1、 本科毕业论文 （ 20 届） 英语 Analysis on Heroines Self-Cognition in the Chrysanthemums 外语学院学生毕业论文独创性声明 本人郑重声明：所呈交的毕业论文是本人在导师的认真的指导下，独立进行研究工作所取得的研究成果。除文中已经注明引用的内容外，本论文不包含其他个人或集体已经发表的学术成果，也不包含为获得浙江万里学院或其它教育机构的学位证书而使用过的材料。对本文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体，均已在文中以明确方式表明。 如本文涉及上述声明及任何知识产权纠纷，本人将承担一切责任。 学生签名： _日期 _ 摘 要 菊花是一篇短篇小说，被收
2、录在美国作家约翰斯坦贝克的短篇故事集Long Valley 中。这是一个讲女人的挫败的故事。女主角爱丽莎住在丈夫的农场上，是一位能干的家庭主妇，每天倾尽所有打理她的菊花园。但是，平淡的生活压制不了爱丽莎内心的渴望，她向往外面的世界。直到这一天一个陌生补锅匠的到来 ,使得女主角爱丽莎的内心渴望变得更 加强烈，并开始有所行动。但是 ,故事的结尾是悲剧的，爱丽莎没有足够勇气去面对这个现实的社会，没有勇气去为她的生活做实际的改变。本文将运用弗洛伊德的精神分析论剖析女主角爱丽莎失败的自我认知过程。为了充分理解女主角，本文对爱丽莎性格的发展进行了详细分析。通过本文的研究，我们得出女主角的性格缺陷是她悲剧性
3、认知的主要原因。同时，本文旨在让更多的人们意识到良好的性格对于成功的自我认知的重要性。 关键词： 菊花 自我认知 精神分析论 性格缺陷 Abstract The Chrysanthemums is a short story in the collection of short stories The Long Valley, written by American writer John Steinbeck. It is a story of a womans frustration. The heroine Elisa lived on her husbands ranch and app
4、eared as a diligent housewife addicted all her energy to the chrysanthemums everyday. Nothing differed from an ordinary winter day in an ordinary farmers life, until the strange tinkers arrival, the one contributed heroine to make some change. Finally, Elisas strength seemed to be insufficient in ha
5、ving the courage to effect any real change in her life. This research is proceeded to apply Freuds significant psychoanalysis theory to explore the failure of heroines self-cognition. Elisas character development will be presented particularly through her self-cognition process, to get a better and
6、deeper comprehension about heroine. This study causes us to understand that Elisas character defects make a large difference on her failure. Meanwhile, this paper is attempted to make people aware of the importance of favorable character on successful self cognition. Key words: chrysanthemums self-c
7、ognition psychoanalysis character defects Content 1 Introduction .1 2 Rational Theory Freuds Psychoanalysis .2 2.1 Personality Structure .2 2.1.1 Id.3 2.1.2 Ego.4 3 Elisas Self-cognition.4 3.1 Stimulation for Self-cognition. 5 3.2 Character Development .7 3.2.1 Emergence of Self-cognition.7 3.2.2 De
8、velopment of Self-cognition.9 3.2.3 Frustration of Self-cognition.10 3.3 Reasons of Final Frustration .11 4 Conclusion .11 Works Cited .13 Acknowledgements1 Analysis on Heroines Self-Cognition in the Chrysanthemums 1 Introduction The Chrysanthemums is a short story in the collection of short stories
9、, The Long Valley written by American writer John Steinbeck. He was one of the best-known American writers in his time. His stories drew materials from real historical conditions and events in the first half of the 20th century. Keen insight, subtila but deep writing made him a name that time, who o
10、wns a realistic style and proper reflection of responsibility for society. The Chrysanthemums is one of his less excellent works which focus on feminism. The heroine Elisa lived on her husbands ranch and appeared as a diligent housewife addicted all her energy to the chrysanthemums everyday. Nothing
11、 differs from an ordinary winter day in an ordinary farmers life, until the strange tinkers arrival. This story acquired increasing favorable reputation once published, and had been awarded as one of Steinbecks best pieces of short story. More than sixty years later, it was still one of the authors
12、most widely anthologized stories, and meanwhile, one of his most debated. Charles(1974) asserted that The Chrysanthemums can be read as Steinbecks response to feminism. He pointed out that John Steinbeck himself couldnt get rid of his identityas a male in the man-dominated society, and was afraid of
13、 the threatening from females continuing trying. Huang qi(2010) argued at social contradictions to resolving the entangled development of Elisas feminist consciousness. Shillinglaw(1991) asserted Elisa was portrayed as a brave woman willing to learn something profound about herself in that Patriarch
14、al society, regardless of the final failure. Hughes(1989) identified that the success of this story should due to the plot, characterization, symbolism, and overall objectivity. Timmerman(1986) contended that “The Chrysanthemums“ is a classical example of Steinbecks favored theme of artistic repress
15、ion. Renner(1985) 2 interpreted “The Chrysanthemums“ is informed far less by feminist sympathies than by traditional masscults complaints. Elisa is a progressive housewife who desire for rain with her need for personal fulfillment in light of eagerness, and try to make efforts to make her life chang
16、ed. Steinbeck often populated his stories with struggling characters. In his Nobel Prise speech, John Steinbeck said that: “Humanity has been passing through a gray and desolate time of confusion. My great predecessor, William Faulkner, speaking here, referred to it as a tragedy of universal physica
17、l fear, so long sustained that there were no longer problems of the spirit, so that only the human heart in conflict with itself seemed worth writing about.“(Steinbeck, 1962). The chrysanthemums are just one of works about human heart in conflict with itself. Steinbeck stated that readers felt that
18、something profound has been there after finishing reading. However, it is hard to tell what it is and how profound. This exactly causes us to comprehend the story and see the implication of the work. As the production of man-dominated society, Elisas tragic self cognition accounts great value of stu
19、dy. Previous majorities of the researches principally focus on the Elisas feminism, chrysanthemums symbolic significance and authors written style. This thesis will be expected to find a new perspective to comprehend The Chrysanthemums by concentrating on heroine Elisas unsuccessful self-cognition.
