Identity In Coetzee's The Childhood Of Jesus

John Maxwell Coetzee is a famous South African born English writer who has won the Booker Prize twice,and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003.He has unique writing skills,and advocates that literature is the true expression of the reality and should expose the dark side of society.His The Childhood of Jesus(2013)gains wide attention at home and abroad.Besides,it was nominated to the Booker Prize in 2016.The problem of identity is a recurring theme in Coetzee's works,which is closely related to his special diaspora experiences.This thesis uses the perspective of identity to explore images of the immigrants,and studies the dilemmas of identity in The Childhood of Jesus,causes of the crisis,and immigrants' struggle and way out successively.By describing dilemmas of identity what immigrants are confronted with in new countries,Coetzee discloses the causes of identity crisis.And he reveals cultural conflicts under the background of contemporary globalization as well as dilemmas of immigrants owing to the increasing regional conflicts to express his deep concern on immigrants.This thesis consists of five chapters: Chapter 1 is the introduction,Chapter 2 to 4 are the body parts and Chapter 5 is the conclusion.Firstly,the body of this thesis dwells on the specific performances of identity anxiety of immigrants in Novilla from language,family and concept.All new immigrants are forced to give up their mother language and have to use Spanish to communicate with others.David lacks the sense of belonging without real parents.And Simon struggles hard in conflicts of concepts,whose inherent views about hunger and sex are incompatible with Novilla's bloodless life.All of them are caught in the dilemmas of identity,and can not adapt to new life.Secondly,the thesis explains the four reasons of identity crisis,which are living condition,form of family,challenge to political authority,and plural beliefs.Coetzee describes immigrants' dilemmas of living in Novilla from eating and living environment.And David's blended family cannot provide familiar environment what can be given by traditional form of family.Kindness from strangers still leads to David's lack of security.Besides,David's escape greatly challenges the educational authority and strengthens the crisis of identity.What's more,there exists plural beliefs in Novilla,which leads to immigrants' loss among diverse beliefs.These elements join together to lead to the insurmountable gap during the process of identity.Finally,this thesis discusses Coetzee's reflection on the way out in The Childhood of Jesus.Immigrants make difficult choices when they get into dilemmas of identity.Simon decides to compromise to the reality and tries his best to enter new society,although he finds it hard to give up inherent historical concepts.However,David chooses to retreat to his own world.He always pursues himself.At the end of the novel,Simon,David and Ines set out the journey to seek new life together with the hope of finding identity.It expresses Coetzee's concern and sympathy to immigrants,and his anxiety about their future.