Intimacy And Autonomy: The Quest For Identity In A.S. Byatt's Possession

Possession, the 1990 Booker-Prize winning novel, by A. S. Byatt reflects her continuous concern of intellectuals' living. This group of people is commonly obsessed with the problem how to achieve a good balance between self-reflexivity and interaction with others. Modern sociologists advocate that identity construction is situated not only in the self but also in relationships with others in the external world, so this thesis centers on the characters'identity quest from the perspective of interpersonal relations.This novel sets up two parallel plots which connect the nineteenth-century past and the twentieth-century present. The characters in both ages are trying to search for their own independent identity through their interaction with the outside subjects and objects. One's growth is related to others, however, clear boundaries within a relationship is obviously important for identity construction. Intimacy and autonomy are two interrelated terms. Intimacy requires one knows others as independent agents to communicate with, while autonomy ensures one's self is not absorbed by others.The characters in Possession in the Victorian age and the modern era all encounter various difficulties in keeping the balanced interpersonal relations, but they are persistent in pursing their own identity. Among them, the two protagonist couples in two centuries, namely Ash and LaMotte, Roland and Maud, have achieved some success in their mutual exploratory journey. Women artists are a notable group in Possession and their identity quest is essential throughout the novel. Though restricted by rigid social conventions and biased gender relationships, they attempt to achieve their balanced identity both as common women and as creative artists. The modern female intellectuals have cooperated with each other and learnt from their foremothers, thus through inheritance and reform they enjoy a bright future for their quest for identity.