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The Alienation and Reconstruction of Stevens’ Identity in >The Remains of the Day<, Master thesis, Chonqing University, Shapingba District, Chonqing, China 2022 [application of Fromm's theories to art].

  • As one of the most prestigious writers in contemporary British literary circles, Kazuo Ishiguro won the 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature owing to the fact that his novel with great emotional force, >has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world<. Kazuo Ishiguro’s works have received a high degree of attention as soon as they were published. His works emphasize self-salvation and cherish the warmth of the world, break through the limitations of the theme of immigrant writers and set his sights on the universal human nature of the world. >The Remains of the Day< is the third novel published by Kazuo Ishiguro. It is known for its simplicity, elegance and subtle narrative style and it is also his most prestigious work so far. Kazuo Ishiguro succeeded in portraying the role of Stevens, a high-level butler who dedicated his life to the career of butlers in >The Remains of the Day<. The novel unfolds with Stevens, an ordinary British butler, using a reminiscence narrative approach. Stevens, the protagonist in his twilight years, has a reputation, but he is lonely, self-abased and helpless, and his identity is severely alienated. With Miss Kenton’s letter and permission from his new employer, Stevens sets off on a six-day trip. Through the memories of the past, the people he meets and the things he sees during the journey, he explores the true meaning of life and rebuild the alienated identity. The novel leaves the reader with a hopeful open ending, which implies that Stevens will embrace a more real life on a positive way in the rest of the time. Academia usually studies and interprets >The Remains of the Day< from the perspectives of post-colonialism, cultural studies and narrative techniques. Some critics also analyze the power mechanism embodied in the novel from the perspective of the image of the other. However, the research on Stevens’ identity cognition is not enough. Therefore, from the perspective of social psychological analysis, this thesis finds that Stevens’ identity cognition is seriously alienated. The influence of social environment, the relationship between the dominant and the dominated, and the human nature that is the fear of loneliness are the most fundamental psychological factors of Stevens’ identity alienation. From the perspective of social psychological analysis, this thesis will reveal the lonely and helpless living state of Stevens, the root of Stevens’ identity alienation under the influence of the change of the times and the people around him, and the road of redemption to rebuild his identity recognition. In the meantime, the thesis aims to explore the intention that Ishiguro Kazuo tries to achieve in depicting the living conditions of the universal individual in modern society. First, in view of the theory of >abstract< social psychological analysis, the thesis discusses the social and environmental factors which contribute to the formation and alienation of Stevens’ identity under the imperialist consciousness. Next, with the help of Fromm’s authority theory, the deep psychological causes of Stevens’ identity alienation from his treatment of father-son affection, loyalty and love are investigated. Then, from the perspectives of history and memory, love and emotion, the thesis analyzes the significance and value of Stevens’ salvation of identity alienation. >The Remains of the Day< enlightens us that we should recognize our own identities and adapt to society correctly. Even if our identities are alienated, we can be redeemed and rebuilt through our own efforts, rekindling hope in life. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]

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Metadaten
Author:Manxia Qiu
Document Type:Dissertations
Language:Chinese
Year of first Publication:2021
Release Date:2024/04/04
Format:no download and copy possible
IdNo:Qiu_Manxia_2021
Writings about Erich Fromm (Secondary Literature):Dissertations / Dissertationen
Erich Fromm's Library and Erich Fromm Archive:Dissertations / Dissertationen
Licence (German):
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