本文以心理分析角度探討童妮‧摩里森在其第九本小說《一種慈愛》中所關懷的奴隸論述；有別於傳統奴隸論述，本文探討當今非裔美人實則為「受害者心態」所役。對於飽經創傷的主角們來說，主體已為損害，因此本文期以茱莉亞‧克里斯蒂娃之「寬恕」論述帶來另種重建主體之方法。對照克里斯蒂娃心理分析式療程與其「寬恕」理論，克里斯蒂娃同時強調語言獲至對於精神分析對象之重要及其如何透過僭越體現了寬恕的真意。透過此理論之觀點閱讀《一種慈愛》，創造出了另種重建主體的可能；反之，這部小說亦補充了克里斯蒂娃的「寬恕」理論所欠缺之自我寬恕的面向以及可能。透過如此對位式的閱讀，本文期望更能豐富小說以及理論之深度。
全文分為五部。序論為論文之介紹，包括故事大綱、文獻回顧、以及論文動機。序論亦檢視了「慈愛」與「寬恕」之關係。第二章檢視茱莉亞‧克里斯蒂娃之「寬恕」理論如何應用於受害者以及加害者。對於受害者而言，失語現象應視為憂鬱的病徵並須由認同慈愛的第三者來解決。本文所論述之加害者乃指因耽溺於「受害者心態」拒絕改變進而成為自我奴役的加害者。對此類角色而言，重獲質問(questioning)的能力便顯得格外重要。透過質問當中潛藏的否定性將幫助精神分析對象否定先前之所執念進而能重建主體。第三、四章試圖以第二章所論述之理論分析「哀傷」以及「佛羅倫斯」所代表的美國蓄奴史上受害者以及加害者角色。第三章挑戰評論家對「哀傷」之評論並論證該角色如何運用其種族混雜性中所潛在的顛覆性解釋其僭越的可能；同時，該角色又如何透過認同慈愛的第三者以及其母親角色獲得解放。第四章則探討「佛羅倫斯」的三階段式心理成長分析:女兒珍以及鐵匠將扮演其前兩階段之心理分析師，而「佛羅倫斯」將於第三階段同時扮演精神分析對象以及心理分析師的角色說明自我寬恕的可能，並作為克里斯蒂娃理論之補充。同時，摩里森於此章巧妙運用反覆出現之母親夢境以及鞋子之意像說明「佛羅倫斯」之轉變以及解脫之證據。結論除重申本文重點，也說明了自我寬恕才能不役於「受害者心態」也作為摩里森對非裔美人重獲自由之殷殷渴盼。

This thesis puts forward a psychoanalytic reading of Toni Morrison’s ninth novel A Mercy, exploring how African Americans are enslaved to the victimized mentality, a switch from traditional slave narrative. Since subjectivity is eroded under such enslavement for the trauma-ridden characters, this thesis argues that Julia Kristeva’s notion of forgiveness serves as an alternative to reconstruct an integral subjectivity. Through paralleling the psychoanalytic session with forgiveness, Kristeva indicates that transgression made by the analysand embodies the meaning of forgiveness with an emphasis on language acquisition from the analysand. My wish to apply Kristeva’s theory of forgiveness is to bring out a synergistic effect: while Kristevan forgiveness sheds light on A Mercy, the novel also serves as a supplement to complete Kristevan forgiveness. That is, to read the possibility of self-forgiveness. Through this contrapuntal reading, this thesis wishes to bring the mutual benefit to both the story and the theory.
This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One briefly introduces the main idea of this thesis, including plotline of the story, literal reviews, and the motivation of this thesis. Chapter One also examines the relationship between “mercy” and the idea of “forgiveness.” Chapter Two sets out the theoretical framework of this thesis by examining how forgiveness is applied to the victim and the perpetrator respectively. For the victim part, the language loss is deemed as the syndrome of melancholy which requires the agent to identify with the loving third. The perpetrator is defined as the one who zealously succumbs to victimization rhetoric and makes oneself a victim-turned-perpetrator. For them, questioning in an analyst-analysand scenario becomes crucial. The negativity inherent in this questioning helps the analysand negate his/her former beliefs and thereby resumes his/her integral subjectivity. Chapter Three and Four intend to analyze the character Sorrow and Florens representing the victim and the victim-turned-perpetrator in the history of American slavery, on the basis of the theories elucidated in my second chapter. Through the discussion of Sorrow’s hybridity as her inherent subversive power in Chapter Three, Sorrow becomes “Complete” through identifying with the loving third and her newly-gain motherhood. Chapter Four probes into Florens’ three-stage development: Daughter Jane and the blacksmith take the role of Florens’ analysts in her first two stage development while she becomes her own therapist in her final development. By taking the role of analysand and analyst, I try to read the possibility of self-forgiveness which modifies Kristeva’s idea of analytic forgiveness. By using the recurring dream of her minha mãe and the shoe as metaphors, Morrison dramatizes the transformation of Florens and foretells her final liberation. Chapter Five concludes my argument by synthesizing the main points in every chapter and reasserting that the true freedom lies in the self-motivated liberation from the victimized mentality.

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