Joel’s Search For Self In Other Voices,Other Rooms

Truman Capote is one of the most famous southern writers in contemporary literary field.The publication of his maiden novel in 1948,Other Voices,Other Rooms,established Capote’s status in literature.His unhappy childhood had a great influence on his literary creation,for the theme of loneliness and love appeared frequently in Capote’s works.Other Voices,Other Rooms is about a boy’s search for his absent father,which is the classic theme.Since its publication,some researchers have analyzed and interpreted the novel from various perspectives.However,it is quite hard to find enough attention paid to the young Joel from the quest for self.Therefore,this thesis aims to analyze the novel on the basis of psychoanalysis theory and discuss the loss of the protagonist’s self from the perspective of self and the other.This thesis makes an analysis of the process of the protagonist’s search for self.Firstly,it analyzes the predicament that the protagonist confronts,showing the necessity of seeking self through the discussion of his anxiety and repression.Meanwhile,it lays emphasis on the causes of the protagonist’s split self mainly from his relationship with the other.Secondly,it explores the ways in which the protagonist seek his self.The spatial journey helps the protagonist get rid of anxiety.The spiritual journey reveals the protagonist’s mental state from his dreams and the conflict between his id and super-ego.Moreover,the protagonist gains confidence and identification by integrating his self with the other.Finally,it discusses the result of the protagonist’s searching for self and explores the causes of his failure of integrating into society.By applying Lacan’s theory,this thesis dissects the dynamic process of the protagonist’s searching for self.On the one hand,the process of the protagonist’s self seeking indicates that individual can succeed in constructing self only through the interaction with the other.On the other hand,the mainstream community should adopt a more rational and tolerant attitude towards the subculture of homosexuality on the basis of analysis of the novel’s ending combined with historical background and Capote’s own multiple identities.