本論文之宗旨乃試圖以德希達的觀點探討愛特伍《洪荒年代》中末世的希望與正義，同時根據正義本質的「永無降臨性」來比較瑪格麗特‧愛特伍人為末世與德希達彌賽亞式末世之間對於希望、正義及幽靈纏繞的詮釋差異。在時代思潮的更迭中，末世思想未曾離開生活的各種論述，包含宗教、哲學、文學及科學。因此，「末日」、「審判日」或「歷史終結」等概念也常與末世思想息息相關。人類的各種論述之所以對末世如此著迷是由於它直接威脅人類的存亡。質言之，人類歷史上的重大突破或科學發展時常根據末世來臨的威脅而進步，並確保人類的生存永續。文學上對末世的想像著重在末世降臨的景象以及末世後生還者的生存，藉此提供對於今世各種潛在危機的反思與批判。值得注意的是末世在文學詮釋下普遍是以天災者居多。在愛特伍2009年的小說《洪荒年代》中，她拒絕跟隨天災的主流末世論述，而是轉向探討人為（人禍）末世的可能性以及促成其發生的底層原因。藉由對信奉一種類宗教環境保育論的「上帝園丁會」，愛特伍表達他們除了企圖渡過末世的考驗之外，也希望末世的到來能洗淨人類在末世前種種不公義的行為。此外，他們期盼在末世後修補人類跟大自然的關係直至達成共存共榮的和諧。從德希達的彌賽亞式末世論而言，末世是一種「無救世主的彌賽亞主義」（messianism without the Messiah）：沒有實際的發生卻又不斷以正義的名號向在世者提出必須行動的訴求。然而，德希達表示末世不應真正到來並且正義總會以「即將到來」（to-come）的姿態央求世人立即改善當今的問題。因此，德希達式末世不討論「末世後」的命題與景況。為達成預期之宗旨，本論文將分為三章節，分別探討德希達哲學中的幽靈性、彌賽亞主義、愛特伍小說末世論中的希望與正義、末世前如何形塑希望以及末世後對正義的反思。

This thesis aimed to use a Derridean perspective to explore apocalypse in respect to hope and justice in Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood. The idea of apocalypse has existed since the very beginning of human history and has penetrated many aspects of life, including religion, philosophy, literature, and science. It is commonly associated with terms such as “doomsday,” “Judgment Day,” “Armageddon,” or “the End of history.” Noticeably, the apocalyptic happening threatens the existence of human beings, and therefore, it surfaces human developments throughout history in order to seek ways to avoid its happening. Literary representations of the apocalypse mainly imagine its arrival and the possibility of survival as reflections of contemporary day crises. In The Year of the Flood, Atwood does not present a natural apocalypse, but instead a man-made one. In the eco-religious “God’s Gardeners,” she shows their vision of surviving the apocalypse then restoring the long-lost harmony with nature, as they hope that the Waterless Flood will wipe away all injustices. For Derrida, the apocalypse is always situated as a messianic without the Messiah—an event without the physical arriving but which continues to demand action from the living in the name of justice. Yet, the Derridean apocalypse never arrives and justice is always posed as a to-come that invites those now alive to improve it. There is never a “post-” in the Derridean apocalypse. Based on this non-arriving justice, this thesis links the apocalyptic theme in Atwood’s novel with Derrida’s messianic eschatology in terms of hope, justice, and spectral haunting. The main issues examined are how to categorize the apocalypse in the novel, whether justice is achieved in the post-apocalyptic world, and in what time should action be taken in relation to fulfilling a hope for the justice-to-come.

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