An Interpretation Of The Protagonist’s Anxiety Dilemma In Lucky Jim From The Perspective Of Horneyan Neo-psychoanalysis

Kingsley Amis, a distinguished contemporary British novelist, poet and critic, is one of representatives of “Angry Young Men”. Deeply loved by readers, Amis applies the comic style and plain language to his most works, so as to express postwar dissatisfaction and criticism in social life. Amis’ s masterpiece Lucky Jim(1954) tells a story of a lower-middle-class History lecturer, Jim Dixon, who suffers from the bullying and oppression of the upper class and experiences various of absurd things in the process of seeking for job offer and social status, while he luckily gains the perfect end. Called by critics as “one of the most successful postwar British novels”, the novel won the Maugham prize for literature in 1955 and becomes one of the most popular bestsellers in Britain, which makes Amis gain the fame and success overnight.The thesis interprets Jim’s anxiety dilemma from the perspective of Horneyan neo-psychoanalysis. Since Horney puts much emphasis on the impact of socio-cultural factors, her theory is always applied to analyze the psychological characteristics based on the time and current behaviors of one character. Therefore, through the study of Horneyan psychoanalysis theory on the embodiment and causes of Jim’s anxiety and his resistance to anxiety, this thesis intending to present the little men during the postwar with distorted values and confused state of human nature, sufficiently reflects the satire to the society, the longing for freedom and the pursuit for a better life.The Introduction part gives the brief information of Kingsley Amis and Lucky Jim, summarizes the literature review at home and abroad, and states the main outline and theme.Chapter One addresses the theoretical basis. It generalizes the origin and development of neo-psychoanalysis and the theoretical system of Horneyan neo-psychoanalysis, mainly involving basic anxiety, culture and neurotic personality, and three defensive strategies.Chapter Two focuses on the embodiment of Jim’s anxiety dilemma in the two aspects of basic anxiety and neurotic anxiety, respectively as his external influence and interior self, in which neurotic anxiety is the concentrated expression of Jim’s anxiety, containing real anxiety, spiritual anxiety and existential anxiety.Chapter Three demonstrates the causes of Jim’s anxiety. The first one comes to the social and cultural effect Horney accentuates, explaining in the period of social transition the great impact of as the national policy on people; the second one comes to the conflicts from the outer environment, specifically the spiritual shock on Jim from the hypocrisy of academia and personality; the third one comes to Jim’s inner contradiction and confusion, signifying the real reflection of his neurotic personality.Chapter Four implies Jim’s resistance to anxiety, presenting the formation of resistance consciousness, the embodiment of resistance activities and the results of resistance, which ultimately is the process of mental defense, real revolts and existential exploration. With the drive of the three spiritual forces of moving toward people, moving away from people and moving against people, Jim finally breaks the anxiety dilemma and achieves creative self-pursuit, while from another perspective it is also Jim’s compromise to the upper class.It draws a conclusion that from the microcosmic view this thesis presents the process of Jim’s acquisition of freedom and rebirth from anxiety; from the macroscopic view, based on the analysis of Jim’s anxiety dilemma, it draws much attention to people’s confusion in life and spirit, the understanding to the complicated human nature, and the aspiration for freedom and better life.