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A Psychoanalytic Interpretation of Nina in Strange Interlude

Author: GuoZhenXiao
Tutor: SongHuiLing
School: Hebei Normal
Course: English Language and Literature
Keywords: Psychoanalysis Structure of mind Eros and Thanatos Defense of Mechanisms
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Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2011
Downloads: 51
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Abstract

The distinguished playwright, Eugene O’Neill was appraised as the father of American drama and was honorably awarded four times the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize for literature once. His works penetrate into the innermost of his characters and always produce a shocking impact on the readers and audience. O’Neill’s works have been analyzed by different perspectives. However, the psychological of analysis of Strange Interlude is scare. Eugene O’Neill takes great interest in Freudian psychology in his lifetime and thus it is easy to locate the international between his masterpiece, Strange Interlude and Freudian theory. This thesis analyzes the characters in Strange Interlude and the causes of their final tragedy in light of Freudian Psychoanalytical theory.This thesis consists of five parts. Part one is the introduction which provides some fundamental information about the writer, the novel, literature review and the introduction of Freudian theory. It also analyzes O’Neill’s devotion to the study of Freudian theory that influences his writing.ChapterⅠexplores the function of each part of the structure of mind-Id, Ego and Superego in Nina’s personality and how her fate is partly decided by the overwhelmingly vigorous one of these three parts. Self-destruction is Id’s final production in this novel. Part of the devilish behavior derives from the uncontrollable Id’s desires and her fleeing from responsibility. Egoist makes her isolate from others, which plays negative roles in the developments of her personality and leads to her father’s death because of sorrow, her husband’s sudden death and the leaving of her son. The Superego is the only origin of morality in this play. Nina’s understanding of others and the care for her friends, especially the supervision embodied by Nina partly threats and limits the Id’s destructive desires to some degree. But it is too weak to change the tragedy. The imbalance in the structure of mind is the cause of the abnormal of her life and her tragedy.ChapterⅡanalyses the effect of Eros and Thanatos in the character. Nina’s care for husband and friends and pregnancy create calm and comfortable living environments. But the Thanatos from Nina and her great destruction (including self-accusation, hatred and punishment) towards the outside world finally destroys the beautiful world. The thesis shows the strong Thanatos through the comparison of Eros and Thanatos. Compared with strong Thanatos, Eros is too weak.ChapterⅢargues the coordinating function which the Defense of Mechanisms plays on the personality. Nina can not accept the death of Gordon and Sam’s failure in work. To satisfy her desire and accept her Superego, she attempts to pursue the substitution: making love with the wounded soldiers and so on. At last, she relieves pain and anxiety and gains temporary calmness through sublimation.At last, this thesis points out that Nina, as the neurotic woman of O’Neill’s work, is the victim of her culture and society. She does her utmost to struggle against her fate in a wrong direction. This can be seen as sympathy and understanding of the author towards her. In fact, through the description of the neurotic woman, O’Neill calls for a totally change of the neurotic society

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