Departure And Return Of The "Angel": The Truth Of Kate's Infidelity In The Summer Before The Dark

The Summer Before the Dark(1973)is one of the most brilliant British female writer Doris Lessing's masterpiece.This novel continues Lessing's intense attention to human nature and ethical consciousness of human beings especially women since Victoria Age to contemporary society.Lessing intentionally involves two-types of infidelities in protagonist Kate's marriage and life to inspect whether human being is capable of renewing human nature by his or her own.With the assistance of German philosopher Immanuel Kant's ethical theory,this thesis reveals the essence of protagonist Kate's dilemma of loyalty and the truth of her subsequent departure and twice returns by regarding her as a rational being,so as to afford readers with the insight of human nature's and morality's essence.This thesis is composed of three parts:The first part is an introduction to Doris Lessing and The Summer Before the Dark,which consists of a summary of previous studies relating to this novel,and a homologous study between Lessing's life philosophy and Kant's ethical philosophy.Chapter One illustrates the social background of this novel and probes into the origin of Kate's infidelities and the dilemma she encounters on the basis of her submission to patriarchy,so as to uncover her way of awakening on human nature.Chapter Two discusses Kate's moral appeal that derives from the discovery of the imperfection of human nature,hereby uncovers the significance of her final return on account of the awareness of morality.Chapter Three explicates Lessing's and Kant's ultimate wish that pins on human beings.The last part is conclusion.The challenge brings by social ideology is perennial and inevitable for human beings,hence,only by constant self-reflection andperseverance on right principles can we achieve conversion from finite rational being to complete rational being and sublime from human nature to morality.