李維英雄 「國民之歌」的家庭關係變化－以智能障礙者描寫來探討

The Intellectually Impaired and Changing Family Relations in Levy Hideo's ''Kokumin no Uta''

李維英雄（Ian Hideo Levy）的『國民之歌』（1997）是繼「天安門』（1996.1）和『滿州急行列車』（1996.11）之後，第三部以台灣記憶為主題的小說。不同於先前將雙親離婚的導火線指向中國女子的介入，在『國民之歌』是首次也是唯一描寫了因為智能障礙兒的誕生導致家庭崩壞。小說內容是描寫主角「他」回美國探親的過程，並且穿插了在台灣度過的童年記憶和母親離婚後帶著他和弟弟回到美國後的生活情景，相互交織著不同時期以智慧障礙者弟弟為主軸的家族物語。台灣的家，因為父親和傭人的存在，「他」度過了相對較完整的家庭生活。然而，回到美國後，「他」必須協助母親幫忙弟弟的日常照護，凸顯了單親家庭的現實壓力。本稿首先關注面對智慧障礙兒的誕生，父母親的態度和對家族關係產生的變化為何？以及對主角「他」帶來何種影響？父親的消極和逃避態度，和母親全心照顧弟弟的疲累身影，終究造成無法彌補的裂痕。主角因為承受了因為弟弟的緣故而帶來的家庭關係變質，承受雙親離婚的巨大傷痛，以及回到美國也背負了照護智慧障礙弟弟的重擔，而影響他對弟弟的存在產生消極情感，同時促使了「他」視過去台灣的家為「自己的家」以及現實中對日語產生歸屬感。最後，則進一步探討這樣以家庭題材為主的內容，小說名稱何以取為『國民之歌』李維在名稱和內容之間製造的不協調，也一貫反映了他錯位的家國意識。

Hideo Levy’s ''Kokumin no Uta'' (1997) is his third novel about memories of Taiwan after ''Tian An Men'' (1996.1) and ''Manshū express'' (1996.11). In his previous novels, the cause of the parents’ divorce is a woman from China. In ''Kokumin no Uta'', we see the first and only instance where the birth of a child with intellectual disabilities is the reason that leads to change in the family relationship. This paper will discuss the psychological effects of changes in family relationships following the birth of an intellectually impaired brother for the main character in ''Kokumin no Uta''. In this novel, the protagonist endures the trauma, first, of leaving the Taiwan house where he has lived with his father and servant to move to the United States with his mother, and then, of having to care for his brother in his now-fatherless family. This situation gives rise to negative emotions which are reflected in the figure of the impaired brother. The protagonist comes to regard his childhood home in Taiwan as his true home and to feel a sense of belonging toward the Japanese language. Finally, this paper will look into how the title ''Kokumin no Uta'' connects with the theme of family: Levy’s habitual gap between the title and content reflects a sense of being torn between home and country.