In Doris Lessing’s The Diary of a Good Neighbor (1983), the protagonist, Jane Somers, attempts to be reconciled with her mother as well as to play a role as a good daughter opposite to the female characters who, in Lessing’s early novels, always struggle with their mothers. Such a change of Jane can be seen in her inner world, particularly described in her diary, related to the relationship of Maudie Fowler and herself. So it is possible to read this novel from an analytical psychology, especially with Neumann’s theory of the terrible mother. Neumann says that the terrible mother, who personifies the destructive and devouring aspect of the unconscious, sometimes helps the ego to achieve centroversion or sometimes prohibits the ego from trying to do it. The terrible mother in The Diary of a Good Neighbor is embodied as death, for the journey of Jane toward centroversion is mainly developed in overcoming the fear of death or, literally, death, such as, her husband’s and mother’s and Maudie’s deaths. Through the three deaths, Jane comes to accept the dark side of her life and is changed from ego-centrism to altruism, leading her to help her niece. As a result, it is believed that she can solve her problem that she has no affection for others resulting in being isolated from her family. Accordingly, Jane perceives life as more important, realizing how precious it is to love each other.
한국중앙영어영문학회 [The Jungang English Language And Literature Association Of Korea]
설립연도
1968
분야
인문학>영어와문학
소개
본 학회는 영미어문학의 학술연구와 이에 부합하는 아래의 사업을 기획 수행하며,
또한 회원 상호간의 친목을 도모함을 목적으로 한다.
1. 학회지 발간
2. 연구 발표회, 강연회, 공동연구
3. 영미어문학 관련 도서출판
4. 영미어문학 관계 도서 및 자료의 모집 및 비치
5. 기타 본회의 목적 달성에 필요한 사업
간행물
간행물명
영어영문학연구 [The Jungang Journal of English Language and Literature]