《宠儿》中的母性伦理思想

Maternal Ethics in Beloved

《宠儿》是部倾注了莫里森母性伦理思想的作品。母亲的弑婴行为在特定的情境下凸显的是母亲作为伦理主体的能动性;而她舍弃自我的"补过"行为揭示了母亲的伦理主体身份在各种力量裹挟下的困境;最终黑人社区集体伦理意识的重建及其对宠儿的驱逐使母亲"宝贵的"自我成为焦点。莫里森将小说结尾定格在母亲塞丝"我?我?"的反问中,这既体现了她对母亲作为伦理主体寄予的厚望,也暗示了母亲所要摆脱的内化的伦理势力。

Beloved is full of Morrison＇s ethical thoughts on motherhood. The mother＇s infanticide in the novel demonstrates her agency as an ethical subject while her self-abandoning act of ＂making up for the handsaw＂ reveals the plight of the mother＇s ethical identity torn by various forces. Eventually the black community reconstructs its collective ethical consciousness and drives away the Beloved so that the mother＇s ＂precious＂ sell＇hood comes into focus. Morrison ends the novel with the mother＇s rhetorical question ＂Me？ Me？＂ which both projects Morrison＇s confidence on mothers as ethical subjects and hints that mothers are bound to free themselves from the internalized ethical power.