底层空间、自我和语言——解读《末世之城》的绝地生存

Abstract

《末世之城》常被划入敌托邦科幻小说的范畴,但实际上,它的目的不在于描画人类未来的阴郁前景,而是透过历史苦难的碎片聚焦底层群体的生存困境。它揭示底层空间具有隔离性、暴力性、易变性和贫困化等异质特征。这些特征不仅影响了人们的生存经验、主体构建和语言再现,也在群体和空间之间建立起符号化的互为表征关系,为权力放逐、压迫他们提供合理的借口。不过,底层空间也蕴含着隐蔽的革命性维度。小说里,女主人公的书信和叙事策略构成空间政治的反拨之道,它们在还原底层生活、修复集体性被迫失语的同时,也彰显了艺术和人性的救赎力量。

In the Country of Last Things is commonly thought to be grounded in the dystopian tradition of science fiction,yet it is not so much a novel about the grim prospect of the human future as one that describes the plight of the underclass through a collage of historical realities. It reveals some fundamental traits of the physical and social space of the underclass,which exert negative impacts on their living experience,subjectivity and language. The mutual characterization of space and the underclass provides a seemingly reasonable excuse for banishing and oppressing the deprived. However,with all its isolation,violence,poverty and fluidity,the space of the underclass contains the potential for political resistance.In the novel,Anna's letter and narrative strategy demonstrate a gesture against the sinister logic of spacial domination. They not only bring to light the living experiences of the underclass and make their voice heard,but also highlight the redemptive power of art and humanity.