On Escape Theme In Washington Irving's Travelogues

Washington Irving (1783-1859), one of the first American professional writers in 19th century, achieved a prominent international reputation with his creation of travelogues, in which he narrated a large number of domestic and international anecdotes with the view of a traveler.From the very beginning of his creation of the travelogues, Irving's works attracts a lot of critics'attention at home and abroad. Few people, however, made a systematical account of the escape theme embodied in his travelogues and the escape complex reflected in his personal life. Yet as an indispensable element in the national collective unconscious, escape has long been a vital part of American life and an unfailing motif in American literature. So this dissertation tries to explore the embodiment and causes of escape complex in Irving's life and travelogues by applying psychoanalytical approach and centering on his main travelogues of escape theme in different times and cultural backgrounds, his letters as well as his biographies.According to Jung's definition, complex is a kind of strongly accentuated emotion, which is repressed but constantly exists in human being's unconsciousness. It is the result of concerted effect by internal personality, external reality and collective unconscious. The escape complex in Irving's works and his life is not only the result of his incompliant personality toward conventions, the product of the sharp contrast between the social unrest, poor cultural atmosphere in America and stable social order, rich cultural deposits in Europe, but also the result of his ancestors'imperceptible escape tradition. To escape earthly problems, people often choose a way of retiracy and lead a cloistered life. Irving, however, did not really isolate himself from the earth and live apart. He achieved his escape in a different way---traveling, which provided him a unique perspective to observe the real world.This thesis is divided into three chapters to clarify three main escape modes in Irving's travelogues. Chapter One discusses the first escape mode---escape from duty. Characters with a rebellious mind toward tradition occupied a considerable part in Irving's travelogues. Those characters refused to fulfill the duty in the traditional way prescribed by society; to show their resistance, they eventually shrugged off duty by escaping to nature or an alien land. Some of them remained in the alien land and left duty behind them while others returned and fulfilled their duties by exerting their advantages after having perceived the interrelation between usage of fortes and realization of duty. Chapter Two studies the second escape mode---escape from censure. When suffering censure and exclusion from others for holding different values, some characters in Irving's travelogues usually chose the way of escape to mollify contradictions. Escaping forever or returning later, they finally lived a different life, usually better than before: becoming prosperous by digging precious deposits or achieving both fame and wealth by gaining decent jobs. Chapter Three places emphasis on the third escape mode---escape from patriarchy. There is no lack of brave, independent and strong-minded women in Irving's travelogues: they either escaped from patriarchal domination in a silent way, or challenged husbands'authority in an overtly way. Their escape in body and soul reflected women's awakening of self-consciousness. Besides, Irving's travelogues also witnessed a group of young men's departing from father-dominated home. To pursue freedom or seek for love, they unhesitatingly defied their fathers'authorities by the way of setting foot on the alien land.After delving the escape modes and reasons in Irving's works and life, the thesis concludes: refusing to abide by the tradition, value discrepancy and self-awareness awakening were the direct reasons of Irving's and his characters'escape. Escape is not only one of the sustained motifs in American literature, but also a phenomenon that can not be ignored in American life. Thus the study of escape theme in Irving's travelogues and his personal life on the one hand has the instructional function on tracing the history of American escape literature; and on the other hand it can help readers to understand the social situation before and after the American Independence War.