An Analysis Of Protagonists’ Psychological Journey In Home From The Perspective Of Post-Colonialism

Toni Morrison is an outstanding representative of Afro-American literary world in the 20th century and the only one Afro-American female writer who won the Noble Prize for literature so far. In 2012, Toni Morrison debuts her tenth novel Home. This short but forceful novel once again demonstrates the writer’s elegant and poetic language, the artful utilization of myths and legends and unique, varied narrative techniques. In the mean time, Toni Morrison never ceases to conduct a deep probe into the uniqueness of Afro-American race, its culture and its survival. She has become a monument of American literary field.This thesis conducts a study of three stages of protagonists’ psychological development from Unhomeliness, Hybridity and Third Space of Homi K. Bhabha’s postcolonial theories based on a great deal of research and analysis. This thesis is aimed at elucidating the relationship of survival theme put forward by Toni Morrison and post-colonialism, which will enrich the research concerning this novel, making a bit of attempt for exploring Afro-American people’s survival strategy and making an effort to offer a certain reference for the development of other ethnic minorities.This thesis is composed of three parts, including an introduction, the main body and a conclusion. Its main contents are as follows:The first part is an introduction. This part firstly makes an introduction of Toni Morrison and her works Home. Then, it gives an overview of research conditions at home and abroad. Finally, it offers an introduction of theory basis, innovations and practical significance.The second part is the main body, which consists of three chapters:Chapter One mainly conducts an analysis of Afro-American people’s "homeless" psychological state in American mainstream society from Homi K. Bhabha’s Unhomeliness. This chapter firstly adopts Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of Unhomeliness to explain the reflection of white culture and black culture in Afro-American people. White cultural hegemony puts Afro-American people in the conflicts of white culture and black culture and none of them offers them a sense of belonging. Next, it carries on an analysis of Afro-American people’s disadvantaged conditions in various fields of social life, pointing out that the racial system carried out in America in the 1950s is the reason of producing Afro-American people’s anguish of rootless. Finally, this chapter conducts an explanation of the reason causing protagonists’ double marginal status, pointing out that the double pressure from society and family is the main reason of protagonists’physical and psychological trauma, which lays a foundation of the journey in search for root.Chapter Two mainly explains protagonists’hard journey of returning black groups, identifying black fine traditional culture, soothing trauma and finding a sense of belonging from Homi K. Bhabha’s Hybridity. This chapter firstly applies Homi K. Bhabha’s Hybridity to analyze the importance of sticking to and carrying forward black fine traditional culture. The hybridization of black culture and white culture makes Afro-American people realize deficiencies of white culture and forces them to take black fine traditional culture as a tragedy of resisting hurts. Next, it demonstrates the positive function of black fine traditional culture in soothing protagonists’trauma by tactful handling, pointing out that the identification of black fine traditional culture is an important approach for Afro-American people to seek for a sense of belonging. Finally, it concentrates on the inheritance role of Afro-American group home in black fine traditional culture, pointing out that the Afro-American group home is a spiritual home of providing love and dignity for Afro-American compatriots.Chapter Three mainly adopts Homi K. Bhabha’s Third Space to demonstrate that protagonists, under the influence of affection, release emotions and confronting trauma so as to obtain the redemption of hearts, finding the belonging of hearts for selves and the whole Afro-American nation. This chapter firstly applies Homi K. Bhabha’s Third Space to conduct a discussion of the uniqueness of Afro-American culture. For surviving and developing in America, Afro-American people should create distinctive Afro-American culture, which distinguishes from both white culture and African black culture. Next, there is a discussion of the important function of warm family and deep affection in protagonists’release of emotions, pointing out that warm family environment and deep affection make protagonists obtain enough courage to release memories and confront trauma so as to gain spiritual growth and psychological maturity. Finally, this chapter explains that through burying bones under the sweet bay tree, which symbols tenacious and unyielding spirit, protagonists bid farewell to the painful past and obtains redemption of hearts, finding the place of belonging of hearts, which stands for the end of journey returning "home".The last part is the conclusion. This part firstly makes a brief summary of analysis concerning the main body. This thesis carries on concrete analysis of three stages of characters’psychological development with Homi K. Bhabha’s postcolonial theories as theoretical basis. Next, it demonstrates research significance of this thesis, presenting the importance of distinctive Afro-American culture for Afro-American people’s survival and development. Finally, it concentrates on the practical significance and strives to offer a certain reference for the development of other ethnic minorities.