文学论文.docx

文学论文.docx

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文学论文

AnAnalysisofMaryinTheGrassIsSinging

1Introduction

DorisLessingisacreativewriterwhoisfullofimagination.Shewasbornin1919inPersia,movingasachildwithherfamilytosouthernRhodesia,nowZimbabwe.ItisthecontinentofSouthAfricathatbreedsherandgivesherthelifeaccumulationandcreativeinspiration.Sheisoneofthemostcelebratedanddistinguishedwritersofthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcenturyandwritesalotofworksonawidevarietyofthemes,especiallyonwomenproblems.In2007,DorisLessingwasawardedtheNobelPrizeinLiterature.

Lessingisoneofthefewwriterswhohavethecouragetoupholdtheprincipleofequalitybetweenthemaleandfemale,andshehasgiventheimpulsetoanumberofotherwomenwriters.InLessing’snovel,TheGrassIsSingingisherfirstnovelwhichexertsgreatinfluenceonthemodernliterature.Ithasbeenthefocusofcriticalattentionsinceitsappearance.Itisahigh-tensionstoryofawoman’stragiclife.ThetragedyoftheheroineMaryTurnercoverslayersofmeaningsandimplications.Thispaperfirsttraceshowthefemaleprotagonistturnsfromahappysinglewomantoanunhappywifewithnothingtodoathome,andthentoahysteriaviragoandatlasttoahelplessandemptyspirit.ItfocusesonthetragicimageofMaryTurnerinordertodiscloseclearlythenatureofMary’stwistedhumanityandherspiritualfrustration.

2BriefIntroductionofTheGrassIsSinging

TheGrassIsSingingshowstheappallingnatureoftheSouthAfricansocietywhichimposesitsdogmaandsuffocatesindividuallife,forcingpeopletosuccumbtothecollectiveattheexpenseoftheirindividualfulfillment.

2.1Thesocialbackgroundofthenovel

TheGrassIsSingingexaminesunbridgeableracialconflictincolonialSouthAfricathroughtheeyesofawhitefarmer’swifeandherblackservant.ThisnovelisaboutthedestructionofapairofwhiteAfricancolonials,DickandMaryTurner,bysocialandeconomicforces.

ThestoryhappenedinTheGrassIsSingingissetinSouthernAfricain1930s.Intheyearof1930therangeofAfricanprotestinSouthernRhodesiawasimpressive.AsintheAmericanWestorAustralasia,frontiermyths,settlermyths,wereadaptedtofitthecircumstancesofthecountry.Inthecolonialexperience,mythsreplacehistorywhichcontainsinconvenientfacts,suchastheGreatZimbabweruinsofanearlierculture.Theyarecultivated,forexample,inordertojustifythewhiletakeoverofAfrica,andtomaintainthewhites’assumptionoftheirsuperioritytotheblackpopulations.

TheAfricanswereputintonativereserves.TheNativeReservesofRhodesia,likethoseofSouthAfrica,surroundedbythepoorestsoil,theleastwater,theworstofeverything,fromroadstoshops.ItisalmostimpossibletoconveytopeopleinBritainwhataNativeReserveislike.ThenearesttoitisperhapsDartmoor,imaginedhotandarid.Onitarescatteredgroupsofmudandgrasshuts,andastore,whichisabrickroomsellingclothgoodsandthecheapestofgroceries.Therearenogoodroads,telephones,cinemas,facilitiesforsportorrecreation.Intothesedeserts,completelycutofffrommodernlife,areforciblypeoplewhosewayoflifebeforethewhitemancamewasaswide,variegated,fullofpotential,asAfricaitself.Thewhitepeoplebegantooccupythelandbyforceassoonastheyarrivedinthecountry.Theynowhavetakenmorethanhalfofit,arealwaystakingmoreandmore.Settlersimportedclassdifferencesfromhomeandintensifiedthoseclassdifferencesbyweddingthemtoviolentracialprejudices.AndtheAfricansontheNativeReserves—therealexilesinthenarrativeofcolonization—werevirtuallyinvisibletothesettlers,afactofcoloniallifethatwouldformthedramaticbasisofLessing’sfirstnovel—TheGrassIsSinging.

Furthermore,sexualrelationsbetweentheraceswereapowerfulchallengetotheirseparateness;here,adoublestandardprevailed,miscegenationbetweenwhitemenandblackwomenisshowntobetolerated,althoughnotgenerallyapproved.Sexualrelationsbetweenwhitewomenandblackmenwereunthinkable,althoughifbroughttotheconsciousconsiderationofwhitesociety.

2.2Theplotofthenovel

TheGrassIsSingingisMrsLessing’sfirstnovel.Shegivesuphersecretarialjobtowriteit,andshetakesthemanuscripttoEnglandwithherin1949.

