A Post-colonial Reading Of The Marginal Man In Martha Quest

Doris Lessing is one of the most outstanding female writers of Britain. Lessing’s careful observation and keen insight make her works full of charm. The unique life experiences of Lessing have huge impact on her writing career and help to establish her own style. “The marginal man” image has become one of the most prominent characteristics throughout Lessing’s novels. All of these marginal characters are the distinct microcosm of the social reality of that era reflecting Lessing’s own emotions and concerns. This thesis attempts to analyze the plight of the marginal characters in Lessing’s Martha Quest against the background of colonization with the adoption of post-colonial theory and marginal man theory and the possible formative reasons of the marginal man are explored as well.The thesis is divided into five parts. The first part is an introduction to the writer and her works including research significance and thesis structure. The second chapter deals with literature reviews on her works both at home and abroad, and gives an introduction to the research theoretical foundations and a brief analysis of characteristics of the marginal man. Chapter Three illustrates the plight of the marginal characters(the white female Martha, the excluded Jew Adolph and the oppressed local native Daniel) in Martha Quest, and probes into the family environment’s influence on the protagonist Martha. Chapter four explores two main formative reasons of the marginal man in Lessing’s Martha Quest, one is Lessing’s own early marginal life experiences and the other is the historical and social conditions. The last chapter serves as the conclusion part. The description of the marginal characters shows Doris Lessing’s humanitarian spirit as well as her general concerns for the disadvantaged groups. Understanding marginal man and respecting their marginal culture are meaningful to the social stability and the pluralistic development of culture.