A Freudian Exploration Of Amy Tan's Women Characters' Spiritual Course

Living in Chinese American society, Amy Tan experiences and writes the emotional entanglement between mother and daughter, or between sisters, caused by generation gap, different cultural and educational background, and distinct values. Her works attract scholars at home and abroad to study the issues of race, history, culture, identity and gender confronted by Chinese Americans. Amy Tan integrates Chinese traditional culture and American multi-culture with a unique narrative perspective and writing style. She has become one of the representatives of Chinese American literature.This thesis is targeted at the women characters'spiritual course in Amy Tan's novels The Joy Luck Club, The Hundred Secret Senses and The Kitchen God's Wife from the perspective of Freud's id, ego and super-ego to explore their growth from self-occlusion to openness, from separation to integration and from mutual disregard to identity. The thesis further reveals Amy Tan's creation intention and effects based on her own experiences and the above discussion.According to Freud, human personality is made up of id, ego and super-ego. Human shows different personality, life style and values in various circumstances. Driven by the pleasure principle, id seeks for instant satisfaction of instinct and desire. Guided by the morality principle, super-ego sublimates and consummates human nature and social relations. Influenced by the reality principle, ego struggles among id, super-ego and reality.Based on the methodology, this thesis mainly probes into Chinese-born first generation's and American-born second generation's mentality. The former presents their id of solitude, complex for the past, maternal love and strong will. In order to realize hopes, their ego makes efforts to plan and control their offspring's life, tolerates and represses the pain caused by the past, and enlightens the second generation with intelligence and memory. The identity, forgiveness and sacrifice they offer highlight their morality and dignity. Meanwhile, the second generation fully displays the nature of selfishness and arbitrariness. Their ego grows from the exclusion to the acceptance of Chinese identity and tradition. In trials and instruction, their personality finally reaches wholeness.The id, ego and super-ego of Amy Tan's women characters temper themselves in multicultural America. Their personal psyche and interaction reflect Chinese Americans'exploration of self-identity, and the collision and integration of Chinese-Western culture. In the two generations'confrontation and reconciliation, the greatness of maternal love is carried forward, and women's dignity, intelligence and independence are enhanced. Furthermore, character's mind is enriched by Christian doctrine of atonement and eternity, which is considered as a part of cultural influence.