表观遗传学视域下《白虎》对帝国优生学的批判  

Title:A Critique of Imperial Eugenics from the Perspective of Epigenetics in The White Tiger

作　　者：蒋天平[1] Jiang Tianping(Nanhua University)

机构地区：[1]华中师范大学

出　　处：《外国语文研究》2025年第1期24-37,共14页Foreign Language and Literature Research

基　　金：2022年湖南省哲学社会科学基金项目“当代英语文学中的替代医学书写研究”资助(项目编号:22YBA125)。

摘　　要：表观遗传学是指在不改变DNA序列的前提下,基因表达发生的可遗传变化,其中,环境的改变诱发表观遗传变异,产生与环境相适应的表观基因组。印度作家阿拉文迪·阿迪加的小说《白虎》讲述了印度的底层青年巴尔拉姆的成长故事,于2008年荣获布克奖。本文从表观遗传学——社会基因的视角,分析主人公巴尔拉姆从一个受遗传及环境影响的低种姓阶级,跨越到精英阶级的故事,从而证明:个体能够通过努力去克服不利的遗传与环境因素,实现阶级跃升,成为自己命运的主人,并进一步批判西方达尔文的生物进化论及帝国优生学理论。Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression that occurs without altering the DNA sequence.Changes in the environment induce epigenetic variations,resulting in an epigenome adapted to the environment.Aravind Adiga's novel The White Tiger tells the story of Balram,a young man from the lower echelons of Indian society,and won the Booker Prize in 2008.This article analyzes the story of the protagonist Balram from the perspective of epigenetics—social genes,who transcends from a low-caste background to the elite class under the influence of genetics and environmental factors.It proves that individuals can overcome unfavorable genetic and environmental conditions through hard work,achieve class transcendence,and become the masters of their own destiny.This further critique Western Darwinian biological evolution theory and imperial eugenics.

关 键 词：表观遗传学 《白虎》 种姓制度 鸡舍理论 

分 类 号：G63[文化科学—教育学]