Lessing's Heterotopia Writing:A Foucauldian Interpretation Of The Fifth Child And Ben,in The World

As a major writer in the 20^th century,Doris Lessing was recognized as the greatest British female novelist since Virginia Woolf.She contributed more than fifty works throughout her writing career as long as six decades.Lessing's writing style and genre are very changeable and various,but her humanistic concern is penetrated through her works,fully embodying her consciousness of writer's responsibility.The Fifth Child and Ben,in the World are excellent novellas in the later writing career of Doris Lessing,which develop the lifelong story of the heterogeneous protagonist Ben Lovatt.Depending on the theory of heterotopia,via analyzing the soul character and others related to him,this thesis deeply explores the heterotopias in Lessing's works and reveals her consideration of human nature.Under the context of western modernity,a dialogue has been created between Foucault's heterotopia theory and Lessing's“the fifth child”series.Outwardly,The Fifth Child and its sequence,Ben,in the World depict the tragic life of Ben Lovatt which reflects the mainstream family and society's indifference and exclusion towards the heterotopic Other in the Western world.In fact,Lessing composes various forms of heterotopia through the life stories of Ben Lovatt and other characters with the heterotopias of individuals,communities,and institutions,exhibiting in the modern society the alienation of human relationship,social strata,and scientific rationality.Lessing's heterotopia writing is her deep reflection on human nature.From her perspective,only by accepting differences,respecting others,abandoning prejudices,treating scientific rationality properly can alienation be eliminated and harmonious coexistence be achieved.This thesis is separated into five parts.Chapter one is a brief introduction to Doris Lessing's lifetime and major works,the plot summary of The Fifth Child and its sequel,Ben,in the World,literature review from home and abroad,heterotopia theory,the research significance and layout of the thesis.Chapters two,three,and four are the body parts of the thesis,researching the heterotopias in Lessing's works from the aspects of individual,community,and institution.Chapter two analyzes the major characters'heterogeneous body spaces from the angles of the pregnant womb,atavistic genes,and the bodies of prostitutes.Chapter three is an analysis of the heterotopic spaces such as the gated community,the slum,the building site for illegal workers,etc.from the points of view of the Lovatt family's Victorian house and the dwelling space and production space of the people from lower strata.The analysis of the heterotopias of educational,medical,and laboratory institutions and the power relationship in the institutions are the main content of chapter four.Chapter five is the conclusion part.Through the heterotopic interpretation of Lessing's works,this thesis probes into Lessing's intention of creating these works,namely,to reveal the loss of human nature in the context of the modern western society from the depiction of the marginalized and the Other.