Gilman’s Utopian-nostalgic Constructions In Herland And With Her In Ourland

From the perspective of the latest social-cognitive theory of nostalgia,this thesis takes a close look at the intricate connections between Gilman and the theme of nostalgia.Her two best-known texts,Herland and With Her in Ourland have been chosen as main sources for this analysis.With the aim of systematically understanding the complex connotations and denotations of the two novels,this thesis analyzes the essence of Gilman’s utopian constructions and the psychological motives behind her novels.According to the latest theory of nostalgia,nostalgia is not merely a pure emotional attachment to the past but a complex adaptive system containing such factors as emotion,cognition,strategy and environment.Nostalgia serves as a psychological defense mechanism against the anxiety and discontent caused by unfavorable historical,social,and political environment in that it creates its own fiction of a glorious time.Temporally,nostalgia does not necessarily relate only to the past.The present and future are also options.In this way,utopia can be viewed as a special case of nostalgia.On such theoretical basis,this thesis explores how Gilman,in facing of unfavorable social and personal conditions,construct a series of idealized reliable social bonds in distant time-space with the aim of regaining a sense of belonging and reliving loneliness.From a theoretical point of view,this thesis perceives the essence of her nostalgic construction,the psychological and social motives behind it,revealing the possible compensatory reactions vulnerable individuals of lower class would take in confronting unfavorable circumstances.These findings are not only conducive to the understanding of Gilman’s works but also the unique features of utopian nostalgia.This thesis contains five chapters,Chapter One gives a comprehensive review of the studies of the two works both at home and abroad,and the general perspective and aims of the present thesis.Chapter Two presents the historical development of the concept of nostalgia and the comparative analysis of the dual notions of nostalgia and utopia.Chapter Three presents Gilman’s utopian nostalgic construction which includes the construction of the idealized time-space,reliable social bonds and the independent nostalgic self.It can be found,from the detailed analysis of her nostalgic construction,what she pursues is a long-absent sense of belonging and conntectedness.Chapter four digs deep into the important reasons for her construction of utopian nostalgia,which can be reduced to both the external social relations and internal personal experiences.It explores how the materialized indifferent society and her own sensitive personality shaped by a series of traumatic events contribute to her weak ego.Besides,it further reveals the inevitability of Gilman’s illusory utopian nostalgia for lacking enough social capital in harsh reality.Chapter Five is the conclusion of the whole thesis.