Soul Expeditions

Shosha is American Jewish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer's semi-autobiographical novel after The Manor and Enemy, A Love Story, which was published in 1978.However, critics hold controversial opinions over this novel centering on the biographical features and visions presented in the plot. Up till now, few critics have carried an in-depth and comprehensive study on it.Focusing on the critical controversy, this thesis mainly attempts to analyze the archetypal characters and motifs developed in Shosha from the perspective of archetypal criticism in order to explore the collective unconscious of the quest for spiritual homeland. This thesis can be divided into three parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion.The introduction part includes a brief introduction to Isaac Bashevis Singer and Shosha, and brief introduction of this thesis.The body consists of four chapters. Chapter 2 briefly introduces the basic theoretical ideas of archetypal criticism as the theoretical foundation of the research and the paper as well. Chapter 3 is an analysis of the archetypal characters presented in this novel. Betty is the displacement of the Shadow; Bashele (Shosha's mother) is the manifestation of the Great Mother; Shosha is the embodiment of the Peace Child. Two archetypal motifs are shown in Chapter 4: quest motif and death-rebirth motif. Chapter 5 illustrates three common archetypes related to this novel.The conclusion summarizes the thesis and restates the significance of Singer's employment of archetypes in Shosha, which not only adds the readability and profundity but also examines the collective unconscious shared by every one of us. Therefore, the theme of seeking spiritual homeland is intensified.