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A Freudian Interpretation of the Personality of Kate in the Summer before the Dark

Author: SunYuan
Tutor: MaYueLan
School: Hebei Normal
Course: English Language and Literature
Keywords: The Summer before the Dark Freudian psychoanalytic theory personality structure ego defense mechanisms libido
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Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2011
Downloads: 331
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Abstract

Doris Lessing (1919- ), one of the most vigorous and famous writers in contemporary English literary, appeals to a large readership all over the world with her numerous writing of distinctive perspectives and multi-polarized thematic concerns. Many of her works reflect modern English women’s spiritual confusion, the exploration of self-awareness and put emphasis on the depiction of her characters’inner world, therefore arousing violent argument from critics and praise from feminists. The novel The Summer before the Dark is concerned with women’s issues and probes into their psychological world. It objectively and genuinely reflects the problems and difficulties which trouble the middle-aged women in their social and family lives.Based on Freud’s theory, this thesis employs the theory of personality structure to analyze the novel. The thesis makes an in-depth analysis of the heroine’s personality structure and the process in which the heroine finally reaches balance of personality through struggle of self-recognition and self-reconstruction. It reveals the essence of self-exploration after one has lost his or her self in the spiritual world. The thesis is made up of three parts which are introduction, the main body and conclusion.Introduction deals with the general information and background of Doris Lessing, the general introduction to the fiction The Summer before the Dark, literature review and the introduction of Freudian theory. And the author’s devotion is to the study of Freudian theory that inspires her in her creation.Chapter One analyzes the personality structure of Kate Brown, especially the inner battles among her id, ego and superego and the influence about external environment to the development of personality structure. The contradiction among Kate’s id, ego and superego is the root which causes her to leave home and start a journey of realizing her self-value. The change of the external environment directly affects her control of id, ego and superego. All in all, the contradiction and the environment play a decisive role to the development and balance of Kate’s personality.Chapter Two explores Kate Brown’s ego Defense Mechanisms, and puts great emphasis on her repression, displacement and anxiety. Through theses analyses, the thesis not only makes readers have a better understanding of Kate’s personality, but also predicts the possibility of her final return.Chapter Three is about the libidos’releasing and sublimation of Kate Brown. It is through the dreams that Kate really understands her inner heart, and the libido which has been repressed gets completely released. The libido’s sublimation is realized through her introspection of the past. By describing libido’s release and sublimation, this chapter reflects the important role of libido in personality structure.Finally, the conclusion is drawn that The Summer before the Dark is a fiction about self-realization, revealing a process in which the heroine finally achieves balance of personality after losing herself. After many years of exploration, the author develops her thinking in the women’s self-value realization and personality development, that is, an ordinary woman’s exploration about how to find and realize her self-value, how to deal with the conflicts of the roles in society and at home, the conflicts of ideal and reality, and how to develop a healthy personality in the real life. The author points out a way for the modern middle-aged women to realize self-value, self-realization and balance. Therefore, the novel is of far-reaching social significance and realistic significance.

A Freudian Interpretation of the Personality of Kate in the Summer before the Dark

Abstract

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