Exploration Of The Integral Self

In the novels of British literary master David Herbert Lawrence(1885-1930),he expressed a true nostalgia and love for nature,and a sincere and in-depth discussion of love,marriage,career,and domesticity.Therefore,his masterpieces including Sons and Lovers,Rainbow and Lady Chatterley’s Lover have been extensively interpreted,among which there are a lot of analysis of the personality development and the integral self of the characters.In this regard,as Lawrence’s first novel,The White Peacock lacks more attention.As for the previous studies concerned at home and abroad,on the one hand,the novel has been mainly studied by ecological criticism methods;on the other hand,there are many studies comparing this novel with other novels on themes,protagonists and styles.However,most of the studies involve a core theme of the novel,which is the psychological growth of the characters in the natural and the social environment,including the study of the emotion expression,female love psychological models and Lawrence’s view on the integral self from the perspective of psychoanalysis.These studies provide inspirations for the discussion on the psychological growth and the value of the hero,heroine and the other important characters in the novel.Therefore,this thesis adopts Freud’s psychoanalytic method,based on his personality theory and instinct theory,to expound the personality development of the main characters in the novel from three aspects.First,this thesis discusses the leading role of id in personality development and their relationship.Then it analyzes ego in a state of balance under the dual pressure from id and superego during the period of their proposal and engagement.Finally,it expounds the superior role that superego has shown in their pursuit of lofty ideals and careers in their marriage.This thesis has come to the conclusion.First,during the pursuit of love,George,Leslie,and Annable stay away from the rational self and return to their blood consciousness.Second,during their proposal period,George,Leslie,Lettie,and Cyril cannot escape the established rules of the society.Without breaking through traditional concept of marriage and love,they eventually betray the original self and become selfalienated.Third,in the marriage life,George believes only in the concept of “money first” after failing to pursue his ideal career,which leads to his decadent fate.Leslie,who achieved fame and fortune,has become a typical representative of moral idealization in the novel.Lettie and Meg have been reborn for they regard mother as a glorious profession.This thesis consists of three parts.The first part gives a brief introduction to D.H.Lawrence and his The White Peacock,the motivation and the significance of the study,literature review at home and abroad,and critical approach.The second part is the discussion consisting of three chapters: the return of blood consciousness,the revelation of self-alienation and the exploration of self-fulfillment.The third part is the conclusion including the summary and the significance of the study.