Studies On The Repetition Phenomena In Lord Jim Based On The Repetition Theory Proposed By J.Hillis Miller

Based on the Repetition Theory, this thesis intends to analyze the repetition phenomena in the novel Lord Jim written by Joseph Conrad through intensive reading. Miller pointed out in his book Fiction and Repetition that "any novel is a complex tissue of repetitions and of repetitions within repetitions, or of repetitions linked in the chain fashion to other repetitions." According to Miller, a novel can only be interpreted through studying the repetition phenomena in the text to some extent. Miller sums up three main modes of repetition situations in terms of scale, and they are the repetition of verbal elements, the repetition of scenes and events, and the repetition of the novel motifs, themes, and character. At the same time, he divides all the repetition phenomena into two forms of repetition based on the nature of the repetition phenomena, namely Platonic Repetition and Nietzschean Mode of Repetition. The nature of the Platonic repetition is a kind of simulation, and the nature of Nietzschean Mode of Repetition is a kind of discrepancy.There exist a lot of repetition phenomena in the novel. First, there are the repetitions of verbal elements, such as "one of us" repeating in the novel for nearly ten times. Through the analyses, it can be found that the repetition of "one of us" not only shows Marlow's curiosity, sympathies and identification with Jim, but also is the reflection of Conrad's anxieties and perplexities about his own identity. Second, there are the repetitions of the events. Lord Jim is composed of many similar episodes, and the theme is about the Patna jump. But there are other three jumps which have close relationship with the Patna jump. These four jumps are the reflection of Jim's cowardice. Through the study of their relationship, it is believed that Jim's journey to death in Patusan is not a coincidence, but the result of his long-term life in the fantasy. There are also many minor characters whose stories are the repetitions of Jim's experiences, such as Captain Brierly, Stein and the French lieutenant. Captain Brierly's jump is believed to be the repetition of Jim's Patna jump; Jim's life in Patusan is the repetition of Stein's former life in Patusan and the French lieutenant's action shows what Jim should do on the ship Patna. Third, there are many symbolic images that recur for many times in the novel like the fog and the ring. They not only bring the sharp contrast between the reality and dream, but also attribute a lot to deepen the thematic structure. Last but not the least, there are repetitions in narration. Jim is shaped differently from the narration of the characters in the novel. Undoubtedly, these multiple ideas about Jim make Jim become more ambiguous and complicated.Jim's Patna jump is the focus of the novel, and it makes up the main plot of the novel together with other three jumps committed by Jim. Each event repeats the others or is repeated by the other events, which corresponds to the Platonic Repetition. Captain Brierly's jump and the brave action of the French lieutenant are the repetitions of Jim's action in Patna event which corresponds to the Nietzschean Mode of Repetition. The two forms of repetition intertwine together, not only bringing compelling impact, but also helping the readers to get a better understanding of the hero Jim and the theme of the novel.