| Edith Wharton(1862-1937)is one of the most important American female writers.Wharton is sensitive to her environment,and holds talents in portraying conventions and code of manners in old New York society.The Age of Innocene won the Pulitzer Prize for literature,which tells the complicated emotional entanglement among main characters in old New York society,including Newland Archer,Ellen Olenska and May Welland.Based on the previous study,this thesis intends to apply Freudian Anxiety and Defense mechanisms theory to analyze the complicated mental process of the main characters,exploring their anxiety and their ways of dealing with their anxiety by adopting ego-defense mechanisms to achieve their inner peace.This thesis consists of six parts.Introduction briefly introduces the research background and states the theoretical and practical significance of this study.Chapter One gives an introduction to Wharton and her novel.Through analyzing Wharton's creative process,The Age of Innocence is the embodiment of her life experience.Chapter Two mainly introduces the research at home and abroad.Chapter Three systematically introduces the theoretical framework of Freudian psychoanalysis.Chapter Four analyzes Newland's identification with Ellen to confront moral anxiety caused by violating the New York values and conventions,and then analyzes Newland's rationalization and fantasy to relieve his neurotic anxiety from the choice between dutiful marriage and romantic love;this chapter then analyzes Ellen's undoing and sublimation to relieve her moral anxiety caused by breaking the marriage between Newland and May,and then analyzes May's reaction formation and inner-projection to deal with her reality anxiety from the threat of Ellen and the abandonment of Newland.The last part is conclusion.The proper ego-defense mechanisms can not only alleviate the anxiety of the protagonists,but also give a guiding significance to the modern life. |
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