Naturalism In Edith Wharton’s Fiction:a Bergson’s Dual Selves Approach

Edith Wharton (1862-1937), as an American woman writer, occupies an important position in the late19th and early20th century. She has triggered off many critical arguments. In her literary career lasting as long as fifty years, Wharton yielded us quite a few excellent works among which there are The House of Mirth (1905), Ethan Frome(1911) and The Age of Innocence(1920). Highly acclaimed as three classical masterpieces by numerous readers, The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence also attracted the attention of numerous literary critics who engaged in interpreting her works from various perspectives. However, the former critics interpreted mainly through the perspectives of feminism, her outlook on marriage, art and architecture, race, customs, her writing style, and still, her connection to Henry James. Very few of them focused their attention on the overall naturalistic elements in Wharton’s fiction, let alone a systematic research on the distinct features of naturalism in her fiction.This thesis, by applying Henri Bergson’s "dual selves" theory to the characters analysis in The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence, tends to make an overall exploration of Edith Wharton’s peculiar naturalism, as well as her contribution to the development of American Naturalism. Following an introduction, the thesis carries out the study in three parts. The first part gives a brief review of naturalism, its development and its influence upon Wharton. The second part consists of five characters analysis by applying Bergson’s dual selves theory, the conflicts of the two selves within characters confronting the rigid social and environmental forces, and the reasons for different destinies of the characters. In conclusion, this thesis points out:Edith Wharton is not only a naturalist, but a naturalist with peculiar insight. Though exposed to the uncontrollable social and environmental forces, she still encourages the heroes and heroines to endeavor to overcome the socially determined shadow self, and never give up the pursuit of freedom, happiness and human values out of one’s durational self. And in this sense, Wharton enriched the American Naturalism.