Discipline And Resistance:A Study On On Beauty In Light Of Foucault’s Power Theory

Zadie Smith is an important British novelist.On Beauty,Smith’s third novel,revolving around two middle-class families who hold opposite academic values,represents readers a colorful literary world.The novel covers gender relationship and family life,and discusses racial relation and aesthetic values.From the perspective of Foucault’s power theory,this thesis analyzes the oppression and spiritual dilemma of characters resulting from unequal power relations.Foucault believes that power is everywhere;meanwhile,the inseparable relations between power and resistance provide opportunities for the oppressed to resist,which indicates the possibility of dialogue between the oppressed and the oppressor on an equal footing.The thesis holds that,in the novel,the oppression against the black at the margin or bottom of society has an effect on every aspect of their life.Howard and Monty,two professors of aesthetics,are deeply involved in the academic war in order to exert their academic influence.In their process of resistance,Kiki regains her self-consciousness.Howard wakes up his sleeping self with the help of music and reconstructs his family.Carl breaks the binary opposition between the gazing and the gazed,revolting against the mainstream social values.In addition,the enlightening significance of love and beauty to life can often be seen in the work.Through the in-depth study and analysis of the disciplines imposed on characters and their resistance in On Beauty,this thesis explores the spiritual dilemma and oppression of women and marginal groups caused by modern disciplinary power from three dimensions including family,school and community at the beginning of the 21^stcentury.The thesis reveals the importance of awakening consciousness of women,the power of art and the awareness of inner self for the construction of subjectivity.Importantly,it also demonstrates the empathy for beauty and the understanding of interpersonal relationship are of great significance to the restoration of warm family and the construction of a harmonious society.