On The Desire Theme In Ford’s The Good Soldier

Ford Madox Ford (1873-1939) is an outstanding British novelist during theEdwardian period whose masterpiece The Good Soldier employs the skillednarrative art and technique. The novel’s profound hints and themes hidden behindthe fine technique are easy to be ignored and suspected. The concept of desirepenetrates into the whole work. With its climax spanning from1903to1915, thenovel represents people’s spiritual confusion and arousal under the context of theindustrial revolution.“Desire”, as an interdisciplinary term, is studied in various academic fields,such as philosophy, psychology and psychiatry. This thesis researches on the endlessjourney of chasing desires in the literary field, in which “desire” means a strongemotion and refers to a cognition way for spirit. In Sigmund Freud’s opinion, desirecan be fulfilled whereas the thesis, applying Jacques Lacan’s concept of desire andcombining with the background of industrial society, attempts to analyze thesituation that three characters pursue desires boundlessly and shows a state of mentalconfusion on people living in society where the material is prosperous.The introduction in this thesis sorts out the domestic and foreign academicresults with a brief analysis of the concept of desire. Chapter one expoundsFlorence’s nature of desiring for money. Florence uses marriage as a bargaining chipto exchange for money at first. After that, she longs for grabbing greater wealth bythe means of committing adultery. Her blind pursuit of money is essentially theperformance of her spiritual emptiness. Chapter two discusses the gradual process ofLeonora’s power desire. Leonora as a woman under the context of co-existence ofthe old and new ideology takes rid of the ideology that women should be oppressedby man and starts to yearn for the power. She strives for getting the powercontrolling Edward’s economy and direction of life with all sacrifices, but shechanges her desire orientation when she recognizes bitter realities. She turns back towish to maintain the power of wife, justice and religion. In essence, her transformation of power desire is a process of exploring the spiritual satisfaction.Chapter three focuses on the unfeasibility of Edward’s love desire. Edward has aheart of philanthropy comforting or assisting every wretch who meets with him andnever craving for reciprocation. However, his selflessness and altruism can not beaccepted in that capitalist society where individualism prevails. Therefore, he ismarginalized by the society. Later, he falls in love with his “foster daughter” Nancypassionately, which results in the emergence of the moral dilemma. Eventually,Edward resolutely commits suicide just in order that Nancy can keep her love to himperpetually whereas Edward’s self-sacrifice is not realized due to Nancy’s departureand madness. Edward’s mad pursuit of love desire substantially is a spiritual quest.Through probing into three characters’ situation of spiritual hollowness, spiritualexploration and spiritual pursuit under the context of industrial society, Ford presentsthe imbalance between the material and spiritual development, reveals the facts thathumanity lost and belief was at the wrong track, and reflects the situation thatenlightenment began rising with no sign. In addition, this thesis reflects thepredicament that appears in China nowadays.