A Study Of The Jewish Images From The Perspective Of Maslow’s Motivation Theory

Abraham Maslow is a well-known American social psychologist, personality theorist, comparative psychologist and the major initiator of humanistic psychology. In1943, he raised "hierarchy theory of needs" in the thesis of "A Theory of Human Motivation". Later, he concluded the theory as his Motivation Theory. Since the birth of Maslow’s Motivation Theory, it has been used in the study of psychology, behavoristics, education, management and economics at home and abroad. However, few scholars would use it in the research of literature. As the marginal men in history, the Jews have suffered enough from humiliation, wandering for thousands of years without being valued as they deserve. The studies on the Jews at home and abroad are mainly focused on the aspects of nation, race and religion. Very few scholars analyze the Jewish images in literary works with the connection of literature and psychology. Apart from the influence of the external factors such as nation and race, the internal factors of the Jews’psychology also have non-negligible effects upon their behaviors. And this is a key point for Jews’rehabilitation.The thesis is divided into five parts. It aims to apply Maslow’s Motivation Theory to the study of the Jewish images in literary works The Merchant of Venice and Ivanhoe. With combination of the historical background depicted in the two works, through the analysis of the deficiency and gratification of each level of needs of the two fathers and daughters, Shylock and Jessica, Isaac and Rebecca, reasons for their different behaviour and different fates under similar external environment will be found.Based on comparative analysis of the texts, the conclusion can be reached that although external factors are conditional, and internal factors are dominant, when the influence of environment is greater than the human needs, the external factors would become the dominant force to lead to human’s psychological "sickness". Only when one’s inner will is more powerful than the oppression of the outer environment can he overcome the outer negative impacts and keep firm to his own heart. And the acquiring of human’s willpower is determined by the degree of satisfaction for basic needs in early years. Therefore, we should handle with the internal factors and the external factors equally, both of which are of equal importance to human’s behaviour and fate. Under the joint effects of internal and external factors, the behaviour issued by the four Jewish images in texts has their own rationality. The once demonized images can be humanized.Moreover, the thesis has also proved the feasibility of using Maslow’s Motivation Theory upon the study of Jewish images in literary works and helped the readers better understand these literary images. Nowadays, interdisciplinary research has become the new tendency. There should be more scholars who interpret literary works from a more innovative and comprehensive angle. Only through this way can the classic works in the history of literature be better understood and their charms be spread to later generations.