An Analysis of Brave Orchid in The Woman Warrior from the Perspective of Freud's Theory of Personality_英语论文

摘要

汤亭亭是著名的美国华裔作家之一，其作品《女勇士》讲述了无名女人姑姑，花木兰，勇兰，姨妈月兰以及“我”的故事。弗洛伊德人格理论是指人格是由本我、自我和超我三个部分构成的。本我是是本能和欲望的体现者, 它遵循“ 唯乐原则”。自我遵循“ 现实原则”, 它从本我中发展出来,又是本我与外部世界的中介。超我,是个体在生活中接受社会文化道德规范的教养而逐渐形成的。超我规定着道德的标准,指导自我, 限制本我,以便实现理想自我。本论文从弗洛伊德三重人格结构理论入手，探讨其中角色之一，母亲勇兰的本我、自我、以及超我，以期对该作品进行更深入的解读以及更好的了解勇兰这个人物形象。勇兰的本我是追求物质生活和名誉，同时也是追求自由和权力。其自我是克服自身对鬼神的恐惧并且帮助他人克服恐惧。移民美国之后更是采取“第二政策”，通过讲故事来延续其对自由权力的向往。勇兰的超我是前期她固守中国传统价值规范，导致其陷入身份归属的迷茫困境，后期她意识到身在美国社会不能一味固守成见，并形成了新的价值观，实现了两国文化的协调，接受现实，实现了更完美的自我。

关键词：《女勇士》  勇兰  人格理论 

Abstract

Maxine Hong Kingston is one of the famous Chinese American writers. In her The Woman Warrior, she describes the stories of No Name Woman, Fa Mu Lan, Brave Orchid, Moon Orchid and “me”. Theory of Personality means that the mind consists of three parts: the id, the ego and the superego. The id is the embodiment of instincts and desires. It works through “pleasure principle”. The ego works according to the principle of reality. It mediates the id and the external world. The superego is formed when individuals acquire social moral and standards. It guides the ego and suppresses the id to achieve ideal ego. Based on the theory of personality, this thesis parses the id, the ego and the superego of Brave Orchid to get better understanding of the character and the book. Her id is desires for material well-being life and fame as well as pursuit of freedom and rights. Her ego is suppressing her own and others’ fears and adaption to the environment. Her superego is preservation of Chinese norms but later reconciliation of the Sino-American culture. Finally she achieves a perfection of herself. 

Key words: The Woman Warrior  Brave Orchid  Theory of Personality     

Contents

Chapter One  Introduction 1

1.1  Introduction to the Author 1

1.2  Introduction to the Novel 2

1.3  Purpose of the Thesis 3

1.4  Significance of the Thesis 4

1.5  Structure of the Thesis 4

Chapter Two  Literature Review 6

2.1  Introduction 6

2.2  Previous Studies on The Woman Warrior Abroad 6

2.3  Previous Studies on The Woman Warrior at Home 8

2.4  My Comment 9

Chapter Three  Theoretical Framework 11

3.1  Introduction 11

3.2  The Definition of Personality Theory and its Development 11

3.2.1 Personality Structure 11

3.2.2 Personality Power 12

3.2.3 Personality Correspondence 13

3.2.4 Personality Development 14

3.3  The Definition of Three Personalities 14

3.3.1 The Id 15

3.3.2 The Ego 15

3.3.3 The Superego 17

3.4  Summary 17

Chapter Four  Freudian Analysis of Brave Orchid 19

4.1  Introduction 19

4.2  Brave Orchid’s Id 19

4.2.1 Her Desire for Material Satisfaction 20

4.2.2 Her Pursuit of Status and Reputation 20

4.2.3 Her Pursuit of Freedom and Rights 21

4.3  Brave Orchid’s Ego 23

4.3.1 Her Conquest of Fear 23

4.3.2 Her Adaptation to Hardship 25

4.4  Brave Orchid’s Superego 26

4.4.1 Her Persistence for Chinese Norms 27

4.4.2 Her Reconciliation with American Culture 27

Chapter Five  Conclusion 30

Bibliography

Acknowledgements