The Paradox Of Growth Of Female:Awakening And Return

The2007Nobel Literature Prize winner Doris Lessing," is known as one of a few outstanding western novelists in the20th century, whose works can chang people’s thinking and are worth to read and appreciate. Since1950s, Lessing’s works have been translated into Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese etc. Her novels receives great popularity among Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. Since1960s, critics have applied various research methods and critical theories to interpret the works of Lessing, in which the subject of female attracts great attention. With unique perspective, Lessing observes the survival situation of women, discussing the fate of women.This thesis attempts to interpret Lessing’s best-selling novel The Summer before the Dark from the view of female Bildungroman, analyzing the story of heroine Kate. Firstly, she escapes from the bonds of family, denying the duty of mother and wife which patriarchy society requires. Eventually, Kate returns home. The novel sketches the growth of female soul:awakening—escape—lost—retreat—return. This thesis summarizes the paradox of women’s growth:the contradiction of escaping home and return. Through the paradox, the paper tries to analyze the causes and the implicit significance.Combining the study of the text and feminist theory, this paper shows the women’s dilemma, digging out the reasons of "being-for-others" situation of female. Then, through the relationship among "social self""ideal self and "real self", it explores heroine how to seek the value of self and treat ideal self. On the one hand, we shouldn’t deny the responsibilities and obligations of social self; One the other hand, make sure there is room for the development of ideal self. If female want to realize the value of self, we must get rid of the non-true existence of ordinary people and have our own standard, in order to moving towards the real existence.Kate returns home after the exploration in the summer. Family, as the product of patriarchal society, plays the significant role in the women’s growth and female temperament. However, backing home is not the destiny of women. After the inner struggling, the heroine becomes mature psychologically. She realizes the direct reason of the weak situation of women is not the obligation of mother and wife. The independent woman should treat the unfair status in the equal attitude and calm state, striving for the harmony relationship between male and female. Family of ethnical sense sublimates into spiritual home, which becomes the soul harbor for women.This novel conveys Lessing’s brilliant thought of the growth of female, having the positive significance for reality. It also provides the reference for the domestic literature.