| Doris Lessing is a world famous British woman writer. Her writings have covered various subject matters as well as multi-genres, including novels, dramas, poems, essays, autobiographies, etc. love, again signifies not only her returning from scientific theme to realistic theme but also her talents in characterization.Lessing depicts several characters who confront psychological problems of their own in love, again. In this thesis, we believe that the cause of their personalities and behaviors resulted from different personalities accord with neurotic personality theory of Karen Horney, the pioneer and major representative of Sociocultural School.This thesis explores characters in love, again by way of a textual analysis in terms of Horney's definition of three personality types in four chapters. Chapter 1 is a brief introduction to Horneyan notion of neurotic personality including basic anxiety and strategies applied to cope with it. Chapter 2 to Chapter 4 are analyses of cause of personality formation and behavioral characteristics of Hal, Julie, Stephan and Sarah, who belong to the aggressive, the detached and the compliant type respectively. Horney believes that childhood experiences have a powerful effect on a person's later personality. The thesis points out that maternal favoritism in childhood plays an essential part in shaping Hal's aggressive personality. In addition to an analysis of the characteristics and behavior of the dominant aggressive personality, the thesis probes into the repressed compliant tendency of Hal to reveal the complexity of Hal's character. Julie's identity of an illegitimate daughter and two failures of love experiences force her to become a detached person. However, the development of Julie's personality is dynamic. The aggressive trend has a profound impact on her. Her suicide is a result caused by her detached personality to escape from the buffetings of fortune as well as a way motivated by hidden aggressive tendency to rebel against worldly conventions. Chapter 4 is the kernel of the thesis. Besides a discussion of the contributing factors, behavior and repressed aggressive trait of Stephan, who belongs to the compliant type, it centers on experience of Sarah, the protagonist, to expatiate on the solution to resolve inner conflicts and overcoming personality limitations.Finally, a conclusion is reached: Lessing's characterization in love, again is not only a subtle delineation of complex personality structure of characters but also a penetrating exploration of the transformation and development of human psychology. Through the analysis of Sarah's resolution of inner conflicts, we realize that the process of self-realization is long and painful, especially for elderly people, for they are confronted with the discrepancies between outward appearance and inward true self. Therefore, Lessing provides a therapy for those who are suffering from neurosis through the resolution of Sarah's inner conflicts. Furthermore, Lessing's particular concern of elderly people, the marginalized group, enhances realistic significance of the novel.The thesis is an analysis of characters in love, again from the perspective of psychoanalysis in order to reveal fully the complexity and reality of personality of characters in the novel. Hopefully, it may provide a new perspective to appreciate Lessing's works as well as draw more attention of readers and critics to love, again. |
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