布克奖得主理查德·弗拉纳根因其壮阔而隽永的作品，已成为当代澳大利亚文坛最令人瞩目的作家之一。近年来，弗拉纳根的创作出现了明显的“生态转向”，然而国内外相关研究较为薄弱，尚无关注弗拉纳根后殖民生态书写的专著问世。本文借鉴后殖民生态批评的理论和方法分析弗拉纳根的六部相关作品，构建了弗拉纳根后殖民生态书写的四个主题类别：岛屿书写、水体书写、动物书写和气候书写。研究的主要目标是细察弗拉纳根作品所展现的后殖民生态观，进而全面阐释弗拉纳根作品的生态价值与现实关照。本文认为，弗拉纳根的文学创作是基于后殖民本位的生态书写，其笔下的四大主题均包含后殖民和生态的双重关切。其一，弗拉纳根笔下的岛屿既是英帝国扩张和殖民历程的见证，又是生态多元与环保行动的阵地。其作品对塔斯马尼亚岛的再现，既是承载着白人拓荒精神的发展史，又是记录着战后难民和当地土著饱受压迫的受难史，更是自然生态遭受破坏的环境史。其二，弗拉纳根的水体书写可进一步细分为河流和海洋两个主题。河流的流动特征承载了殖民历史的延续影响，而涡旋式的叙事结构则消解了官方正史的权威，为重新解读历史开辟了新的可能性。本文将蓝色生态批评用于分析弗拉纳根的海洋书写，认为海洋成为他塑造文化想象和推行环保倡议的重要场域。其三，本文提炼了弗拉纳根动物书写中将原住民动物化的四种模式，总结了原住民抵抗压迫和重建身份的方式。通过强调人和鱼类、人和鸟类之间的物种互通性，弗拉纳根倡导关注物种正义与和谐共存。其四，他的气候书写重在探讨生态危机和伦理议题，批判了后殖民语境中不平衡的权力关系和危机的缓慢渗透，呼吁建立一种更加平等和可持续的社会秩序。本文的研究意义体现在以下三个方面：第一，建构了基于“生态环境四圈层”的批评分析框架，拓宽了后殖民生态批评的研究范式和边界；第二，较为系统地阐述了弗拉纳根的后殖民生态思想和创作实践，特别关注了他的最新作品和时评文章；第三，点明了弗拉纳根在创作中的环境正义立场，他的后殖民生态书写不仅回应了澳大利亚在历史和生态层面的遗留问题，例如对岛屿和海洋的攫取、对原住民的压迫和歧视、对物种生态的破坏等，而且为全球面临的新危机提供了一剂彰显环境正义、可持续发展和多元共生的“澳式”生态良方。
Richard Flanagan, the recipient of the Booker Prize, has emerged as a preeminent figure in Australian literature, renowned for his impactful and enduring works. In recent years, Flanagan’s writing has markedly embraced an “ecological turn”. However, there is a lack of robust research both in China and abroad on Flanagan’s postcolonial ecological writing, with no dedicated monograph addressing this aspect.Drawing on theories and approaches from postcolonial ecocriticism, this dissertation undertakes an analysis of six relevant works by Richard Flanagan on four major themes: island writing, aquatic writing, animal writing, and climate writing. The objective is to construct a comprehensive framework that enables a detailed examination of Flanagan’s works from the perspective of postcolonial ecocriticism and to elucidate their ecological value and practical significance. The dissertation contends that Flanagan’s works are deeply rooted in postcolonial perspectives, and his four major themes encompass concerns regarding both postcolonial and ecological issues. Firstly, Flanagan’s representation of Tasmania goes beyond a mere developmental history driven by the white pioneering spirit; it also encompasses the traumatised history of post-war refugees and the oppressed Indigenous Australians; and it reflects the history of the natural environment characterised by transformation and degradation. Secondly, Flanagan’s portrayal of bodies of water can be further categorised into two domains: rivers and oceans. The liquid characteristics of rivers symbolise the enduring impact of colonial history, while the circular narrative structure dissolves the authority of official history and opens up new possibilities for reinterpretation. Employing blue ecocriticism, this dissertation analyses Flanagan’s depiction of the ocean as a crucial domain for shaping cultural imagination and advocating for environmental initiatives. Thirdly, regarding the animal writing by Richard Flanagan, this dissertation proposes four modes of animalisation of the Indigenous Australians, and summarises the ways in which they resist oppression and reconstruct their identities. By emphasising the internal connectivity between humans and fish, as well as humans and birds, Flanagan advocates for species justice and harmonious coexistence. Fourthly, his climate writing addresses ecological crises and ethical issues, criticising the unequal power dynamics and slow violence inherent in a postcolonial context. By engaging in this pursuit, Flanagan advocates for the establishment of a more equitable and sustainable society.The significance of this dissertation is threefold. Firstly, it establishes a framework for critical analysis that encompasses four ecological spheres, thereby expanding the paradigm and boundaries for the research of postcolonial ecocriticism. Secondly, it provides a relatively systematic interpretation of Richard Flanagan’s postcolonial ecological thoughts and creative practices, with particular emphasis on his latest works and column articles. Thirdly, it highlights Flanagan’s stance on environmental justice as depicted in his works. Flanagan’s postcolonial ecological writing not only addresses the persistent historical and ecological issues in Australia, such as the exploitation of islands and oceans, the oppression and discrimination against the Indigenous Australians, and the destruction of species and ecosystems, but also offers an “Australian antidote” that embodies environmental justice, sustainable development, and diverse coexistence in the face of global crises.
