Subversion And Containment-a Study Of In America From The Perspective Of New Historicism

Susan Sontag (1933-2004), one of the most remarkable and controversial femalewriters and critics in the west, is considered to be “the conscience of American public”.Her literary works involve the literary theory, fiction, philosophy, photography, directing,etc. The domestic studies on her started relatively late, and most of them focused on thestudy of her literary thought and put less emphasis on her novel research.Since1980s, the new historicism has compatibly studied both the relationshipsbetween literature and history, between literature and individuals on the premise ofmature development of texuality. There are obvious new historicism traces in Sontag’slater works. In America is her representative work during this period. Sontag shaped theprotagonist Maryna from prototype Helenna Modjeska (1840-1909) who was a famouspolish actress. The story is about Maryna’s experiences that she goes to the United Statesto establish a utopian community which disintegrated then, finally Maryna returns to thedrama stage with big success. The novel reflects Sontag’s concern about history andsocial reality. Sontag breaks the traditional bondage of traditional grand chronologicalhistory and takes a quiet attitude toward the change of history and its discourse power.This thesis focuses on “subversion” and “containment” of new historicism thatpenetrates in the novel and power discourse. The novel reconstructs the real historicalfigure. Sontag’s concerns about history and reality are reflected in In America. There arefive chapters in the thesis. In the first chapter, there are the introductions of both SusanSontag and In America. And then it makes a review of Sontag studies from abroad andhome. Chapter Two gives a general introduction to the theory of new historicism whichincludes the introduction of its key terms. In chapter Three, the thesis discusses thesubverted themes of In America from three aspects: the subversion of international theme,the American Dream and the “big history” of small potatoes. The power of“containment” is reflected from the angles of contained power: Polish local, theAmerican society and the selves. Chapter Four studies the narrative strategies from the perspective of new historicism. The last chapter points out the new findings and thefuture continuing study of the thesis.Based on the political and literary functions of New Historicism, the thesis makes asynchronic analysis of In America with the conceptions of “subversion” and“containment” as its entry. It aims at practicing the theory of New Historicism andexploring Sontag’s universal values of pondering history and her love for the world. Thethesis also expects to dialectically interpret and enter into “small histories” of all status inthe society.