A Psychological Analysis of the Story of an HourWord文件下载.docx

A Psychological Analysis of the Story of an HourWord文件下载.docx

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　　【Abstract】KateChopinisafamousfeministwriter.Astrongsenseoffeminineconsciousnessisembodiedinherworks.Hersuccessfuladoptionofthepsychologicalapproach,specificallythestreamofconsciousness,addsgrandeurtosplendorofherliterarycreation.ThesuccessfulemploymentofpsychologicalapproachinTheStoryofanHournotonlyhasachieveddramaticeffectsandintensifiedthethemesbutalsohasexposedthewomen’sanacliticsituation.

【Keywordst】TheStoryofanHour;

PsychologicalAnalysis;

FeministConsciousness.

KateChopinwasborninSt.Louis,Missouriin1851.ShewasraisedbyastrictCatholicmotherandattendedtheAcademyofSacredHeart,whereshewasexpectedtolearnallthesocialgraces.LatershemovedtoNewOrleansandthereshemarriedtoOscarChopin.Butitwasafterthedeathofherhusbandthatshestartedherliterarycareer.Shehaswrittenmanyshortstoriesandpublishedtwocollections,BayouFolkandANightinAcadie,insuccessionandsomefamousnovelssuchasAwakening,whichisnowregardedasoneofthefeministmasterpieces.However,whenitwasfirstpublished,attacksthrewuponherandstunnedhersomuchthatshekeptsilentandwrotelittleelsethroughouttherestofherlifebecauseithasboldlytoucheduponandexposedsomesensitivesocialproblems.Inhernovels,wewillfindthatsheoftenrepeatedthesamethemeandrelatedmarriagetothecageofbars.

IfwethrowoureyesontoherEmancipation:

theLifeFable,TheStoryofanHourandAwakening,wewillbeassuredofthis.Shehasgivenussomuchfoodtoconsiderthesignificanceoflifeandmarriageandtheembarrassingsituationinwhichwomenlivedthatsheislaterlabeledbytheradicalfeministsin1970sasoneofthewomanwriterswithastrongfeminineconsciousness,althoughsurprisingly,sheherselfresolutelydeniedit.Actuallyitisunderstandablethatsheistakenasaprogressivewomanwriteroffeminineconsciousnessbecauseinhertimes,thesecondwomenmovementbegantosweepoverthewholecountry.Andinherworkstheheroineswerenotmerelycontentedwiththeirfamilylife.Instead,theytriedeverywaysandmeanstobreakthefettersforceduponthem.Theywantedtopursuetheirindividualfreedomandspiritualindependenceanddidn’twanttoplayatraditionalroleanylonger.Mostoftheheroinesunderherpen,likeEdnaPontellierandMrs.Mallard,weremoreorlessrebellious,althoughtheirresistancemostlyendedinself-destructionandcompromise.Maybeshewassoradicalthatthepublichadn’tyetpreparedtoacceptherthen.JustasJaneBailHowardput,sheutteredavoice‘sofaraheadofhertimes’.

WhenKateChopinlived,anotherinfluentialtrendthatprevailedintheUnitedStatesandtheEuropeanContinent,namelytheso-calledpsychoanalysispresentedbytheAustrianpsychologist,SigmundFreud.Hedivideshumanpsycheroughlyintothreeparts:

conscious,preconsciousandunconsciousmind.InilluminatingthementalprocesseshefurtherdistinguishesthethreepsycheareasofthemindastheId,theego,andthesuperego.Toelucidatetheirinterplay,heputforwardthepleasure,realityandthemoralityprinciples.Histheorieshavecontributedalottomodernpsychologyandalsoexertedaprofoundinfluenceuponmanysocialaspects,includingliterature.Manyfamouswritersattributetheirdebtstohim.AlthoughthereisnomuchevidencethatFreudhasdirectlyinfluencedKateChopin,yetwecanfindthatshehasrepeatedlyadoptedthepsychologicalapproachinhershortstories,novellasandnovels,amongwhichTheStoryofanHourisatypicalexample.Andthesuccessfulemploymentofthepsychologicalapproachorstreamofconsciousnesshasachievedthedramaticeffectsandintensifiedthethemes.

Mrs.Mallard,theheroine,livedasuperficiallyhappylifeinotherpeople’seyesaccordingtotheconventionalandsecularcriteria.Herhusbandwasgentleandconsiderate,sotheyweredeemedtobeaperfectmatch.However,deepinsideherheartshefeltmuchinhibited.Nooneknew,includingherhusband,ofherspiritualdemands.Yetshehadtomakeothersbelievethatshewashappyandlucky.Shehadtoactthetraditionalroleasavirtuouswife,notforherself,butforothers.AccordingtoPeggySkaggs,theheroinesintheworksofKateChopinoftenlivedatwo-facetedlife.Theylivedindisguisetohidetheirrealfeelingsandintentions.Thewomeninthe19thcenturywererequiredtolearnallthesocialgraces（Theauthoressherselfwasalsorequiredtodosoinherpuberty.）andencouragedtofollowtherulesandprinciplesasmenwantedthemtodo.IntheAmericanfictionGonewiththewind,wecanseethatMummyhasonceandagainthreatenedScarlettthatnomanwouldtaketherisktomarryherifsheinsistedondoingassheliked.Mostwomenwerereducedtothevictimsofthethensocialandmaritalsystems.Yetstilltheyhadtorepresstheirowndesirestocatertothepatriarchalsociety.Andnoonewouldcareabouttheirrealdemands.Mrs.Mallardwasjustoneofthevictims.

