援引法國理論家德希達關於禮物、責任的哲思，本論文之宗旨乃試圖探究南非諾貝爾文學獎得主柯慈(J. M. Coetzee)小說《鐵器時代》中死亡觀念對主體所造成之影響與其所蘊含的倫理意涵。受到德希達一貫理論脈絡中隱含的給予、接受與回應等主題的影響，本論文分就三個與死亡相互關聯的主題進行分析: 「死亡」、「責任」和「悅納異己」。柯慈的《鐵器時代》一書可被視為一份柯倫太太準備給遙遠女兒的禮物，而其禮物的呈現方式為一份必須在柯倫太太死亡後才能被寄出的信件。首先，本文著眼於論述柯倫太太寫給女兒的信件為一真正純粹的禮物。其給予的條件不僅是不能被回報、必須打破禮物的經濟，更是必須以犧牲自我為前提所贈與的一純粹禮物。其次，本文的第二章節著眼於柯倫太太受限於南非殖民歷史文化的固有觀念。柯倫太太被種族隔離歷史文化形塑的觀念迫使她不加思索的行使有條件的待客之道(conditional hospitality)。柯倫太太佔有文化中「主人」的地位，時時刻刻規範排斥著南非黑人的觀念與立場。然此受制於歷史文化的觀念卻是柯倫太太持續想要擺脫的。本文最後的主題探討柯倫太太受到死亡的影響而做出的改變。柯倫太太從死亡中了解其生命的不可替代性(irreplaceability)，並進而了解何為責任的重要性。柯倫太太除此更進一步去愛原本她所不能愛的「客人」，包括叛逆的少年與遊蕩街頭的流浪漢，達到了無條件的悅納異己(unconditional hospitality)。因為死亡的影響，柯倫太太最終離開在文化中「主人」的位置，並得以從自我鞏固的狀態變為慷慨給予。透過德希達的理論，讀者終能了解在《鐵器時代》一書中死亡形塑生命倫理價值的力量。

This thesis aims to explore the theme of death and its intricate relation to the ethical implications of gift and responsibility in J. M. Coetzee’s Age of Iron (1990). Inspired by Jacques Derrida’s theoretical discussion on the notions of circulation and the responding relationship between the subject and the other, the thesis comprises three correlated themes of gift, responsibility, and hospitality. Treated as a gift to the daughter who has left South Africa, the letter is written by a dying mother, Mrs. Curren, who however insists the gift be sent after her death. The first thematic concern on the letter argues that the letter appears itself as a pure gift which does not ask for any reciprocal payback. Revealing itself as anti-economy, the posthumous letter is a gift given at the price of Mrs.Curren’s sacrifice for her daughter. The second part of this thematic project suggests that the knowledge and values resulting from the colonial history possess Mrs. Curren’s mind and lead to Mrs. Curren’s limit to the conditional hospitality. Occupying the position of the host in the historical consciousness, she is only able to respond to what is lying outside the principles of the apartheid system by standing within the system. The theme of the third chapter focuses on the inseparability of responsibility and unconditional hospitality. With the realization of singularity generated by the eventual annihilation, Mrs. Curren goes through the transformation from self-fortification to selfless generosity. Mrs. Curren is saved eventually. In sum, a Derridean reading of Age of Iron reveals death as a necessity in the formation of life.

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