A Thematic Analysis Of John Hawkes' Second Skin

ABSTRACT This thesis is a thematic analysis of John 1-Iawkes?Second Skin from the perspective of Jacques Lacan and Jacques Derrida抯 post-structural theories. It consists of four parts. Part One is a brief introduction to the author and his novel Second Skin. Part Two is an introduction to the theoretical perspective applied in the paper. In this part, the theories of Jacques Lacan and Jacques Derrida will be introduced and compared. By comparison, it could be concluded that the thoughts of deconstruction have already manifested itself in Lacan抯 theoretical discussions of the decentrement of the subject and the decentrement of the Other. And it is from the decentering of both the subject and the Other that Jacques Derrida has been inspired and founded his deconstruction theory. Part Three focuses on the discussions on the two new themes of the novel梩he loss and reclamation of self and the social chaos and instability. Lacanian theories are employed to analyze the first theme, while Derridian theories are used in the analysis of the second theme. Part Four is the conclusion of the paper. The thematic analysis of Second Skin leads to the conclusion that: as an experimental and postmodernist novelist, John l-lawkes has made a lifelike description of the chaos and instability of American society, and he has also paid much more attention to man抯 living conditions in that society. The author of this paper holds that, on a personal level, the loss of Skipper抯 self is the actual reflection of the fate of his generation; and on a social level, the chaos and instability of society provides an explanation for the loss of self. However, Hawkes does not confine himself merely to the facts as they are. because literary works are written by people, written about people, and written for people. Hawkes?attention to loss of self symbolizes the return of subjective consciousness. while his attention to the social chaos and instability criticizes the inclination of nihilism of the deconstruction.