Growth And Self-Actualization-a Study Of My Antonia From The Perspective Of Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory

As one of the greatest American novelists in the early20th century, Willa Cather (1873-1947) has exerted profound influence on literature for her affectionate writings of the pioneers’lives in America West. Among her works, My Antonia, The Song of the Lark and O Pioneers! are known as the famous pioneer trilogy, which applauds the diligence and determination the pioneers display through their struggles with the wild land. Her works are mainly accepted and reviewed as feminist writing due to her unconventional views embodied in her heroines. In the recent decade, new trends from ecological or ecofeminist perspectives have emerged in the researches of Cather’s works. So far, according to the CNKI data bank, there are almost one hundred papers and dissertations focusing on this novel from various perspectives but there are only four studies on this novel that touch on the theme of growth from the feminism aspect. They probe into the course of females’growth and identity realization from the perspective of feminism. However, the previous researches related to the theme of growth do not go further into the social and practical significance of the novel.This thesis concerns on the theme of growth and self-actualization in My Antonia in terms of Maslow’s need hierarchy theory, studying the characters’satisfactions of different levels of needs and evaluating their developments. Maslow’s need hierarchy theory indicates that individual’s behavior is motivated by the five layers of needs, and the gratifications of needs parallel with and influence one’s growth and development. To some extent, the theory of human needs can serve as the generalization and summarization of human’s course of initiation and self-actualization. This thesis gains enlightenment on individual’s growth and self-actualization in the modern times from the psychological study of the novel. The thesis argues that happiness of the individual lies heavily with a rational pursuit of gratification in modern times. Based on foregoing analyses of the characters’growth and self-actualization, the thesis concludes that in modern times, as people are faced with a chain of crises and problems, individuals can gain and develop their happiness as long as they have an awareness of rational gratifications of needs and a clear direction towards self-actualization.