從雨果《一個死囚的末日》及門田隆將《與絕望奮鬥》論死刑

Abstract

本篇論文以雨果《一個死囚的末日》及門田隆將《與絕望奮鬥》二書為研究核心，對照死囚與被害人的心路歷程，探索死刑的意義與價值。藉由雨果的小說，分析法國十九世紀斷頭臺的本意、監獄的情境及死囚在行刑前所遭受的各種身心折磨痛苦，並發掘作家以文學的筆醞觸動感性的省思。其次透過二十一世紀日本門田隆將就真實事件的報導，瞭解謀殺案件中痛失妻女的被害人處境，思索死刑對被害人及其家屬的重要性。雨果對死囚的人道關懷，與門田隆將對被害人家屬長達九年的關注，雖然出發點不同，都呈現了對生命的尊重，然而對於死刑，則持截然不同的立場，這是因時代觀念不同，抑或是東西方文化的差異？值得我們研究、剖析。\n死刑制度的存在歷史悠久，至今國際潮流已趨向廢除。死刑犯的人權保障與被害人的保護非不相容，實可並行不悖。雨果絕對無條件的摒棄死刑，與被害人家屬極力爭取死刑處罰犯人的奮鬥，兩者不同層面的切入，期可拓展探討死刑議題的視野。

This thesis is a study of Victor Hugo’s The Last Day of a Condemned Man and Ryucho Kadota’s Fight against Despair. By contrasting the mentality of a man condemned to death and that of the family of murder victims, the thesis takes these works as a basis for reflecting on the meaning and value of the death penalty. \nThe study looks at the nature of the guillotine in the nineteenth century, the prison environment and the physical and mental sufferings of a person condemned to death. Hugo’s writing on this topic stimulates a sensitive reflection on the death penalty. Ryucho Kudata’s account of a real event from the twenty-first century, however, provides an opportunity to understand the situation of the family of murder victims and leads us to reconsider the death penalty from their point of view. Hugo’s humanitarian concern for the condemned and Ryucho’s attention to a victim’s family over a period of nine years both show their respect for life despite their very different ideas and points of view about the death penalty.\n The death penalty has been around for a long time, though by now it has been abolished in most countries. In fact, protection of the human rights of criminals should not be seen as being incompatible with protection of the rights of victims and their families; the two can be reconciled. Hugo’s desire to abolish the death penalty unconditionally and absolutely had a great impact on France, yet the struggle of a victim who seeks the punishment of an offender through the use of the death penalty cannot be ignored. Both angles are helpful in exploring the issue of the death penalty.