@misc{Xue, author = {Xue, Xinghong}, title = {Caring, the Way out of Loneliness - On Doris Lessing's >The Diaries of Jane Somers< [关爱,孤独的出路 - 论多丽丝•莱辛的《简•萨默斯的日记》], Master thesis, English Language and Literature, Ocean University of China, China, Qingdao, Shandong, China 2008 [Application of Fromm's th}, abstract = {The Diaries of Jane Somers tells down - too - earth stories about the stories that happen in Jane's life, the which involves Maudie, Richard and Kate In it Doris Lessing reveals one of the characteristics of people's life in. modern society: loneliness, the which is closely related to interpersonal relationship. This thesis will aim at finding out the way out of loneliness by analyzing Jane, the heroine's experiences. The analysis of Jane's life will be the focus of the thesis. Meanwhile, Erich Fromm's theories on love and Noddings' theories on caring will be applied to the explanation of many interpersonal relationship phenomena in the novel. The thesis consists of five parts.- The first part is introduction, which first gives a brief review of Doris Lessing and the previous studies on The Diaries of Jane Somers. Then the theoretical foundation and main ideas of the thesis will be introduced, that is, Jane's experience indicates that caring is one way that may lead people out of loneliness, a predicament that lies ahead of many people in modern society.- The second part is chapter one, in which loneliness in man's existence will be put forward. Loneliness as a theme can be detected in many writers' works. It is a universal predicament people are confronted with. Similarly, many people in Doris Lessing's works cannot live satisfactorily. They are lonely and helpless.- Chapter two will first provide analyses on the root of loneliness and the impact it has on people. Then follows a brief discussion on some wrong ways people might take in overcoming loneliness. A comprehensive analysis of Jane's interpersonal relationships with her mother, her husband and her friend as well as many others' interpersonal relationships in the novel will show that interpersonal relationships in modern society have been materialized and dehumanized, which is confirmed by Fromm's studies on the development of society. Such alienated interpersonal relationships are unable to produce genuine communication between souls, without which people are easily bogged down in loneliness. Loneliness is destructive. It deprives people of the ability to live actively, even driving them into madness and insanity in extreme conditions. There are many ways such as orgiastic union, conformity and creative work that have been used by people in The Diaries and in many other literature works to extricate themselves from loneliness. However, these ways fail to enable people to live actively, sometimes even leading them astray and to be bogged down in greater loneliness.- The third chapter will elaborate on Jane's experiences with Maudie, Richard and Kate. Her experiences as daughter, mother and lover will prove that caring is the way to surmount loneliness and achieve self-growth. The penetrating analysis of Jane's experiences will be grounded on the four elements of caring: giving, responsibility, respect and knowledge. She gives to the three people what she has failed to give to her own mother and husband. She takes over the responsibilities to take care of Maudie as a daughter and Kate as a mother. The more she gets to know about these people, the better she understands them and the more she respects their decision on their life. In caring for these people Jane transforms from an unconcerned wife and daughter to a sensitive soul. She learns from Maudie to love life, to be grateful to what life endows her with, to live with dignity and courage. Her experiences with Richard and Kate are supplementation and solidification to her friendship with Maudie, which help her procure a comprehensive understanding of life and spiritual rebirth.- The last part is conclusion. Caring is the way that may deliver people from loneliness, for in it new interpersonal relationship is built, which makes genuine communication possible. It enhances people's understanding of life and thereof enables them to live actively even in solitude. The meaning of Jane's experiences lies in its universality. People may be faced with the predicament of loneliness one way or another in modern society. What Jane does may inspire people today in some way when they try to dispel their loneliness.}, language = {zh} }