寻求自我 ——从拉康观点分析《八月之光》中乔·克里斯默斯

论文摘要

乔.克里斯默斯是小说《八月之光》的中心人物,他在追寻自己真实身份过程中所遇到的困境是小说最主要的主题之一。在本篇论文中,作者从雅克.拉康的观点出发,分析了乔的自我意识的形成过程以及他在白人世界和黑人世界之间的痛苦的挣扎。拉康只注重能指。本文作者发现福克纳在本篇小说中戏剧性地表现了语言是如何构建个人身分的—乔的身分是由别人和他所说的话决定的,他的身分是由一个能指的链条所构建的。本文作者认为乔与处在镜像阶段的孩子有相似之处,并且他是处在想象性的阶段和符号性的阶段之间。当乔在孤儿院时,其他孩子喊他黑鬼,这就如同当一个处在镜像阶段的孩子看到镜子中自己的镜像时,他的母亲告诉他,“这是你”。拉康把人类心理发展划分为三个阶段—现实性的,想象性的,和符号性的。人们在象征界的位置是由法乐士或父权法则决定的,而终其一生,乔也拒绝向父权法则屈服,因此他就处在想象界和符号界之间。

论文目录

• Chapter 1 Introduction
• 1.1 Introduction to William Faulkner
• 1.2 Introduction to the novel
• 1.3 Contemporary comments and my argument
• 1.4 Introduction to the theme of the thesis
• 1.5 Introduction to Jacques Lacan and his theories
• Chapter 2 The analysis of the formation of Joe's self-concept
• 2.1 The controlling power of "signifier"
• 2.1.1 Lacan's theory of signifier and signified
• 2.1.2 The application of this theory in analyzing the novel: Joe is controlled by the word—nigger
• 2.2 The culturally determined derogatory meaning of "nigger"
• 2.2.1 The psychohistorical meaning of nigger
• 2.2.2 The Biblical source of this meaning
• Chapter 3 Joe's struggle between the white world and the black world
• 3.1 Lacan's theory of three phases of human development, especially the theory of the mirror stage
• 3.2 Joe's similarities to the child in the mirror stage
• 3.3 Joe's being caught between the white world and the black world
• 3.3.1 Lacan's theory of Law of the Father
• 3.3.2 Joe's being caught between the imaginary and the symbolic
• Chapter 4 Conclusion
• Bibliography