也是一種對自身種族的歧視,Geraldine一昧地想要複製美國理想女性、理想家庭的形象,她其實就跟Pecola一樣,對黑人種族帶有鄙視的心態,想把自己"白化"。
Morrison描寫了大量的黑人女性適應社會的方式,男性的部分雖然比較少,但並不是沒有。 先來說Soaphead Church。 Soaphead自己也是個厭惡"黑"的黑人,但他的家族有混到英國白人的血(好像他媽媽還是誰有混到中國人的血,有點忘了),因此家族裡的所有人都致力於維持這種"高尚"的血脈,規定只能跟其他膚色較淺的人通婚。如果一直沒找到結婚對象,那就跟家族裡的人結婚。 當Pecola去找Soaphead討藍色眼睛時,Soaphead看見Pecola的自我厭惡,而對她產生同情。 Here was an ugly little girl asking for beauty. . . A little black girl who wanted to rise up out of the pit of her blackness and see the world with blue eyes. His outrage grew and felt like power. For the first time he honestly wished he could work miracles. Pecola想得到藍眼睛來改變她看到的世界,並讓自己藍眼睛的美來改變世界看到的她。這點Soaphead完全可以理解,只可惜他辦不到。 而Soaphead對"物品"的愛讓他覺得與人---似乎尤其是與女人接觸,格外的噁心。而這也導致他喜歡接近年幼的女孩。 His sexuality was anything but lewd; his patronage of little girls smacked of innocence and was associated in his mind with cleanliness. He was what one might call a very clean old man. 對Soaphead來說,接近年輕女孩是為了"淨化"自己,不管是種族層面還是精神層面來說都是。 至於Cholly,他與Pauline相遇時還算正常。但因以前被白人羞辱過,他將這股憤怒轉嫁到黑人女性身上(在當時社會與法律上都較黑人男性弱)。當Pauline試圖撐起這個家時,Cholly因為從來沒有人教他怎麼做個好父親,因此選擇酗酒來逃避賺錢養家、逃避婚姻、逃避責任。 如果Pauline象徵的是黑人女性的太過全能,那麼Cholly象徵的就是黑人男性的無能。到後來,Cholly似乎還把強暴Pecola的事情歸咎於自己不知道怎麼表達對Pecola的感情: What could he do for her – ever? What give her? What say to her? What could a burned-out black man say to the hunched back of his eleven-year-old daughter? If he looked into her face, he would see those haunted, loving eyes. The hauntedness would irritate him – the love would move him to fury. How dare she love him? Hadn't she any sense at all? What was he supposed to do about that? Return it? How? 雖然直接害Pecola悲慘一生的人就是Cholly,但最大兇手其實是Morisson筆下的美國社會。 Pecola已經瘋了,而且她的眼睛已看不到事實,她看到的是自己幻想出來的世界,這卻也讓她離人群越來越遠,最後對所有來說,Pecola根本就是隱形的。 書中最後這一長段超powerful: All of our waste which we dumped on her and which she absorbed. And all of our beauty, which was hers first and which she gave to us. All of us—all who knew her—felt so wholesome after we cleaned ourselves on her. We were so beautiful when we stood astride her ugliness. Her simplicity decorated us, her guilt sanctified us, her pain made us glow with health, her awkwardness made us think we had a sense of humor. Her inarticulateness made us believe we were eloquent. Her poverty kept us generous. Even her waking dreams we used—to silence our own nightmares. And she let us, and thereby deserved our contempt. We honed our egos on her, padded our characters with her frailty, and yawned in the fantasy of our strength. 其實Morrison還有很多其他作品,Beloved我只看過電影,歐普拉演的。
網路上當然也有很多人說Toni Morrison是因為有歐普拉一直在節目上推她的書她才紅的,也有人說Morrison總是在炒作種族話題,強調白人內疚感(white guilt)。這就見仁見智囉。 整體評價: 劇情緊湊度 : ★★★☆☆ 內容深度 : ★★★★★ 文筆 : ★★★★★ 延伸閱讀:
2 評論
Pamila 潘潘
9/11/2019 07:55:16
我超喜歡藍眼睛這本!
回覆
凱薩琳
9/11/2019 19:45:07
這本當初看了超震撼!
回覆
發表回覆。 |
凱薩琳 - 小貓Catherine ♥ 文章分類
全部
Archives
二月 2021
|