Dangling Ghost In Societal Limbo: A Libidinal Interpretation Of Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood

Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964) is one of the most important female novelists inAmerican literature. Wise Blood, O’Connor’s first novel, is famous for its unusual plot andeccentric abnormal characters. Since its publication, the smell of bloodiness, violence anddeath, which pervades the whole story, triggers many readers’ and critics’ constantmeditation. Critics at home and abroad usually interpret the novel from the perspectives ofprose style, religion, feminism, existentialism and archetype, etc. As a social man, HazelMotes, the protagonist of Wise Blood, lives in the interactions of rather than the isolationfrom society and individuals. Therefore a sociopsychological perspective will help interpretbetter the protagonist’s existent condition and his tragic fate in particular. Accordingly, thisthesis analyzes Hazel Motes with Freud’s libido theory, and tries to find the influence libidoexerts on his psychological development. Due to his incapacity to resolve the conflictbetween the libidinal impulse and social standards, Hazel Motes alienates himself fromsociety, and becomes a dangling ghost in societal limbo.The thesis contains five parts. The first part is the introduction which deals withO’Connor’s lifetime， her achievements in literature, research background, and thesignificance of the perspective of social psychology. The second part analyzes the effect oflibido on young Hazel Motes’ failure in socialization. Because of abnormal family education,Hazel Motes’ psychological crisis resulting from the conflict between his libido and thedoctrine of original sin is not resolved. Such unresolved crisis results in young Hazel’sfailure in socialization and abnormal personality. The third part probes into the influence castby the abnormal libido on adult Hazel Motes’ antisocial acts in societal limbo. Hazel’snarcissistic libido is transformed into his isolation from society and his superabundant libidopulls him into the abyss of crime. Inevitably, Hazel Motes has to pay a high price for what hehas done. On the other hand, this part analyzes Hazel’s frustrations which accelerate hisaggressions. The fourth part discusses Hazel Motes’ self-destruction. Frustrations make Hazel Motes close to emotional breakdown, and his libido which has changed into deathinstinct begins to turn inward in the form of aggression. His complete isolation from thesociety, self-injury and death wish are all the manifestations of greater narcissism. The lastpart summarizes the aesthetical, philosophical and social implications of Wise Blood, andreaffirms the significance of a libidinal interpretation of this novel.