The Initiation Of Eugene In Look Homeward, Angel: A Shakeoff Of The Oedipus Complex

Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938) is one of the prestigious and great writers in modern American literature, and his influence exceeds the sum total of four novels, which are a sequel of his autobiographical life experience, and thirty-two short stories. His skillful mastery of English language and special artistic techniques elevate him to the position of one of the spokesmen of the Lost Generation.Look Homeward, Angel, published in 1929, is Thomas Wolfe's maiden work. In the novel Wolfe narrates his own life experiences in name of the protagonist Eugene Gant. Owing to the faithful narration of his hometown Ashville and some pro-German statements he made in the novel, the book did not receive warm welcome at the beginning of its publication. However, his skillful mastery of language and applying of long and rhetoric sentences shift the literary critics'attention from its weak points, and now it has become Wolfe's masterpiece and one of the compulsory textbooks for literature learners.Look Homeward, Angel tells the story of a boy named Eugene Gant and covers a time span of 19 years. The story begins at Eugene's birth and comes to an end when he finishes his college education at the State University. In his process of growth, the middle school teacher Margaret Leonard and his brother Ben are of great significance in helping him escape loneliness and have a clear awareness of life direction. At the end of the novel, Eugene leaves his home resolutely and sets foot on life's new journey. The plot structure embodies the book an initiation novel.As a literary genre, initiation story is popular among the canon of world literature. It is a kind of novel that narrates a protagonist's growth experience, in which the protagonist gains his or her maturity both physically and mentally after a series of personal experiences. Besides, there are guide characters in the growth that influence the protagonist either negatively or positively and play an important role in the process.With the help of Freud's psychoanalysis, especially with his idea of Oedipus complex, the author attempts to analyze the work from the perspective of initiation story, to examine the initiation journey of Eugene Gant and hopes to unveil the psychological states of the young generation before and after First World War.The present thesis is comprised of six chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction and the author offers a survey of Thomas Wolfe and his masterpiece Look Homeward, Angel. Chapter 2 is the theoretical preparation. In this part, the author offers literature review concerning Look Homeward, Angel and theories related to initiation stories and Oedipus Complex are explained. Chapter 3 analyzes the abnormal love that follows Eugene's growth.Eugene is born into a large family and owing to the difference of his parents' personalities and values, the relations among members of the family are complicated and abnormal, among which Eugene's Oedipus Complex is the most striking. Chapter 4 interprets the guiding characters that help Eugene's initiation, In a child's initiation, the role of guides is indispensable and they, to a certain extent, decide the direction of the child's life. In Look Homeward, Angel, Margaret, Eugene's middle school teacher, and Ben, Eugene's brother and closest friend, exert positive effect on Eugene and help him gain ultimate maturity. Chapter 5 is designed to discuss Eugene's escape from desperate loneliness. All the people in the family are permeated in an atmosphere of loneliness, but only Eugene finds true exit to escape. Through his non-stopping quest of knowledge and adventurous trips, Eugene finally realizes that only by walking away from home can he break the loose of family life and enjoy true freedom. The thesis concludes in chapter 6. In this part, the author summarizes the thesis and highlights Eugene's final liberation.The thesis is so structured that a panoramic picture of Eugene's growth is sketched and a simple study of Wolfe's masterpiece Look Homeward, Angel is formed.