Seeking Self-Identity: Marriage And Politics In Half A Life And Magic Seeds

V. S. Naipaul, as one of the most prominent authors in English literature, depicts the world with his hardhearted and incisive writing. Though his sharp attitude towards the Third World has caused controversy among post-colonial intellectuals, critics concede that he is a talented writer. Naipaul's hybrid cultural backgrounds of India, Trinidad and England has contributed to his complex identity, but at the same time endowed him with penetrating insights into such issues as culture, ethnicity and history. His sense of rootlessness and accompanying self-identity crisis can be traced in his later works.Naipaul's two later novels, Half a Life and Magic Seeds, center on the issues of self-identity crisis and journey for seeking self-identity. Each leaving and halting in one place has contributed to changes in the protagonist Willie's self-recognition, which in turn sends him again on the endless searching journey. Not only Willie but also other figures in the novels are confronted with loneliness and anxiety in the process of searching for their self-identity.The thesis is to trace the protagonist's self-identity searching journey, from India to Africa, then back to India, and finally to London, through the analysis of complex marital relationships and political endeavors. Marriage and politics in the two novels are not only causes of the protagonist's self-identity crisis, but also his means of seeking self-identity.The issue of self-identity is a significant topic in modern literature. Identity is not regarded as given, but as a product of cultural and racial hybridity. Furthermore, identity is endowed with a more complicated meaning owing to changes of space and time. The thesis will apply theories of Stuart Hall, Anthony Giddens and other critics to the discussion of the issue of self-identity in the two novels.The thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One gives a brief introduction to V. S.Naipaul and his works and a general survey of previous studies on Half a Life and Magic Seeds. It also explains the focus and structure of the thesis. Chapter Two investigates the profound backgrounds for the protagonist Willie's self-identity crisis. It analyzes Willie's confusion with and anxiety over his self-identity brought about by his parents'cross-caste marriage and the disorderly post-colonial society he is born into. Chapter Three explores Willie's failed quests for self-identity in hierarchical societies. Willie's attempts to get rid of self-identity crisis and reconstruction of his self-identity end up in vain because in hierarchical societies marriage and politics are tools of power struggle.As a consequence, he is still stuck in a sense of loss and rootlessness. Chapter Four concentrates on Willie's change in self-cognition in a cosmopolitan metropolis and hope in constructing a new self. Through retrospection on his past efforts, Willie changes in his view of marriage and politics. Living in a cosmopolitan metropolis and gaining inspiration from his friends' marriage choices, he begins to accept the hybridity of his self-identity. Chapter Five is the conclusion, which summarizes the previous discussions of the thesis.The thesis relates the issue of self-identity to the writing about marriage and politics in Half a Life and Magic Seeds, hoping to provide a new perspective to research on V. S.Naipaul and his works.