Interpretation Between Susan Sontag’s Critical Theory And Her Novel In America

The thesis tries to demonstrate how Sontag applies her critical theory to her novelIn America, which in turn reflects her critical theory by different narrative forms andunique styles.Besides “Introduction” and “Conclusion”，the study contains three chapters．The first chapter is about overseas and domestic research on Susan Sontag and thenovel In America. To begin with，it points out that American and other westernscholars study her critical works earlier and in various ways. And then it makes thefundamental domestic literature review on Sontag and the novel In America.The second chapter is a detailed introduction of Sontag’s critical theory. First, itanalyzes Sontag’s famous critical theory “against interpretation”. It points out thatwhat Susan Sontag really opposes is the wrong way readers directly experienceaesthetic sensibility without any restriction through sense, that is against “simplifiedinterpretation”. And then, it explains the essence of new sensibility from two aspects–unique aesthetic experience and against the capitalist consumption aesthetics.The third chapter is the detailed interpretation between Sontag’s critical theoryand the novel In America from three aspects. The first one reveals that Sontageffectively designs the plot and suspense, action and conflict to oppose conventionalinterpretation. In order to further confirm reflection of her critical theory in InAmerica, Sontag elaborately designs multisubjects like outbreak of utopia andAmerican individualism against wanton interpretation to make the novel open anddifficult to interpret, which in turn shows the protagonist Maryna persistently fightsand negotiates with the power of social reality to gain the self-perfection to an utmostdegree. The last one interprets in detail how Sontag applies different narrative forms,which includes bracket, dialogue, letter, diary, stream of consciousness and monologue, to construct fragments and polyphonic forms to make readers apply newsensibility to sense the multi-cultural, fragmentary and complex world.All in all, the thesis is to present tracks of Sontag’s critical theory in the novel InAmerica. In an attempt to represent her critical theory in her works especially InAmerica, Sontag effectively manifests her exquisite narrative forms and styles, herconsideration about the present world in the aesthetics. There’s no doubt that InAmerica perfectly and successfully embodies Susan Sontag’s critical theory and ideasof aesthetics against interpretation and new sensibility.