A Freudian Approach To A Judgement In Stone

With more than fifty novels that are popular around the world, Ruth Rendell is the very famous British detective writer. A Judgement in Stone is greatly popular for its unique style. This thesis analyzes the characters in A Judgement in Stone and the causes of their final tragedy in light of Freudian Psychoanalytical theory. It falls into five parts which respectively are Introduction, Chapters I, Chapter II, Chapter III and Conclusion.The introduction deals with Ruth Rendell's family background, her position in British literature, the general introduction to the novel, literature review and the introduction of Freudian theory. It is the author's accumulation of her experience and her devotion to the study of Freudian theory that inspire her in her creation.Chapterâ… explores the function of each part of the structure of mind - Id, Ego and Superego in every character's personality and how their fates are partly decided by the overwhelmingly vigorous one of these three parts. Self-destruction is Id's final production in this novel. Part of the devil behaviors derive from the uncontrollable Id's desires: Eunice's eager to money; Jacqueline's vanity and their fleeing from responsibility. Self-isolation is another outgrowth of Id which makes Giles an egoist and knows nothing about the dangers around him. Both the spreading desires and the self-isolation play negative roles in the developments of characters' personality and leads to the tragedy that four members of the Coverdales are murdered in the St. Valentine's Eve. Ego is the struggle for survival that helps Eunice temporarily to flee from the domination of Id's Pleasure Principle. But her overwhelmingly strong Id, together with Joan's temptation, manipulates her to make plenty of evildoings. The Superego is the only origin of morality in this novel. The mutual understanding within the Coverdales, their passion towards life and their help to Eunice, especially the supervision embodied by George partly threat and limit the Id's destructive desires to some degree. But it is too weak to change the Coverdales' fate to be killed. A conclusion can be reached that the imbalance of the structure of mind is the cause of the abnormality of their life and the inducement of their tragedy.Chapterâ…¡analyses the effect of Eros and Thanatos in their life. In the Eros towards the outside word - Aim-inhibited love, the Coverdales' concern about each other, Melinda's help to Eunice consolidate the calm and comfortable living environments. But the Thanatos from Joan's old wish for Omnipotence brings destruction to the outside world: peeping, gossips, assault, battery, and the final massacre. It smashes the livable place once created by the Coverdales abortively. On the other hand, Chapterâ…¡also contrasts Eros and Thanatos through their effects towards characters' inner world from the comparison between Self-preservation and Masochism. Eunice devotes herself into the housework and represses her fondness to literature. On the contrary, Joan shows great death instinct from her Masochism and her suicide. A conclusion can be drawn that, compared with the strong Thanatos, Eros is too weak to survive.Chapterâ…¢argues about the negative influence cast by the abnormal Libido on the characters' life. Superabundant Libido of George and Joan is respectively transformed into the over-indulgence and the obsessive neurosis, homosexuality. Oral fixation pulls Eunice into abnormal state stepwisely. Oedipus complex makes Gils not only impotent to pursue his true love but also hostile to the elegant George. His connivance to Eunice and Joan's evildoings towards George is the aftereffect of his blindfold hostility, which accelerates the final tragedy. The abnormality of their Libido, together with their mismanagements to it, is the vital cause of their tragedy.This thesis ends up with such a conclusion that the imbalance in one's development, especially the mental development is the origin of all kinds of mental diseases which incur psychic illness and abnormality in behaviors. This thesis warns: we should tutor our-self and build a peaceful family atmosphere where people can adjust themselves positively. We also should pay more attention to the child-education.