The Collector In The Horizon Of Spatial Criticism

People used to adopt a dual mode of thinking about space:one fixing mainly on the concrete materiality of spatial forms, on things that can be empirically mapped; and the other, conceiving in ideas about space, in thoughtful re-presentations of human spatiality in mental or cognitive forms. Soja goes beyond the convention of dividing "space" into the "material" and the "mental", and proposes the concept of "Thirdspace", which intends to explore the "real" and the "imagined" space simultaneously.The theory of Thirdspace advocated by Edward W. Soja is the convergence of subject and object, the real and the imagined, repetition and difference; he conducted the sociology research from the perspective of space. The theory of Thirdspace has been brought here to analyze gender space, living space, and textual space in John Fowles’novel The Collector, and to point out many of contradictions and conflicts brought up by the difference in gender, vocation and class of heroes and heroine under specific closed space (cellar).The first chapter focuses on the "gender space" in this novel. As an ordinary or even plain employee, Clegg could not acquire his superiority in a real world which is normally experienced by other male subjects. Through imprisoning Miranda’s body in the cellar, he could satisfy his desire of possession and controlling which he misses in the ground real world. Clegg transforms himself from "the controlled" to "the controller" when he switches from the upper ground world to the underground world. The second hero G. P. in this novel is also a controller of Miranda, but in an implicit way. As a mentor of Miranda, he has successfully transplanted his thoughts into her mind and brought her under his spiritual control. In a sense, the two men are the collectors for Miranda, physically and spiritually.The second chapter discusses the "living space" of protagonists. Clegg was born in an ordinary worker’s family and lives a humble life, which makes him lacking of family warmth and good education. His tedious work makes his spirit empty, and he gradually develops a hobby of collecting butterfly specimens. This hobby of killing is further develops from depriving the life of animals to the freedom of humans. On the contrary, Miranda comes from a family of good education, and is now an art student. The good education and art background nurture her quality of passion for love and pursuit of freedom. Different life styles and living backgrounds contribute to their extreme characters and outlook on life. When they are put together in a narrow underground cellar, intense conflicts become inevitable and irreconcilable. Miranda dies from the conflicts of two completely different living spaces rather than the long-time imprisoning by Clegg.The third chapter analyzes the "narrative features" of The Collector. The novel adopts a double narrative structure, both Clegg and Miranda telling the same story alternatively. However, Miranda’s narration is included and enclosed in Clegg’s. Clegg’s control over Miranda extends from her body to her speech.In sum, The Collector presents to readers a three-dimensional open space:from ground to underground, from body to thought, from the real to the imagined, different forces conflict and compete with each other for their own interests, highlighting the meaning of those differential spaces.