Return To Nature

For so long, studies on E. M. Forster and his works are mostly from the perspectives of cultural studies, post-colonial studies, and gender studies except myth-archetypal criticism. Based on Northrop Frye’s myth-archetypal theories, it can be seen that there’re plenty of archetypes in Forster’s early work A Room with a View. However, at Forster’s time myth-archetypal theories are far from blooming. In this sense, Forster can be said to be a pioneer in the myth-archetypal field. Although with simple plots and plain words, his early work A Room with a View is an outstanding archetypal epic whose connotations are still of significance for scholars to study.Therefore, based on the archetypal methods Frye recommends, this thesis examines various archetypal images in the novel from three elements of mythos, ethos, and dianoia, and discusses Forster’s intention of employing so many archetypes. Chapter One starts with the mythos, and systematically probes into various archetypal images from four mythical phases as spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively corresponding to the narrative modes of comedy, romance, tragedy and irony. Chapter Two further studies the ethos to analyze the archetypal characters in the novel according to Frye’s classification of three worlds as the apocalyptical, the analogical and the demonic. Chapter Three ends with the dianoia to point out the archetypes of recurrence and return throughout the novel, which leads to the main theme of return to nature. That is, all things have come from nature and will finally return to nature.Through the analysis, this thesis comes to a conclusion: as a writer who worships nature and communication, Forster has myth-archetypal ideology deep in his unconscious. That’s why he employs such a method to write in a time without systematical archetypal theories. The novel’s happy ending of return exactly is the embodiment of Forster’s lifetime hope of return to nature.