A Lacanian Reading Of The French Lieutenant’s Woman

John Fowles is a talented British writer and creates many great works in his lifetime. Ashis most successful novel, The French Lieutenant’s Woman is well-reputed and makes himfamous in the literary world. Up to now, critics has analyzed this novel from differentperspectives. However, few of them interpreted the hero Charles by the theory of JacquesLacan. This thesis attempts to analyze the relation between different “others” and Charles’sself and the influence of “other” or “Other” on the psychological development of Charles bymaking use of the three orders of Lacan.This paper is constituted by five parts.Introduction briefly presents the life of John Fowles, the content of this novel, relevantresearch literature at home and abroad as well as the main theories of Lacan.Chapter One discusses Charles’s eldership played the role of “other” to impact theconstruction of Charles’s self. Living in a noble family, Charles was educated to be anaristocrat since he was born. He realized he was one member of the upper class at an earlyage, and meanwhile he identified with the traditional values in Victorian age to develop theworldview and values of a nobleman. Charles formed a self which was a Victorian aristocrat.Chapter Two illustrates Sara acted as “other” to contribute to the deconstruction andreconstruction of Charles’s self. In the contact with Sarah, Charles began to recognize thelimitation of Victorian age and the flaws of his noble self. He repeatedly resisted the impactof Sarah, but the psychic distance between him and Sarah was shortened unconsciously. Hisnobleman self began to be smashed. Under the guidance Sarah, Charles gradually identifiedwith Sarah’s views on human relation, love and free spirit, and had a new understanding ofself. On the basis of identification, Charles established a new self which pursued freedom andhis nobleman self was completely disintegrated.Chapter Three explains how big “Other” caused the loss of Charles. After missing for along time, Sarah reappeared in font of Charles with a new image and artistic identity. At thistime, Sarah served as the big “Other” to shatter Charles’s illusion for her former image. WhenCharles realized the reality, he departed from Sarah decisively. But the lack of “other” made him more confused about what his self was and where the self located.Conclusion reveals the fact that it was “other” that determined the self and mentaldevelopment of Charles. It pointed out that Charles could merely form his outlook of life andworld with the help of “other”.