An Odyssey For Self-discovery

Doris Lessing is one of the most prominent contemporary English writers, as wellas a Nobel Prize winner in literature. She is productive in literary works，the themesof which cover colonialism, feminism, mysticism, modern psychology among others.The publication of The Summer Before the Dark in1973immediately attractsextensive attention internationally. In China, however, the relevant research is limited,mainly from the perspectives of feminism, narrative strategy, and psychology toanalyze this works.This thesis manages to analyze the protagonist Kate Brown’s self-discovery andself-construction journey from the perspective of American social psychologist E.Tory Higgins’ self-discrepancy theory, to demonstrate Kate’s spiritual journey fromconfusion and agony to awakening and rebirth.Kate’s self-discovery journey can be explored through three dimensions. Of thethree, one horizontal dimension is the three stages of the spiritual journey based onKate’s self-discovery process; one vertical dimension is the three methods ofself-discovery going through this whole process which are self-endeavor, amiableenvironment, and sisterhood; the last dimension is the symbolic technique, which isthe seal dream shedding enlightenment on Kate’s spiritual journey. To be exact, thewounded seal is her actual self sandwiched by the bifurcated selves. Through this longand painstaking journey, Kate finally achieves her self-realization.