Quest For The Self

Saul Bellow (1915-2005), as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976, is regarded as one of the most outstanding writers in contemporary American literary world. His heroes are usually intellectuals, often writers, who suffer from lack of self-knowledge, spiritual pressure, and a variety of personal and social conflicts in an apathetic and mechanical urban world. Although the heroes in Bellow's novels suffer from spiritual"wasteland,"they try their best to seek the truth, the meaning of life, and the peace of mind. Henderson the Rain King, first published in 1959, is one of Bellow's most important novels, which depicts an isolated and anguished truth-seeker Eugene Henderson pursuing the rapport of his soul and the wholeness of his personality in his spiritual journey to Africa. This thesis analyzes Henderson's quest for his self and the rapport of his psyche i.e. his individuation process from the perspective of Jung's individuation theory.Individuation theory is an important part of Jung's analytical psychology. Individuation refers to the process to discover one's inner, unique and true self. Actually, it is the realization of the archetype of the self, so Jung also calls individuation self-realization. The goal of individuation is to know oneself and build up an integrated psyche.The thesis consists of five parts. The Introduction briefly introduces Saul Bellow and the features of his writing, reviews the readings of Henderson the Rain King by Chinese and foreign critics from different perspectives, and provides a brief survey of relevant concepts in Jung's individuation theory, which will be helpful in examining Henderson's quest for the self. Chapter One uncovers the causes that lead to Henderson's journey to Africa, that is, his journey to find his self. These causes are Henderson's despair in the wasteland world and his sense of alienation. His spiritual predicaments push him to find a way out.Chapter Two mainly explores Henderson's confrontation with archetypes in the unconscious, which is what he must undergo in order to seek his self and the wholeness of personality. This chapter successively deals with Henderson's abandonment of his persona, his struggle with shadows, and his rejection of his animas.Chapter Three studies the completion of Henderson's individuation. It analyzes the significant roles that Africa, a symbol of the deep unconscious, and mana-personalities play in Henderson's individuation. Queen Willatale changes Henderson's attitude towards women and inspires him to realize the importance of integrating feminine temperament into his personality. King Dahfu helps Henderson overcome his fear of the shadows, especially the death shadow. Under their influences, Henderson completes his individuation and acquires the rapport of his psyche and embarks on his journey back to the States.The Conclusion briefly reviews the main content of the thesis, confirms the completion of Henderson's individuation, and points out the value of the present study. Henderson eventually achieves self-realization, taking the baby lion Atti and a boy back to America, which symbolizes his rebirth. Jung holds that though individuation emphasizes on the individual's self-realization its ultimate purpose is to guide the individual to establish a more intimate relationship with the society. Henderson's return to the States with love and tolerance is in accordance with the Jungian idea of individuation. This thesis provides a new perspective for the study of Henderson the Rain King. Hopefully it will inspire more studies of the novel as well as Bellow's other works from this perspective.