《奧邁羅》是1992年諾貝爾文學獎得主德瑞克•沃克特最被讚賞的作品。奧邁羅（Omeros）是荷馬（Homer）的希臘名，沃克特選用此名為其詩集的名稱，並且用他的新印度群島的觀點來完成這部史詩，由此可表現出沃克特想成為加勒比海的荷馬之野心。就結構上而言，沃克特運用史詩之形式來描述加勒比海的多重文化。然而，細讀之後，其實本詩集並不完全符合史詩的傳統。不像荷馬史詩中會出現的英雄人物，《奧邁羅》中的男性角色只是遭受被流放痛苦的一般市井小民，同時想要尋根。從此層面來看，男性角色是受傷的。相反的，《奧邁羅》中的女性則扮演著女英雄的角色，治癒了男性角色的傷口，並且幫助他們尋根。

本論文欲分析三位在《奧邁羅》中的女性角色。第一章是瑪•基嫚，一位會巫術的黑女人，她象徵過去的記憶，同時本身也是非洲與西印度群島兩種文化的連結。她施行巫術來治癒因過去記憶造成的傷口。第二章是默德•普朗基特，一位從愛爾蘭來的家庭主婦，她代表了愛爾蘭與西印度群島的連結－兩者皆遭受過殖民的經驗，並且內部有著分裂的問題。默德本身的經驗象徵著島上之疏離感，她的死亡則是撫平了這個隔閡，也緩解了歷史造成的傷口。第三章是海倫，一位美麗的當地女子，藉由神話以及歷史的典故，沃克特給予此位加勒比海的海倫新的聲音。她在面對男性時所表現出來的獨立性，讓她成為男性眼中所掌握不住的女神。她重建了聖露西亞的和平與和諧，算是一種多重文化的治療。

A stunning poem that draws the attention of the reading public, Omeros is often regarded as the most famous and most successful of Derek Walcott’s works. In one sense, Omeros is the Greek name for Homer, and Walcott chose it for the title of the poem to show his ambition to be a Caribbean Homer, a poet developing an epic from a West Indian perspective. With the epic form and resonant mythic Greek namesakes, Omeros is built upon Walcott’s innate love for St. Lucia. Structurally, the epic form provides the vast framework he needs to describe the multicultural Creole society. However, after a close reading of the text, we can actually find that it does not follow so much the conventions of a classical tradition, since it is not actually a heroic poem. Unlike the superhuman characters in Homeric epics, the male protagonists in Omeros are common people who endure the suffering of individual in exile and try to put down roots in a place where they think they belong. One famous critic, Robert D. Hamner, reads Omeros as an epic of the dispossessed, one in which each of its protagonists is a castaway in one sense or another. In this respect, the male characters are injured (either spiritually or physically). In contrast, the female characters in Omeros, though few in number, play the important roles of heroines to heal the wounds of the male protagonists and to help them trace their roots.
This thesis will, therefore, analyze three female characters in the poem. Chapter 1 will focus on Ma Kilman, a black obeah woman. She embodies the memories of the past as well as the connection between African experience and West Indian culture. Through the practice of obeah, a holistic healing method different from Western diagnosis, she is capable of soothing wounds caused by past sufferings. Chapter 2 will examine Maud Plunkett, a white Irish housewife. She represents the physical link between Ireland and St. Lucia due to their inherent similarities –both are being colonized with St. Lucia being divided by race and class, while Ireland is split along religious and class lines. Maud’s existence symbolizes the alienation gap on the island; her death, at the end, bridges the gap and relieves historical traumas. Chapter 3 will deals with Helen, an ebony local woman. Appropriating mythical as well as historical allusions, Walcott gives new voice to this Caribbean Helen. She demonstrates her autonomy to male characters and becomes an unapproachable goddess that they attempt to possess. She reestablishes peace and achieves a new harmony in St. Lucia as a way of cross-cultural healing.

Abstract 1
Introduction 3
Chapter One Ma Kilman: The Obeah Woman 13
Chapter Two Maud Plunkett: The Patient Weaver 32
Chapter Three Helen: The Dubious Character 53
Conclusion 81
Notes 84
Works Cited 86

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