Chopinisagoodweaverofplots.Whenwereadhershortstories,wefindtherearesomanymistakesandcoincidencesinthemasifwewerereadingO’Henry.Atthebeginningofthestoryshelaysoutsuspensetothereadersandimmediatelyseizestheirhearts.Thenewsofherhusband’sdeathevokesthereaders’deepsympathyfortheheroinewithheartdisease.Theyworryaboutthatshecan’tsurvivethefatalblow.Liketheothercharactersinthestory,theyallthoughtthatshewouldbeheart-brokenandswoonedonthespotlikeotherwomenencounteringthesamesituation.Butshedidn’t.Ofcourseshewepttoo.However,sheweptnotbecauseshefeltsad,althoughhersisterJosephineandotherpeoplebelievedthatshedidbecauseshefoundithardtofacethemusic.Butunexpectedly,astheyreadon,theyfindtheyhavebeendeceivedbecausewhatshe（theheroine）rejoicedforisthatshecouldbefreefromthatmomenton;

andtherepressedemotionscanbeatlastreleased.Someintensepsychologicalchangeshaveundergonequicklyinherbody.Theinitialresponsetoherhusband’sdeathisthatshefeltfreeinsteadoffeelingsad,whichshowsshemusthavebeeninhibitedforages.Thusshehasasenseofemancipationasifamanweretakenoutofthesuffocatingdungeonwherehehadbeenimprisonedforagesandfinallycouldbreathefreshair.Atthismoment,thelawless,asocialandamoralidhascontrolledherandtheinstincttopursuepleasuretemporarilygottheupperhandofherreason.Shebecamesoexcitedandecstaticthatshecouldn’tholdbackhappytearstricklingdownhercheeks.ButwithhersisterJosephineandherhusband’sfriend,Richardsinherpresence,shecouldn’trevealhappinesstotheirfacesbecausetheconsciousmindremindedherthatshehadtoobservetherealityprinciple.Iftheyhavediscoveredthesecretandrealreasonofhersuddencry,shewouldbesurelycondemned.Herethesuperego,whichyieldstothemoralityprinciple,defeatedtheid,whichissubjecttothepleasureprinciple.Asaladywhowasaskedtolearnallthesocialgracessincechildhood,shemustfinditimmoralandguiltytobehappyatthenewsofherhusband’sdeath,butmeanwhileshefounditirresistibletofeelexcited,soshedecidedtostayalone.However,JosephineandRichardsmisinterpretedherweepingandmistookthatshewantedtostayalonebecauseshewasheart-broken.Butneitherofthemknewthataviolentconflicthadoccurredinsideher.Forthetimebeingsheretreatedtoarealmoffreedom.

Oncesheenteredintotheroomandwasleftalone,shedidnolongerneedtowearamasksothatshecoulddowhatshejustwanted.Nowshewasagainconqueredbythepleasureprinciple.Shewassoexhaustedthatshesankintothearmchairandimmediatelyreturnedtotheunconsciousstate.Sheletherselffollowtheimaginationlikeanunbridledhorse.Hereisthevividdescriptionofhermind,

“Thereshestood,facingtheopenwindow,acomfortable,roomyarmchair.Intothisshesank,presseddownbyaphysicalexhaustionthathauntedherbodyandseemedtoreachintohersoul.

Shecouldseeintheopensquarebeforeherhousethetopsoftreesthatwereallaquiverwiththenewspringlife.Thedeliciousbreathofrainwasintheair.Inthestreetbelowapeddlerwascryinghiswares.Thenotesofadistantsongwhichsomeonewassingingreachedherfaintly,andcountlesssparrowsweretwitteringintheeaves.”

　　Shewassohappythateverythinginhereyeslookedsolovelyandsoundedpleasant.Anunspeakableanticipationtookherbystorm.Althoughshewasalittlebitfearfulofit,shecouldhardlyconcealherpleasurethatshewantedto‘drinkintheveryelixiroflifethroughtheopenwindow’.Shemurmuredtoherselfoverandover,“Free,free,free!

”“Free!

Bodyandsoulfree!

”Herseeminglyinappropriatepleasureformedastrikingyetdiscordantcontrastwiththedeathofherhusband.Alltheseshowthatshewasnootherthanabeastinthecageandshehadrepressedherselfforsolong.Butnow,shecouldatlastliveakindoflifeshewanted.Thoughsometimesshefeltshehadloveforherhusband,sheoftendeniedit.Maybethiskindoflovewasonlyoutofherresponsibilityasawife.Sothiswastheso-calledhappymarriage!

Heretheauthoresselaboratedavividpictureoftheworkingmindoftheheroineasifsheweredirectingamovie.Shefaithfullypresentedaseriesofsnapshotslikemontagetoherreaders.Thoughshenevercommentedonitfromthemoralstandpoint,westillcandrawtheconclusionthatthesuperficiallyluckyandhappymarriageisacastleintheair;

thatis,itmightlacknothingbu