Crisis And Reconstruction:Issues Of Identity In Ford Madox Ford’s Novels

Living at a time of drastic changes in Western society,Ford Madox Ford(1873-1939)was one of the representatives of British modernism in the early twentieth century.His novels profoundly reflect Western society’s historical reality,political trends,ideology and social psychology over the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century,exposing especially the identity crises brought about by the social upheavals and exploring the issues of identity reconstruction.Most existing interpretations of identity crisis in Ford’s fiction have focused on his earlier works while,to some extent ignoring his later pieces.Ford’s endeavors in identity reconstruction and creative continuity embodied in his oeuvre are often regretfully neglected in previous studies.Therefore,the dissertation intends to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth excavation of the themes of identity crisis and identity reconstruction in Ford’s novels of different periods.In light of Stuart Hall’s and Charles Taylor’s theories on identity crisis,Svetlana Boym’s views on “Restorative Nostalgia” and “Reflective Nostalgia”,and Sigmund Freud’s concept of “Castration Anxiety”,this dissertation probes into the themes of identity crisis and identity reconstruction in Ford’s four novels—The Good Soldier(1915),Parade’s End(1924-1928),The Rash Act(1933)and its sequel Henry for Hugh(1934),and explores in depth Ford’s ever-developing creativity and view of identity.The body of the dissertation consists of three parts.Chapter One mainly discusses the themes of identity crisis and reconstruction in Ford’s early masterpiece The Good Soldier.In the Edwardian era,the English rural society based on the farming civilization gradually declines due to the acceleration of industrialization.With the breakdown of the old system,country houses begin to fall into chaos before their total collapse.The traditional ideas of gentlemanliness,which value responsibility and human kindness,are gradually replaced by the modern social concept that emphasizes practicality and profits.The identity of the protagonist as a traditional gentleman is gradually disintegrated.However,being a recalcitrant defender of the traditional gentlemanly culture,the protagonist endeavors to reconstruct his self-identity through restorative nostalgia,that is,by regressing to the chivalric tradition.Yet his efforts fail due to his rigid chivalric ideals and absence of identity reflection.The protagonist’s identity crisis and reconstruction demonstrate Ford’s profound reflections on conservatism and static identity as embodied in his early novels.Chapter Two focuses on the analysis of identity crisis and reconstruction in the wartime novel Parade’s End.The First World War brings the traditional ideals and values that the British has long held into ruin.Living in such a chaotic era with the collapse of the traditional social order,the shattering of beliefs,and the degeneration of humanity,the “last Tory” protagonist,due to his adherence to the traditional conservative principles and gentleman codes,falls into identity rupture in his domestic world,high-society world and military world.After the ordeal of the war,the protagonist applies reflective nostalgia to integrate the past,present and future expectations and finally achieves his identity reconstruction by living in seclusion with his beloved,which well manifests Ford’s view of connection and his thoughts on dynamic identity.Chapter Three elaborates in depth the themes of identity crisis and reconstruction in Ford’s later novel The Rash Act and its sequel Henry for Hugh.The castration of the protagonist’s identity in the postwar and Depression era in terms of war,occupation,family,and finance clearly indicates Ford’s deep concerns and thinking about the crisis of individual identity caused by the upheavals in the political and economic orders of the modern Western society.The identity reconstruction of the protagonist consists of two aspects.On the one hand,the protagonist procures the possibility of identity reconstruction through identity exchange and then achieves the union with his double through sympathetic imagination,thereby bridging the self-splitting and obtaining a balanced and complete self.On the other hand,the protagonist actively constructs a community of trust with others and eventually achieves his identity reconstruction.The double novels reveal Ford’s ideas about the community and his understanding of the fluidity of identity.In conclusion,identity crisis and identity reconstruction are dominating concerns in Ford’s writing,which embody the profound social significance of the works,the evolution of Ford’s creative thought and view of identity.Firstly,Ford’s novels were written at a time when the social situation and political ideology were undergoing unpredictable and drastic changes.By presenting characters’ identity crisis and reconstruction,Ford’s works deeply examine the changes in social realities.Moreover,the identity issues in the novels clearly render Ford’s creative continuity from his reflections on conservatism to his view of connection and then to his ideas of community,which indicates his profound thoughts on fiction writing and his constant concern for human existence.Lastly,the gradual changes embodied in characters’ identity crisis and reconstruction in different novels are excellent manifestations of Ford’s epistemological development on identity issues while revealing his complex attitudes towards the changes in social realities.In a nutshell,the representation of identity crisis and identity reconstruction in Ford’s novels is of great creative significance.It offers a panorama of Western society in transition at the turn of the century,outlines the evolution of Ford’s creative thought and identity concept.This study sheds some light on further interpretations of Ford’s works.