On The Deconstruction Of Binary Oppositions In The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing is one of the most important English writers after the Second WorldWar. Lessing is famous for her tough spirit of experiment and her dauntless innovation interms of form. By1997, Lessing has written about50novels. The creations of Lessingencompass essays, drama, plays, science fiction, short stories, poetry, bildungsroman andautobiography which are all in great genres-realism, modernism, postmodernism.Themes in her novels involve racism, sexism, personal identity, political injustice andwomen’s liberation. The works of Lessing are rich in content as well as form; the themesof works are so extensive, involving a large number of sensitive issues, for example,racism, sexism, political injustice and women’s liberation. Doris Lessing succeeded inwinning the Nobel Prize in literature on October11th,2007. The Swedish Academy spokehighly of Lessing and the comment is that “that epicist of the female experience, whowith scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation toscrutiny.”The Golden Notebook (1962) can be treated as the masterpiece of Doris Lessing.Since it was published in1962, it has been deeply loved by readers and has gained highpraise. At the same time, it also attracts the attention of critical circle. The story is about afemale writer named Anna who has experienced the crisis of political faith, the creatingdilemma and the emotional predication. The novel also describes the heroine Anna howto rescue herself and how to overcome schizophrenia, and then recovers from the writingblock, and finally she succeeds in getting rid of breakdown and keeping the unity ofindividual. In The Golden Notebook, there exist a lot of binary oppositions such asillusion and reality, rationality and insanity, male and female. The author of this thesiswants to make a research about these binary oppositions and tries to sort theseoppositions. In the process of researching, the author of this thesis realizes that throughthe deconstruction of these oppositions, Lessing finds out a direct way towards theharmonious, healthy and felicific life and she works out some confusing problems. Forexample, how people can keep the mental state healthy in the chaotic and complicatedliving situation, how the sexes can get the harmonious relations in the complex andmessy society. Studies on the deconstruction of “illusion” and “reality”,“rationality” and“insanity” and “male” and “female” in The Golden Notebook not only have theoretical significance in the aspect of thematic expression, but also have the realistic influence onthe development of humans and the whole world.The thesis consists of three parts, the introduction, main body and the conclusion.The first part is the introduction. Firstly, the thesis introduces the lifetime of DorisLessing. Then, the thesis introduces Lessing’s masterpiece The Golden Notebook and theliterary review of it at home and abroad.The main body of the thesis consists of three chapters.Chapter One analyzes the deconstruction of the binary opposition between illusionand reality. Lessing succeeds in weakening the dividing line between illusion and reality.In this chapter, firstly, the thesis analyzes the dreamlands of Anna, and then it probes intotheir relations with her real life. In this way, the author of this thesis expounds themethod which Lessing uses to subvert the traditional mode of the relation betweenillusion and reality. At this moment, Lessing reveals that the relationship between illusionand reality is no longer opposite. For the sake of certifying the relation of illusion andreality further more, the author of this thesis makes a comparison between a traditionalnovel Free Women and Anna’s four diaries. These diaries record the details of Anna’s realliving situation. A traditional novel Free Women symbolizes the illusion and Anna’svarious diaries symbolize the reality. By making the comparison, readers can clearly andeasily find that illusion is not the representation of the reality; instead, the existence of ithas the practical significance. The illusion can be treated as a kind of emotionalsustenance; it can help people make the reality certain. Lastly, the thesis analyzes thatthe study on the deconstruction of the binary opposition between illusion and reality hasthe theoretical significance in the thematic expression of the novel. The study on thedeconstruction of these two opposite factors can show readers the chaotic life of modernpeople. It can make readers grasp the theme of the novel and the great efforts of Lessing.Chapter Two analyzes the deconstruction of the binary opposition betweenrationality and insanity. This chapter begins with one question that is in which wayhuman beings can keep a healthy and positive state of mind in a chaotic and messysociety. This chapter consists of two aspects. Firstly, the thesis explores the way howrationality makes Anna go crazy and turn to be sane. This part truly represents thechangeable process of Anna’s mind which is from rationality to insanity. Then, the thesis points out that as for Anna, insanity can be regarded as the important condition ofself-saving as well as the unique right direction towards rationality. At last, Anna choosesto face up to the real dilemmas bravely and accepts the challenges of “insanity” in apositive state of mind. This part vividly records the process how Anna can get rid of thebondage of “madness” and recovers a healthy mental state. Lastly, the thesis expoundsthe fundamental reason for the variation on Anna’s mental state. This part reveals theinternal cause of Anna’s mental variation which experiences from rationality to insanityand then to rationality. In this way, Lessing totally subverts the binary oppositionbetween rationality and insanity. The relationship between rationality and insanity is nolonger the hierarchical but indivisible circular.Chapter Three explains the deconstruction and reconstruction of the binaryopposition between male and female from the most direct angle from three aspects.Firstly, this chapter probes into the way how Lessing subverts the image of “free women”.This section states from two aspects. On the one hand, through the observation andthought of the heroine Anna and her friend Molly about the surroundings, Lessingdescribes the so-called free life of “free women”. This part represents the blueprint offreedom. But this kind of freedom is imaginary. On the other hand, because Lessingoppugns the freedom of “free women”, this part expounds the way how Lessing revealsthe dilemma of “free women”. Through the analysis of their bitter and miserable livingsituation, it can be seen that “free women” never have the real freedom. Secondly, thisthesis analyzes the way how Lessing tries to deconstruct the phallocentrism. Because ofthe bondage and influence of the phallocentric culture, free women never get the realfreedom. People must try hard to get rid of the bondage and influence of the phallocentricculture. Then Lessing tries to reconstruct the new subjective position for women. Lastly,this thesis expounds the way how Lessing tries to eliminate the gender’s opposition andconstructs a harmonious relationship of gender. Facing the messy and chaotic livingsituation and condition, too much emphasis on gender differences will only lead todivision in the end. Both male and female can reach the ideal state of real freedom onlyby keeping peaceful and harmonious with each other. It is important and essential toeliminate oppositions of gender and construct a new and harmonious relationshipbetween male and female. It is meaningful for the development of human beings, society as well as the whole world.The last part is the conclusion. This part analyzes that the study on thedeconstruction of the binary oppositions in The Golden Notebook not only helps readersunderstand the text comprehensively, but also digs up the deep meaning of DorisLessing’s creation. Besides the theoretical significance, an analysis of the deconstructionof binary oppositions in this thesis has the realistic significance. In addition, the study onthe reconstruction of the harmonious relationship between male and female in this thesishas practical significance in the development of human beings and society. It can makethe society become more and more harmonious. Due to this, the development of societyand human beings can be more efficient. The author of this thesis hopes that this thesiscan supply a fire-new perspective to unscramble and grasp the theme as well as thepurpose of the novel, and hopes that this thesis can make contributions to the furtherresearch of The Golden Notebook.