「還鄉須斷腸」－－解讀哈代《還鄉記》中的鄉土情結

It's Sad to Return to the Homeland!'--Decode the Homeland Complex in Hardy's The Return of the Native

「還鄉」一直是文學中相當常見的主題。我們從小所居住的周遭對於我們的意義，並不僅僅是一個每天生活在其中（being-there）的物理空間而已。在鄉土文學裏，因為一開始先有了別離，才引起後來重返故里的意圖；也因為別離引起的思念之情，才產生濃郁的鄉愁情懷。因此，空間對於個體的“此在”而言，扮演極為重要的角色。本文計劃以現象學理論作為基礎，探討個體的地方意識及其對“此在”的影響。從一個地方（place）的場所現象，場所結構到它發展出來的場所精神，這些環境特質確立了個體的方向感（orientation）和認同感（identification）。一個人的身份便是經由這些知覺基型（perceptual schemata）的發展而加以認定的。然而，當“地方”被定義為一個存在的立足點時，它其實並不是一個固定不動、停滯的死物。首先，時間是造成轉變的最主要因素，沒有什麼東西能逃得過歷史的洗禮的。其次，空間是社會的產物，從Henri Lefebvre 的社會空間理論到今天的文化地誌學（cultural geography），可以發現在政治、文化或經濟、社會甚至宗教等權力的互動下，空間會受到操縱，也會被挪用。鄉土情結中的“鄉土”是否還能保持一個不變的場所精神已經受到了上述各項因素的挑戰，而依附著鄉土而興起的地方意識或是更進一步的鄉愁情結，也在失去喻旨之後變成一場虛空，永遠也無法實現或完成。藉著檢視“地方”所指涉的意義，我們更可以明白鄉土文學中為什麼充滿了惆悵與綿綿的哀傷。哈代（Thomas Hardy）的《還鄉記》（The Return of the Native）故事情節纏繞著Egdon Heath 發生；或是說，整片的石南荒地其實是全書的核心。它不僅是一片地景，也同時具備了自然場所（natural place）和人為場所（man-made place）的特質，自成一體地構築了一個小世界，表現其獨特的場所精神（genius locus） 。故事中， Clym Yeobright 放棄了前途看好的工作離開花都巴黎，為的是思念這一片土地﹔而在另一方面，女主角Eustacia 各種特立獨行不見容於鄉人的行徑，卻是緣於內心對這片她所居住的土地深深的厭惡。然而在書末， Eustacia的自我放逐以悲劇性的死亡嘎然中止，而Clym的還鄉則結束在選擇以巡迴傳教作為終身志業：一種仍然沒有定點（settlement）的生活方式。Heidegger在“Building, Dwelling, Thinking”中，提出人必須“learn to dwell”，才能真正領悟出此在的本質。《還鄉記》的情節無疑是一個llern to dwell 的過程。本文希望藉由這樣的解讀，得以揭開傳統鄉土文學中朦朧、哀傷的面紗，人與地方間的互動才能清楚地呈現出來。

'The return to the homeland' has always been one of the favorite subjects in literature. Generally speaking, the place around us is not merely a physical space we live and just 'is there.' In folk literature, it is always the departure from the homeland in the beginning that aroused the after-effect of feeling nostalgic and then the intention of returning. Thus, the living space is very important for one's Dasein. This study aims at making a research on one's sense of place and its influence upon Dasien, based on theories of phenomenology. From one place's place-phenomenon, place-structure to the spirit it develops, these qualities of place ascertain man's orientation and identification. One's individuality is made up by the development of these perceptual schemata. However, as place is defined to be the basis of man's existence, it is actually not an inactive dead thing. Above all, time makes it change and nothing can escape from the change made by history. Then, space is the product of the society. From Henri Lefebvre's theory of social space to the cultural geography nowadays, it is found that space could be manipulated and appropriated by the interaction of various powers, such as politics, culture, economy, society, or religion. Whether the 'homeland' in the homeland complex could keep its changeless spirit of the homeland complex could keep its changeless spirit of the place depends on the powers upon it. And the sense of place or nostalgia, which is aroused by the homeland, will become meaningless after its signified place is changed and even lost. By examining the meaning of 'place, ' we could know the reason why there is always sadness implied in folk literature. The story of Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native happened at Egdon Heath and the focus of the whole book is actually this heath. It is not only the scene, but also has the qualities of natural place and man-made place, where constructs a world by itself and presents its specific spirit of the place (genius locus). In the story, Clym Yeobright gives up a promising job and leaves Paris because of a nostalgic feeling toward his homeland. On the other hand, Eustacia, the other main character in the story, hates this land and her hostility brings up several unforgivable misbehaviors. In the end, Eustacia's self-exile stops with her tragic death, whereas Clym's return to his homeland concludes with a lifelong career of being an itinerant missionary: a lifestyle without settlement. In 'Building, Dwelling, Thinking,' Heidegger says that man has to 'learn to dwell' to understand the meaning of Dasein. The Return of the Native is exactly this process of 'learning to dwell.' By away of phenomenological decoding, this study wants to understand more the sadness implied in folk literature and then may clarify the interactive relationship between man and place.