A Horneyan Interpretation Of Edith's Anxiety In Hotel Du Lac

Anita Brookner(1928-2016)is a renowned British contemporary writer.She is good at probing into middle-aged single female intellectuals' inner state.Among her 24 novels,Hotel du Lac won the Booker Prize in 1984,and enjoys great popularity.This story focuses on a romance writer Edith Hope,who goes to Hotel du Lac to escape her marital problems.During her stay in the hotel,she gradually exposes the mental problem that keeps haunting her-anxiety.In psychoanalyst Karen Homey's neurosis theory,"anxiety" is the core notion which plays the most significant role in the formation of neurosis.In this thesis,with the help of Homey's theory,the origination,development and influence of Edith's anxiety could be thoroughly explored in the three chapters.While previous researches are often conducted from the perspective of feminism,this psychological approach sheds new light on the study of this novel.The first chapter analyzes how Edith's anxiety comes into being.According to Homey's theory of neurosis,an individual's anxiety is embedded in the environment in which he is brought up.Environment here contains both individual and cultural environment.For Edith,her anxiety is derived from her tense family background and the tough social cultural milieu.The second chapter explores the attempts that Edith makes to cope with her anxiety.Homey indicates that individuals might adopt both interpersonal and intrapsychic methods to dealing with their anxieties.Edith makes both attempts,including moving towards,against and away from people,as well as projecting her attempts on the people around.However,without the awareness that these methods would only deteriorate her mental condition,it's still impossible for Edith to find solace no matter how hard she has tried.The third chapter discusses Edith's failure of overcoming anxiety.As a consequence,she fears talking about love,her personality is distorted,and she becomes hopeless.The open ending of the novel is controversial,while some critics believe that Edith starts a new life but some think nothing will change.According to Horney's theory,Edith has not realized the causes of her problem,therefore she will still be plagued by anxiety.But it doesn't mean that individuals can never overcome anxiety;Homey provides her advice for those who suffer.In conclusion,through the exploration of Edith' s anxiety in Hotel du Lac,readers can gain a better understanding of modern women' s mental predicament that Brookner depicts.Moreover,this study enlightens people in modern society to confront their own emotional disturbances.In an era when "anxiety" prevails among more and more individuals,it's important that people understand their own mental state.