Mirror Image And Life---the Analysis Of The Construction Of New Image Of Black Woman In Sula

Toni Morrison’s short novel Sula has aroused heated discussion in American literary circle when it was published in1973. It was nominated for the National Book Award in1975. The time of the story in Sula is from the end of World War One to the1960s when African-American Civil Rights Movement and Women’s Liberation Movement surged forward. It depicts the growth experience of the protagonist, Sula and Nel, and the life changes of black people in black community "Bottom".As far as I know, very few people have studied Morrison’s works by using psychoanalysis in China so far. In this thesis, Lacan’s mirror stage theory is used to analyses the novel Sula. First of all, Mirror Stage theory is a theory which largely concerns identity establishment of human beings at the early period of their life. For Lacan the mirror image is the start of one’s selfhood and imaginary relation. For the rest of one’s life, he will struggle to get the identity through the constant identification with others. This paper attempts to clarify the hard course of Sula and Nel’s self-searching through analyzing their identity, character and behavior. Being black and women, they suffer from racial discrimination, sexual discrimination and class oppression. Sula identifies with her grandmother Eva and strives to realize her independence stubbornly. Nel identifies with Sula and experiences a devious way during the course of her self-searching. Sula failed and died lonely for extreme ways she takes and her selfish character. At the end of story, it shows us that Nel will finish Sula’s incompleteness and carry black women’s quest spirit further in a rational way.This paper consists of five parts. Chapter one introduces Toni Morrison’s life experience and great achievements briefly. Then it’s about the summary of the novel Sula and the studies on it at home and abroad.Chapter two introduces the great psychoanalyst Lacan and his Mirror Stage theory.Chapter three analyses the course and the result of Sula’s identity formation by using the Mirror Stage theory.Chapter four analyses the course and result of Nel’s identity formation by using the Mirror Stage theory.Chapter five is the conclusion. It points out that only through combining rational way and correct method, with the dauntless spirit and support from the fellow, can black women realize their independence and self value genuinely.