TY - GEN A1 - Chen, Jifenglin T1 - The Exploration of Individual Freedom in Tennessee Williams’ >The Night of the Iguana<, Master thesis, World Literature, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing, China 2023 [application of Fromm's theories to art]. N2 - [Chinese abstract not available] Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) is renowned as one of the most outstanding American playwrights in the 20th century. >The Night of the Iguana<, written in 1961, depicts the ambivalent figure of Reverend Shannon, who yearns for social acceptance yet refuses to be bound by its norm. In the twentieth century, the social structure of America changed greatly due to the development of capitalism, and the conflict caused by the cultural difference between the North and the South forms one of the common themes in Williams’ works. With the prevalence of capitalism and the change of modern mainstream ideology, those who have changed some of the old ideas, whereas have not been completely assimilated into modern thought, represented by Shannon, are portrayed as the social marginals struggling with inner contradictions in Williams’ works. Based on Erich Fromm’s theory of freedom, this thesis interprets >The Night of the Iguana< by analyzing Shannon’s contradictory thoughts and behaviors in his process of pursuing individual freedom. It attempts to present how the marginalized people in modern capitalist society realize the freedom of individual’s full expression of his real personality by resisting the spiritual paralysis and oppression in society. This thesis consists of three parts. Firstly, it analyzes the protagonist’s self-consciousness against social knowledge, and explores the way to get rid of the automaton conformity by revealing the protagonist’s subversion of several stereotyped images perceived by the society. Subsequently, it discusses how Shannon establishes non-utilitarian interpersonal relationship under the influence of modern capitalist society. Then this thesis focuses on the natural setting in the play, exploring how the marginalized people who are isolated due to social exclusion build their secondary bonds with nature, so as to obtain spiritual salvation. Shannon’s pursuit of individual freedom exposes the shackles that the mainstream ideology of capitalist society imposes on modern people’s individuality. In addition, his exploration of both the internal and external world provides the possibility to break the shackles and realize the freedom of individual’s full expression of his real personality. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 7/2024] Y1 - 2023 ER -