Interpretation Of Sophie's Tragic Destiny From The Perspective Of Space

Based on the novel Sophie's Choice written by William Styron,the thesis shows the complicated relationship between spatial consciousness of the novel and character's tragic destiny.The related studies at home and abroad are few,but they all indicate the potential space in a sense,which helps the thesis study from the perspective of space.The whole thesis consists of five parts by exploring Sophie's tragic destiny in Sophie's Choice as follow: physical space,social space and psychological space.Chapter one introduces William Styron's achievements,the study on Sophie's Choice at home and abroad,as well as the spatial theory;Then shows the frame of the thesis based on the novel.Chapter two analyzes the physical space where heroine stays.Physical space is the representation of human's inner emotion and often has the symbolic meaning,which often appears as landscape and architecture.The transference from Poland to American,different houses she stays in and Pub belong to her physical space which all make her feel dejected and asphyxiated.The oppression of physical space and her forced transference expose predicament she stays.Chapter three analyzes social space's oppression on Sophie.Social space can reflect the social conflicts and human's relationship.This part mainly explores Sophie's disharmonious relationship with her family,Nazi officer's oppression on her and Nathan's destructive love with Sophie.Living in the male-dominant society,Sophie's space is always dominated by others.Nobody couldn't understand her experience truly and her spatial experience makes Sophie lose subjectivity gradually.Finally Sophie is marginalized in the society.Her social space reflects the oppression of gender and race,which aggravates her death.Chapter four shows Sophie's abandonment in psychological space.Because of her dejected spatial experience in Concentration Camp,she commits a suicide in Cathedral.Family space's depression causes her recurring dream.What's more,Sophie's failure of going to Virginia with Stingo shatters her hope for life.Without the capability to construct her own psychological space,Sophie only chooses death to get rid of all miseries.The last chapter is the conclusion which summarizes space's effect on Sophie's fate.Space is political,productive and ideological.Sophie's tragic destiny is caused by oppression based on space.At the bottom of the society,she couldn't have power to dominate her own space.Only death could free her from all the sorrows.