| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 外國語文學系 === 94 === The thesis proposes to read Linda Hogan’s Power as an example of the Bildungsroman. I suggest that by appropriating this western literary sub-genre into a Native context, Hogan provides an alternative “bildung” which is focusing on “self-in-relation” to a Native heritage and to nature. In this thesis I intend to direct my discussion to Omishto’s initiation from three perspectives: Omishto’s awakening to her tribal heritage; Omishto’s initiation into deep ecological consciousness through a hunting episode; and finally the crucial maturing of Omishto’s political awareness of the power of law as she participates as a witness in the two trials held to condemn her mentor Ama’s killing of the panther.
The thesis is composed of five chapters. Chapter One is a general introduction with a brief historical overview of the Bildungsroman. In Chapter Two, I discuss the way “seeing” functions to form Omishto’s identity. In Chapter Three, I deal with Omishto’s awareness of nature through Ama’s hunting and killing of a panther. Chapter Four talks about questions of law dealing with environmental conflicts. Finally, I suggest that, with the in-depth knowledge of the two worlds, Omishto, who shoulders the responsibility to be a caretaker of the land and bears the aim for tribal survival, has been initiated to follow Ama’s, and Hogan’s, path to be an activist living on the border between the modern society and the tribal community.
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