Anna's Free Choices In The Absurd World

The Golden Notebook written by the famous contemporary British writer Doris Lessing has raised concerns and fervent discussions from literary critics for its unique structure, various themes and profound thoughts since it was published in 1962. Against the background of London after World WarⅡ, the novel mainly describes the intellectual woman Anna's living and spiritual state. As a serious writer, Lessing has always been concerned about the survival of humanity and social development, so society and human life are two indispensable elements in her works. This thesis attempts to analyze The Golden Notebook from the existentialist point of view, exploring how the absurd and chaotic world exerts influences on human beings, especially on women, and how the protagonist Anna overcomes the chaos outside, gets her spiritual freedom and realizes the meaning of her existence through free choices.The thesis is composed of the Introduction, the body and the Conclusion, and the body is divided into four chapters.The introductory part includes three aspects of information. Firstly, it introduces Lessing's life and her works, especially The Golden Notebook. Secondly, it makes a concise review of the previous studies on Doris Lessing and her works as well as the existentialist analyses of The Golden Notebook carried out by scholars both at home and abroad. Finally, it illustrates the feasibility to interpret The Golden Notebook from the perspective of existentialism.Chapter One gives an overview of existentialism, an important philosophical and literary trend in the twentieth century, and introduces some of the existentialist views of Sartre and Camus.The second chapter gives an analysis on how the absurd world affects Anna's existence. After World WarⅡ, with the collapse of traditional values, the society is full of chaotic and uncertain elements, and the political environment is unpredictable, so that people lost their sense of security. Living in this environment full of changes and chaos, Anna is constantly encountered with frustration and setbacks. Though a successful writer, Anna questions the significance of writing novels because the serious theme of her novel is ignored intentionally by people so that she suffers from the writer's block; as a woman struggling for true love, Anna cannot find a man responsible for their love; in her political activities, Anna's call for justice and order seems unrealistic in the chaotic reality, so that she is disillusioned; as a caring mother, her values are challenged by her children. Living in a world of chaos and absurdity, Anna feels painful, fearful and confused, and she doubts the meaning of her existence.The third chapter is intended to analyze how Anna revolts against the absurd world and confirms the meaning of her existence. Unwilling to indulge herself in pain, fear and confusion, after fierce struggle and reflections, Anna comes to realize that as a human, she must revolt against absurdity of the world to obtain the meaning of individual existence. However, this revolt doesn't mean the denial of absurdity but the affirmation of it and the courage to accept it and to face the reality. Anna finally accepts the absurd essence of the world. Thus, she acquires a deeper understanding of human existence and affirms the meaning of her existence.The fourth chapter discusses Anna's free choices and the corresponding responsibilities. With the acceptance of the absurd nature of the world, Anna makes free choices in the absurd situation and shoulders the responsibility for her choices. At the end of the novel, on the basis of understanding absurdity, Anna achieves her authentic freedom by getting out of her confusion and involving herself in social activities.Finally, the thesis gets such a conclusion that Anna consequently undergoes a significant spiritual transformation from frustration and fear to the struggle for her spiritual freedom against the absurdity and achieves her authentic being in the absurd world. By portraying such an intellectual woman, Lessing reveals to her readers the importance of people's spiritual pursuit.