托妮·莫里森获得诺贝尔文学奖十年后的作品《爱》通过一贯的多角度叙事,讲述了一个爱恨交织的故事。成功的商人科西由于兽性因子失控,破坏伦理禁忌,强娶孙女克里斯廷少时的好友,年仅11岁的希德为第二任妻子,以致祖孙三代家庭成员均陷入伦理困境。伦理关系混乱,引发了妻子、儿媳和孙女严重的身份危机和多重的家庭矛盾。本文以文学伦理学批评为研究视角,围绕“伦理身份”、“伦理禁忌”、“伦理结”等关键词,分析在这个以科西为家长的父权制家庭里,由于他错误的伦理选择,导致家中女性之间的仇恨愈演愈烈,不可开交。最终,黑人女性之间的姐妹情谊解构了纠缠多年的伦理结,克里斯廷和希德找回了彼此间互助互爱的姐妹身份,赢回失落已久的爱。

Toni Morrison's novel Love continues her consistent multiple-narrative style. In the story, successful businessman Cosey chooses to marry his granddaughter's best friend Heed, who is only 11 years old. Thus, the ethical relations of the family becomes confusing and all the family members are trapped into ethical dilemma, which makes women of the family suffer from a severe identity crisis and fight with one another. This paper intends to analyze the ethical features of the novel from the perspective of ethical literary criticism. Focalizing ethical identity, ethical taboo and ethical complex, this paper points out that owing to the wrong ethical choice of Cosey, the hatred among women becomes increasingly fierce in this patriarchal black family. The ethical complex, which keeps the women of the family entangled for years, is decoded at last through sisterhood among them. Heed and Christine regain their sisterhood and obtain their long-lost love.