The Abyss Beneath Illusory Sense Of Connection:A Study Of The National Memory And Identity In The Buried Giant

Japanese British writer Kazuo Ishiguro shows a bloody history beneath the illusory peace by describing a pair of old British couples'journey in his work The Buried Giant.In this novel,the pursuit of identity and the recall of national memory are linked together.It not only achieves the review,understanding and exploration of the process of their formation.but also reflects on the predicament of human survival and the dilemma of human choice.Based on the close reading of the text,this article uses the organic combination of space poetic theory,archetypal criticism,new historicism,and other related theories to try to explain how the protagonists' individual memory is intertwined with the collective memory of the nation,and how these people identified their identity.At the same time,this article focus on the following three questions:Is the identity based on the individual's memory reliable?Is it reliable if the national history formed on the basis of collective memory?In an international context,What choices do humans face in the choice of memory?This thesis consists of five parts.The first part introduces the origin of the study,the status quo,theoretical basis and methods,and outlines the necessary background and framework for the research.Part two focuses on the process as the heroes'pursuit of identity.The missing loved ones and their scars actually symbolize their personal memory hidden by the "mist".Meanwhile,in the meanwhile,it is in the constant flow of the journey that Axl couple,who lost their son,and Edwin,who want to find his mother finally get their personal identities repositioned and readjusted constantly.Part three focuses on exploring the collective memory of the nation.By comparing the narrative of British knight Gawain and Saxon warrior Wistan to the same historical event,it is obvious that there are two different discourse powers hidden behind it,and the diversity of national history and social memory may have the selectivity.Part four focuses on the interpretation of the word "abyss." By analyzing the plot of the novel,the unreliability of personal memory can lead to misunderstandings between the ideal individual and the real self;between individuals;Besides,the unreality of the national memory can also lead the gap to a national and ethnic,national memory and historical reality.which reveals the multi-layered meaning of the "abyss".The last part is conclusion.Connected with the background of the times and the life of the author,combining the author's other works and his sense of mission of writing,this chapter analyzes the deep meaning of the "abyss"in the current social and historical background,and tries to find out how to cross the "abyss".