A Psychosocial Interpretation Of Morrison's God Help The Child

Tony Morrison's God Help the Child,published in 2015,has received many positive critical comments.The novel focuses on the childhood traumas of two black protagonists that lead to identity confusion during adolescence,and ultimately affect the establishment of intimacy in adulthood.Fortunately,due to the care given by the society and their own efforts,Bride and Booker gradually walk out of the shadow of childhood trauma and overcome mistrust and get reunited.This thesis employs Eric Erickson's psychosocial theory to interpret God Help the Child in an attempt to reveal Morrison's concern about the psychological problems in the growth of the black.Erickson believes that infancy is the most important period and lays the foundation for the development of personality throughout the life cycle.Adolescence is a crucial period for the formation of personality and has a great influence on the establishment of intimate relationships in adulthood.The establishment of intimacy between infancy and adolescence can avoid feelings of loneliness,wickedness,and anxiety,and foster goodwill and trust in people.The main body of this thesis is divided into three parts.The first part demonstrates the traumas of the black protagonists in their infancy and childhood.Bride is born with deep dark skin and is subjected to abuse by her black mother.She can't produce a trustful relationship,leading to anxiety and insecurity about herself.Bride,Booker,Rain and Hannah suffer sexual abuse in their childhood,leading to their identity crisis and interpersonal barriers.The second part analyzes the aids for the traumatized children from female friendship and positive guides.Rain's companionship helps Bride to regain her trust and overcome obstacles in human communication.Queen as surrogate mother warms up Bride's broken heart.The Steves' rescue provides a positive guide to Bride's values.Jerry's affirmation of black beauty enables Bride to gain economic independence and regain confidence in her identity.The third part of the thesis analyzes the self-rescue of traumatized children in detail from Bride and Booker's rebellion in adolescence and reconstruction of intimacy in early adulthood.Bride and Booker achieve self-identity recognition through battling with parents during their adolescent years.They overcome mistrust and reconstruct the intimacy of trust.At the end of the story,Bride and Booker are looking forward to a baby and a new life.Morrison shows her hope for the future of the black people.