Discipline And Resistance

Colson Whitehead is an outstanding contemporary African American writer.His works manifest his profound reflections on racial history.His sixth novel,The Underground Railroad,has attracted widespread attention since it was published.With this novel,he became the second writer of color to win both a National Book Award and a Pulitzer Prize for the same novel.Taking the period of slavery as a narrative background,this novel tells how white people maintain their privileges and powers through discipline as well as how slaves resist discipline.Based on Foucault’s power theory,this thesis analyzes the operation of disciplinary power in the novel and the resistance of Cora and other blacks trapped in the power network against disciplinary power in order to achieve freedom.The operation of disciplinary power in this novel is analyzed from hierarchical observation,normalizing judgement and examination,which are the three indispensable means of disciplinary power according to Foucault.The slaves in the novel are observeded by planters,overseers,and companions in daily life.This hierarchical observation creates a state of constant visibility on the slaves and ensures that disciplinary power is automatically exercised.The planter will judge slaves’ performances according to certain norms which involve rewards,punishment or execution.Slaves gradually internalize the norms and use the norms to examine their behaviors.Examination guarantees that slaves cannot escape from plantation.Patrollers and slave hunters will find them wherever they go through document which contains their names and physical features.In the implementation of these three means,the power of white people is consolidated,and slaves gradually lose their selves and become docile and obedient bodies.Foucault’s power theory lies not only in discipline,but also in resistance in the face of discipline.Under the strict control of disciplinary power,people will also have a strong sense of resistance.The characters in the novel do not yield to the disciplinary power,but try to break free from the restraint of disciplinary power in search of freedom.The resistance to disciplinary power in this novel is analyzed from three aspects: care of the self,care for others and artistic new life.Realizing the importance of self and gaining care from others,they manage to escape the plantation.After gaining physical freedom,they start an artistic new life,and repair the spiritual damage caused by plantation life through art activities.Under the guidance of aesthetics of existence,they finally achieve dual liberation of body and spirit.By using Foucault’s power theory,the thesis exposes the damage to black race caused by disciplinary power and reflects the pain that slavery brings to them.At the same time,it also points out that disciplinary power is not inescapable.When black people realize the importance of themselves and pay attention to true needs,they can get rid of discipline completely and achieve freedom.