An Analysis Of The Diaries Of Jane Somers From The Perspective Of Feminist Narratology

This paper chooses The Diaries of Jane Somers, the novel of Doris Lessing as its analytical topic. With the special narrative style of diary, this novel enjoys an advantage in showing the rationality and emotion of women more directly. Because the narrative way can provide the stage to the heroes and heroines so that they can tell their stories by themselves in the novel, which can also avoid the involvement of personal viewpoint of the author. Meanwhile it breaks the strict time limits and makes the whole story more complete and coherent. This thesis selects the image of Free Women as its main subject, and analyzes the relationship between freedom and psychological factor in social background, from the different characteristics and real lives of every dependent character. But it doesn't intend to make a definition to the"freedom", on the contrary it means to show that the real"freedom"is difficult to define and realize.These free women are regarded as the typical representative of the novel, and they are concerned as weak and oppressed beings. On the whole, they live in certain history background, and they are linked by friendship or family relationship, so their experience relate with all the aspects of the society. The analysis goes deeper from an overall perspective to the particular individuals'situation, choice and responsibility, which resonates with the thought of social group and human life. From the viewpoint of the relationship between people with people and people with the society, the novel shows the process of women's self-pursuit, as well as the contradictions and impact of the women's living condition and social status to individual's life.As diary and prose style are both used in this novel, it does not be divided by obvious time and space limit. It seems that the structure is disordered. But in fact, this chaotic structure is specially designed to show the thesis of the novel. The key of the structure is the relationship of the different parts of the novel, which links the heroine to the other characters, and also links the analysis of every part. The simplest case always contains the most complex and dedicate thing, which is the human nature. Moreover once the story involves with women, especially mature, outstanding and experienced women, the complexity of human nature can reach a special degree. This research is focus on common woman, through whose experience to show different life and attitude of women.This novel shows the real lives of free women and the contradiction between free and restrict in contrast as well as the contradiction between female psychology and social conflicts, which arouse women's attention to feminism and their own fate. Although freedom is still difficult for women to achieve, an appropriate understanding and realization to their own situation and standpoint should be regarded as a progress of women's self-awareness.