From Disintegration To Unity

Doris Lessing, a British woman writer who is regarded as one of the most respected novelists in the world. She has gained a predominant position in contemporary English literature with her works covering a great number of subject matters and profound themes. The Golden Notebook, regarded as Lessing's masterpiece, contains splendid content through an intricate structure and reflects the spiritual and moral climate of the British society during 1950s. This thesis consists of four parts. Chapter one mainly introduces the author, the novel, literature review and the archetypal theory; Chapter two analyzes the heroine Anna from four important concepts: persona, anima and animus, shadow and self in Jung's archetypal theory; Chapter three selects other archetypes reflected in the novel; Chapter four draws conclusion.This thesis elaborates comprehensively Anna's spiritual process and therefore reveals the theme of the novel: from disintegration to unity. It provides a better way for readers to understand thoroughly its intricate structure, comprehensive content, and far-reaching realistically social significance.