Seeking Self In The Labyrinth

Susan Sontag is regarded as a distinguished contemporary American novelist, essayistand literary icon. With a reputation as―the American Public Conscience‖, she shows a widerange of interests in many areas such as politics, film and popular culture. Along with Simonede Beauvoir and Hannah Arendt, Susan Sontag is considered as one of the most importantfemale intellectuals in the west. Published in1967, her second novel Death Kit is an elaborateblending of fantasy and fact. As the sequel of Sontag‘s first novel The Benefactor, Death Kitcontinues the protagonist‘s spiritual journey in the exploration of life and death.With application of psychoanalysis and Sartrean existentialist philosophy, the thesisintends to discuss the theme of seeking self in Death Kit. It lays emphasis on the explorationof the reasons, the ways, the results and the limitations of the protagonist‘s seeking self.This thesis consists of five parts, including an introduction, three chapters and aconclusion.The introduction part first reviews Susan Sontag‘s life experience and literary career.Then it presents a brief introduction to her second novel Death Kit. And lastly it gives ageneral literature review of Susan Sontag studies.The first chapter analyzes in detail the predicament that confronts the protagonist, whichalso explains the reasons why he has to seek his self. Firstly, the thesis presents theprotagonist‘s repression and anxiety by applying psychoanalysis. Through the discussion ofanxiety-hidden dreams and relationships between the protagonist and others, it shows thenecessity of seeking self. Then it lays emphasis on the discussion of the social identity crisesthe protagonist experiences in kinship, marriage and job. Lastly, with the theory of gaze, itattempts to analyze the protagonist‘s suffering of eyesight. The special way of gaze intensifieshis suffering. On the other hand, other characters counter-gaze at the protagonist, whichchallenges his power.The second chapter explores the ways the protagonist seeks self. Firstly, serving asunconscious outlet and release from repression, violence enables the protagonist to extricatehimself from the threat of death drive and maintain the continuity of memory. Secondly, theerotic relationship with the female character Hester endows the protagonist with confidenceand superiority. Lastly, spatial journey frees the protagonist from anxiety. At the same time,spiritual journey in the form of dream offers him a second chance to retrospect the past andimmediate condition.The third chapter discusses the possibility whether the protagonist will finally succeed inseeking self. By using the theory of Existentialism, it argues that the protagonist is doomed to lose self in the world of reality because of his disavowal of taking responsibility.Consequently the protagonist pins his hopes on death. Sontag who advocates the theory of―Against Interpretation‖declines to give a definite answer to the question whether the selfcan be searched in the world of death. Lastly, it discusses the limitations of the ways of theprotagonist‘s seeking self.The last part is the conclusion. By analyzing the process of the p rotagonist‘s seeking self,it can be concluded that in Death Kit Sontag has put over emphasis on the internalexploration of one‘s self, which breaks the linkage between the subject and the external world.If one‘s self is lost in his dreams, he is doomed to fail to seek his self. From Death Kit, wecan comprehend Sontag‘s reflection on the existence of humanity as a writer with strongsocial responsibility.