ThenovelissetinAfrica,andinthefirstchapterwelearnthatawhitewoman,MaryTurner,hasbeenmurderedbyherblackservant.Wearethenshown,inanextendedflashback,hercourtshipandmarriage.Sheescapesfromachildhoodofmiseryandpovertytoworkhappilyinthetown.Inherthirtiesshemarriesalonelyfarmer,Dick,whotakeshertoliveonaremotefarminthebush.Maryissexuallycoldandsociallyreserved,andhermarriageisbitterlyunhappy.Theonlyintimaterelationshipshehasinherlifeiswiththeblackservant.Theconflictwithinher,thealternatingloveandhatetowardNegro,thefrighteningawarenessthatshepossessestheoneemotionhersocietymostviolentlycondemns,leadstohermurder.Sheisdestroyedbyherinabilitytoreconcileahumanemotionwithherowndeepcommitmenttotherigidlinehersocietymaintainsberweenwhiteandblack.Moses,theblackservantwhogainsasubtlepsychologicaldominanceoverher.Whenheseestherelationshipthreatened,hemurdersher.

2.3Thethemeofthenovel

Asoneofthemostcelebratedanddistinguishedwritersofthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury,DorisLessinghaswrittenalotofworksonawidevarietyofthemes.HerfirstnovelTheGrassIsSinging,hasbeenthefocusofcriticalattentionsinceitsappearance.Itisahigh-tensionstoryofawoman’stragiclife.ThetragedyembodiedintheheroineMaryTurnercoverslayersofmeaningsandimplications.Thenoveltraceshowthefemaleprotagonistturnsfromahappysinglewomantoanunhappywifewithnothingtodoathome,andthentoahysteriaviragoandatlasttoahelplessandemptyspirit.ItrevealsMoses’motiveofmurderbyanalyzinghismultiplerelationshipswithMary.Moses’actofmurdercoverslayersofmeanings:

itisablack’svictoryoverawhite,aman’sconquerofawoman,aboveall,itistheinevitableconsequenceoftheconfrontationofhumanitywithmoralethics.Yet,Moses’influenceoverMarygoesfarbeyondhisactofmurder.HeisalsotheleadingfactorofMary’sspiritualcollapse.MosesawakensthelibidothathasbeenasleepinMaryforyears,whichshouldhavebeenthesolehopeofMary’ssalvation.However,thisisforbiddenandtabooedbymoralconventions,soMaryissubjectedtoseriousmentaltorture,whichquickensherpaceofdestruction.

ThethemerevealsthatMary’ssymbolicfigureasaWasteLanderbyanalyzingheralienatedrelationshipswithherhusband,herfellowwoman,Mrs.SlatterandthewhitecommunityrepresentedbyCharlieSlatter.ThethemeoftheworkisthatMary’stragedyisrootedintheformationofherdistortedpersonalityundertheshadowofherunhappychildhood,andleadsbytheconfrontationofhumanitywithmoralethics.Hertragedyisnotapersonalortypicalone;rather,itpredictsthetragicexistenceofeverymodernbeingonthisbarrenwasteland.

3AnalysisoftheImageofMaryinTheGrassIsSinging

ThischapteranalyseshowMaryTurner,theprotagonistignorestheselfasahappysinglegirl,searchesfortheselfasanantidotetoheremptinessandlonelinessandtearstheselfwhenluredbyherblackservantandfinallyfulfilledtheself-salvation.

3.1Theignoredself

Nancy,thefounderofTheFeminismandPsychoanalyticTheory,arguesthatthefirstfewyears,forbothboysandgirls,arepreoccupiedwithissuesofseparationandindividuation,whichincludesbreakingorattenuatingtheprimaryidentificationwiththemotherandbeginningtodevelopanindividuatedsenseofself,mitigatingthetotallydependentoralattitudeandattachmenttothemother.InTheGrassIsSinging,specificinformationisnotgivenmuchonMary’schildhood,yetthebriefdescriptionhitsthepoint.“Girls,aftertheageoffiveorso,begingraduallytohelptheirmothersintheirworkandspendtimewiththeirmothers”（Choldorow,1989:

65）Mary’smothercanonlygetsomeconsolationfromherdaughter’scompany,forherhusbandhasneverbroughthomeevenalittlehappinessexceptdrunkennessorquarrelsovermoney.“Atall,scrawnywomanwithangry,unhealthybrillianteyes.ShemadeaconfidanteofMaryearly.SheusedtocryoverhersewingwhileMarycomfortedhermiserably,longingtogetaway,butfeelingimportanttoo,andhatingherfather”（Lessing,1994:

39）.Marythusplaysanimportantroleinsupportinghermotherspiritually.Mother-daughterties,seemstobecomposedofcompanionshipandmutualcooperation,andtobepositivelyvaluedbybothmotheranddaughter.

What’smore,sherunserrandsforhermother.“Shewasalwayshavingtorunacrosstobringapoundofdriedpeachesoratinofsalmonforhermother,ortofindoutwhethertheweeklynewspaperhadarrived.”（Lessing,1994:

38）Livinginthebitternessofpoverty,Maryseldomthinksofherself.Shewitnessesthehardshipsandunhappymarriedlifeherparentshavehad,whicharousesherstrongdetestationandhorrortowardthevillagelife.Shefeelsherselfimportant,notonbehalfofherown,butforhermother.Happiness,forher,atfirstmeansnoquarrelsbetweenherparentswhenhertwoeldersdieofdysentery.Then,sheissenttoboardingschoolandsheisextremelyhappybecauseshedreadsgoinghomeinholidaytoface,againwithhatred,herfuddledfatherandherbittermotherandthefly-awaylittlehousethatislikeasmallwoodenboxonstiffs.Attheageofsixteenshegetsajobin