An Intertextual Interpretation Of The Collector

This thesis mainly uses the theory of intertextuality to interpret the famous English novelist John Fowles's The Collector. Through analyzing the referential relations between the novel and its diverse intertexts, the thesis intends to explain that the theory of intertextuality, as a means for literature interpretation, has played an important role in enriching reading experiences and deepening the appreciation of the novel. The intertextual reading of The Collector with Shakespeare's The Tempest reveals that the beautiful life and human love are disappeared in Fowles's text, which depicts the suppressed human nature and dissatisfying postmodern life. The intertextuality of Nabokov's Lolita and The Collector shows that Humbert's crazy possession of the nymphet Lolita is similar with Clegg's fascination to Miranda and imprisonment of her. Both of them show the objectification and dehumanization of women. Clegg's narration and Miranda's diary form a distinct intertextual relationship. The analysis of the two narratives' intertextuality indicates that both Clegg and Miranda are restrained and imprisoned by their dogmatic understanding and abidance of the traditional values. Meanwhile, Fowles's superior handling of the double perspective liberates both the author and the reader from the authoritative narrative tradition. The intertextual reading of Freudian psychoanalysis and Fowles's contribution to psychological analysis by the concept "the nemo" make the interpretation of the main characters colorful and profound. The thesis gets the conclusion that by exploring more intertexts of the present novel, the intertextual interpretation will enrich readers' understanding of the main characters and the diverse themes of the novel, and also deepen the novel's social significance and aesthetic values.