「偽裝的抵抗」：重新思考菲麗絲．惠特莉詩作在強勢論述中的位置政治

‘Resistance in Disguise’ － Rethinking the Politics of Positionality of Phillis Wheatley’s Poetry in the Dominant Discourse

本研究借用傅柯對於「論述」(discourse) 的理論來透析菲麗絲．惠特莉詩作在 強勢論述中的位置政治。首先， 傅柯主張論述意指言論(statements) 或溝通 (communications) 的內容。而且論述的生成受到權力(power)的管制。惠特莉生活在 18世紀的美國社會，當時強勢論述(dominant discourse) 的特色為基督教與蓄奴制 度。表面上惠特莉在詩中似乎是個基督教化的黑奴，完全擁抱上帝並且棄她的黑人 同胞不顧。似乎她的位置政治便是在強勢論述中取得一席之地。然而，深入解析惠 特莉的詩作即可顯示此乃錯誤之假設。首先，傅柯認為權力很弔詭地產生並且壓制 抵抗力量(resistance)。而任何抵抗力量都會面臨被擊潰或同化的危險。惠特莉當時 遭受種族主義與性別主義的雙重壓迫，由此觀之，即使當時她對蓄奴制度大加撻伐， 此舉不但毫無益處，而且對她而言形同自殺。在此艱困的情勢下，惠特莉創制了一 套「偽裝的抵抗」之策略：她把她對蓄奴制度的抵抗，偽裝在白人可接受的語言中。 藉著這樣做，她在強勢論述中的位置便能穩固，而從這個有利的戰略位置，她的抗 議之聲才能被安全地傳送出去。這才是惠特莉詩作在強勢論述中的位置政治之真相。

In this paper， Michel Foucault’s theorizations about discourse will be applied to perceive the politics of positionality of Phillis Wheatley’s poetry in the dominant discourse. First， Foucault argues that discourse denotes contents of statements or communications. And its production is regulated by power. Wheatley lived in the 18th-century American society， whose dominant discourse features Christianity and enslavement. On the surface， Wheatley seems like a Christianized Negro， who embraces God and denounces her fellow Blacks in her poetry. It would appear that her politics of positionality is her effort to remain a submissive subject in the dominant discourse. However， a closer analysis of Wheatley’s poetry will prove this assumption erroneous. First， Foucault believes that power paradoxically represses and produces resistance. Above all， any resistance faces the danger of being crushed or assimilated. Judging from the double oppression of racism and sexism Wheatley suffered， it is obvious that if Wheatley had clamorously verbalized her protest against enslavement， not only could it have been futile but also it would have been suicide for her. Under such difficult circumstances， Wheatley devised a ‘resistance-in-disguise’ strategy: Wheatley disguised her resistance against enslavement in the White-friendly language. By so doing， her position in the dominant discourse could be secured. And it is from this tactically advantageous position where her voice of protest could be safely projected out. This is the truth about the politics of positionality of Phillis Wheatley’s poetry in the dominant discourse.