On Binary Oppositions In The Thorn Birds

Colleen McCullough is a versatile contemporary Australia woman writer. Her masterpieceThe Thorn Birds, a famous family saga, follows the lives, love and deaths of one family-three generations of the Cleary’s, vividly depicts a sentimental love between Meggie andFather Ralph. It causes tremendous sensation and earns much attention in the world afterpublication in1977.Critics home and aboard have done a lot of study work in analyzing its characters,disclosing the very themes, and exploring its narrative techniques. Binary oppositions existsubstantially in literary works and have become a very essential means in literary criticism.There are several pairs of binary oppositions in The Thorn Birds, which enhance its artisticvalues. On the basis of the research done by previous scholars, the thesis is intended to usethe core of the structuralism，binary opposition，to analyze the novel and expose how theemployment of binary oppositions successfully describes the characters, discloses the theme,and reinforces the tragedy.The thesis is composed of three parts. Part one is the introduction, briefly introducing thewriter, the critical comments to the novel and the theory of binary opposition in literary critics.Part two, the body of the thesis, consists of three chapters.Chapter one focuses on binary oppositions in characterization. Two pairs of binaryoppositions, traditional virtues and rebellious spirits, careerists and victims, are depicted inthis chapter. The characters in the novel keep struggling against fate, but meantime themerciless destiny cruelly plays tricks on them. Meggie is a perfect traditional woman, whileshe is a rebellious persistent pursuer. Fiona is a fair but a grieved lady all her life. Theirtragedy originates from their character of conflicts between traditional virtue and rebelliousspirit. Ralph and Mary are successful in their career. The conflicts between Ralph’s ambitionin career and coward in love and the contrasts between Mary’s intelligence and sophisticationexpose the reasons of their tragedy.Chapter two mainly deals with the binary oppositions in theme. Three pairs of binaryoppositions are mentioned in this part, that is, divinity and secularity, love and hatred,patriarchy and feminism. The conflicts of divinity and secularity lie in Ralph’s duty and desire, loyalty and betrayal. Meggie’s pursuit of forbidden love and Mary’s distorted love andcruelty disclose the contradiction of love and hatred. Living in the society of patriarchy, fourmain female characters reveal the awakening and the development of feminism in differentlevels.Chapter three discusses the binary oppositions in imagery. By analyzing the legend ofthe thorn birds contrasts in happiness and misery, as well as the imagery of Drogheda and thefire, this chapter further explores how the employment of binary oppositions in successfullyuncovers the theme and intensifies the effect of tragedy.Part three is the conclusion part. After reviewing each part of the thesis, the author drawsthe conclusion that in The Thorn Birds, all of the binary oppositions are the reflection of thewriter’s experience and thoughts. Colleen employs several pairs of binary oppositions todepict the characters, deepen the theme and reveal further the root of the characters’ tragedyboth from their own character and the society, therefore enhance the novel’s artistic values.