The Identity And The Other:A Lacanian Reading Of The Violent Bear It Away

Flannery O’Connor, a southern female writer, has once been cherished as the most significant and gifted novelist since William Faulkner in America. All works that she has created target a definite object, the Christian religion in the South. Her literary reputation pivots largely on short fiction writing, yet her two novels weigh equally, if not more, in the establishment of her position in the 20 th century American literature. The Violent Bear It Away, her second and last one, is considered the better wrought as well as the more satisfying book to read. Since its publication, this novel has experienced critical ebb and tide on the way to its readers. However, it is quite hard to find enough attention paid to the young Tarwater in light of psychoanalysis, specifically Lacanian interpretation. Therefore, this thesis attempts to read, with Lacan’s theory, the accomplishment of Tarwater’s identity and subjectivity. As is concluded, an active interaction with others around contributes much to an individual while sole insistence on freedom and independence appears nothing more than in vain.The dissertation then will be developed in the following tightly connected sections. It begins with Tarwater’s schizophrenic rebellion against Manson. Through close observation, it is convincing that Tarwater has already identified with Manson as prophet. Though rebellious at all, Tarwater’s ostensible performance, on the contrary, reaffirms his identification. Then “on the road” to his pursuit, Tarwater has been haunted incessantly by mysterious illusion and voice to proceed his predestined cause. It is clear that the big Other comes to intervene his deviant or iconoclastic behaviors. This journey of escape brings him more than the escape itself. On his way back to Powderhead Tarwater suffers rape, which signifies nothing but a symbolic castration, which penetrates not his body but also his soul. With this strike, Tarwater eventually makes up his mind to face the reality and ceases his Imaginary pursuit. Lacanian concern on human essence constitutes an alternative for Miss O’Connor to examine her native residents. The two here has organically combined to create a new level to survey the complication of this process in every a single human being.On the basis of the inspection above, the paper stages the trajectory of Tarwater’s identity and subjectivity. Conclusion has been drawn that only via interaction with the others can an individual succeed in his accomplishment as human subject within the society.