A Study On The Images Of Morbid Personality In Carson McCullers’s Novels

Carson McCullers(1917-1967)is a famous female writer in the 20 th century of American literary history.Though her short life is full of hardship and illness,she makes great achievements in literature with perseverance and virtuosity.Her works are permeated with American southern traditions.And she portrays the spiritual loneliness and isolation of people in her time through her works.Based on a close reading,this thesis seeks to study morbid personality images in her novels and the deeper implied meanings of these images to show McCullers’ s attention and deep sympathy on these characters and her thought on the problems of gender,race and class in American Southern Society.This thesis includes seven chapters:Chapter One introduces the life of Carson McCullers and summarizes the current research status of her at home and abroad,and gives explanations to the theoretical basis—morbid personality and proposes the significance of morbid personality.Chapter Two discusses the depressive personality disorder of Alison.She not only cannot get love from her husband,but also loses her own children.Under such double hits,she finally causes her own insanity and becomes a victim of the patriarchal society.Chapter Three lies its attention to the schizoid personality disorder of Singer.Singer has endured the loneliness of the loving and the loneliness of homosexuals,and become silent and alienated.He is unwilling to integrate into any group,and eventually chooses to die by suicide.Chapter Four concentrates on paranoid personality disorder of Sherman.Sherman does not know his biological parents,and becomes the victim of sexual assault by his adoptive father during the childhood,which plays a vital role in the formation of his personality.As a half-breed,he becomes excluded by the whites and blacks,suffering great pain from his family and racial segregation,and eventually becomes paranoid personality disorder patient.Chapter Five involves impulsive personality disorder of Jake Brount who is soberly aware of the social problems existing in the United States,such as the poverty and racial inequality.As an active member of the trade union movement,Jack tries to improve the material and spiritual conditions of workers and keeps speaking,but all what he does is not understood by others,and eventually fails to realize his dream.Chapter Six focuses on the analysis of the drive for literary creation of morbid personality in Carson McCullers’ s novels.McCullers’ s disease lies a good foundation for her novel writing,the writing experience of literary pioneers inspiring McCullers in writing of morbid personality.In addition,there are external causes,like wars and feminist movements,as well as persecution of blacks by the racial segregation also have a great impact on McCullers’ s writing.Chapter Seven is the conclusion which probes into the practical significance of McCullers’ s writing of morbid personality.McCullers’ s works are very realistic,and the writing of these morbid personalities reflects all kinds of oppression of social reality in the southern United States.