Alienation And Redemption Of Human Nature

Joyce Carol Oates is a prolific and talented writer in American contemporary. As a psychological realism writer, one of Oates's major fictional concerns is on the conflicts between the individual and social environment. She is skilled in depicting various alienated social phenomena of contemporary America that individuals often suffer extreme psychological turmoil and alienation. Many critics both home and abroad fascinate in the themes of feminism, violence tendency, and tragedy consciousness in her works. However, few of them have concerned about the theme of alienation.American psychologist Erich Fromm creates the theory of alienation of human nature. He proposes that alienation of human nature is a kind of process of mental and psychological experience. Under the effect of the contemporary society and economic, individuals has been alienated physically and mentally, which results in alienation of human nature. He advocates the philosophy thought of philanthropy and humanism to eliminate alienation. And he expects that human nature can be redeemed by mutual love, understanding, trust and respect between individuals so as to establish a civilized and harmonious humanity society. Thus, the theory of Fromm's "alienation of human nature" provides theoretical basis and prospective to study the theme of alienation and redemption of human nature which embodies in Oates's works.Based on Fromm's alienation of human nature, this thesis attempts to analyze the theme of alienation and redemption of human nature in Oates" Wild Night!. It tries to make a detailed analysis of affection activities, behavior patterns and psychological states of the main characters, and explores reasons of alienation and ways of redemption from three aspects of alienation of human nature:alienation from society, from others, and self-alienation. Through the analysis, it can further reflect Oates's criticism on the psychological crisis of contemporary Americans and represent her profound concern on the living state of human beings. The essence of alienation of human nature is the condition of which estranges a person from their humanity and their ego. It causes human beings to be driven by other external force, lose their ego and human essence. Only by the means of social humanity concern, mutual love, understanding, trust and tolerance between individuals and others, can alienation of human nature be redeemed.