20、The analysis will be carried out from two aspects: stimulations of the cognition course and Elisas character development. Elisas character development will be presented particularly through her self-cognition process, to get a better and deeper comprehension about heroine Elisa. It also might provid
21、e a new fresh view to appreciate this short story. 2 Rational Theory Freuds Psychoanalysis This research will be proceeded to explore the failure of heroines self-cognition. 3 The miserable constraint during Elisas self-searching-process of self-awareness requires more deep going psychological analy
22、sis. Freuds psychoanalysis theory is applied in this paper to make assistance to analyze such deeper sentiment through the complete process. Although people have looked for the essence of personality for years, the first recognized correlative theory did not emerge until the appearance of an Austria
23、n neurologist Sigmund Freud, in the late 1800s. He devoted his life efforts to develop his ideas. By the time of his death, Freud had written numerous volumes, and had changed the thinking of many psychologists and writers. Freuds theories have had a dramatic and profound impact on considerable fiel
24、ds: novels, films, politics, campaigning, advertising, and legal argument. 2.1 Personality Structure Personality structure is one of the primary theories among Freuds psychology theory. It is common for English major students to utilize the theory about the personality structure when dissecting the
25、characters in literature. The original concept of the structure of personality was divided into the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious. This division is known as the topographic model (Burger, 2005, p45). Soon, Freud discovered that the topographic model demonstrated a limited descript
26、ion of human personality. Therefore, he added the structural model, which divides personality into the id, the ego, and the superego (p.46). 2.1.1 Id The id is the “core of our being“, the original function of the personality and the basis of the other two. The id includes the instincts and drives t
27、hat motivate us as well as our genetic inheritance and our reflexes and capacities to respond (Engler, 4 2003, p50). It represents out basic needs, and wishes. Actions taken by the id are based on the pleasure. In other words, the id is concerned only with what brings immediate personal satisfaction
28、 regardless of any physical or social limitations (Burger, 2005, p46). The id seeks to satisfy its needs partly through reflex action. Obviously, our pleasure impulses would be frustrated most of the time if the id were to rely on reflexive action to get what it wants. Therefore, Freud indicates tha
29、t the id also uses wish fulfillment to satisfy its needs (Burger, 2005, p46). That is, if the desire object is not available, the id will image what it wants. 2.1.2 Ego The ego emerges in order to realistically meet the wishes and demands of the id in accordance with the outside world. The actions o
30、f the ego are based on the reality principle (Burger, 2005, p46). That is, the primary job of the ego is to satisfy id impulse, but in a manner that takes into consideration the realities of the situation. In other words, the egos job is to keep that impulse in the unconscious, and to frustrate the
31、aims of the id. Unlike the id, your ego moves freely among the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious parts of your mind. The ego is“ a faith-full servant“ of the id and tries to fulfill its needs realistically (Engler, 2003, p51). Furthermore, according to Freud, the ego has developed what he cal
32、ls defense mechanisms to cover demands of the id, which would seldom be socially acceptable (Burger, 2005, p49). All of the defenses can be described as a combination of denial or repression with different ways of rationalization. His daughter Anna elaborated the principle to more ways: sublimation,
33、 displacement, projection, reaction formation and so on(Burger, 2005, p49). 3 Elisas Self-cognition The Chrysanthemums revolves around the character Elisa. The story started with 5 a panoramic view of the Salinas Valley in winter, covered in fog. Then the focus was settled on Elisa Allen, cutting do
34、wn the stalks of chrysanthemums in the garden. Elisa was thirty-five, lean and strong; she lived on this ranch with her husband and was very isolated from the world. Elisa devoted all her energy to gardening the chrysanthemums. One day, a strange tinker came to the ranch, asked Elisa if there is som
35、ething to be mended. Elisa refused directly and tried to send him away. The man was so experienced to use Elisas favorite chrysanthemums to attract her, and successfully got something to fix. Elisa seemed to have been strengthened through her conversation with the man. She sent the man some chrysant
36、hemums delightfully when he left. In the end, Elisa found the chrysanthemums dropped on the road. She collapsed immediately and cried like an old woman. Fortunately, her strength seemed to be insufficient in having the courage to effect any real change in her life. 3.1 Stimulation for Self-cognition
37、 The story took place in 1930s of the American. In that particular men dominant social environment a society in favor of the interests of men, women felt depressed and constrained under patriarchal power. Elisa was forced to play a role, which was determined by her gender, and had little power to st
38、rive for her own. Due to the social status, men and women revealed distinct thought on physical and spiritual opinions over life. On the pursuit, man always chased after the material things and interest. In text, Elisas husband came to her garden, and wished her to raise apples like the chrysanthemu
39、ms, which can get him more harvest. Compared with her husband, Elisa preferred to maintain a more spiritual life. She wished to see the outer world, and eagered to be free, be respected by men and the society. Indeed, Elisa obtained an abundant life. Nevertheless, how could her husband, who lacks sense of romantic to satisfy Elisa, who cared more love and spiritual demands? Alienation between the couple made the unhappy marriage. “Her marriage neither filled her time nor
