| To demonstrate the dominance of the quest motif, three of Fowles's novels, The Collector, The Magus, and The French Lieutenant's Woman, are examined in light of Jungian psychology, especially its understanding of the archetypes of the collective unconscious and its explication of the process of individuation.; According to C. G. Jung, individuation is a process of self-realization which progresses through clearly-defined archetypal stages and ultimately leads to an experience of psychic wholeness or unity.; In Fowles's three novels, each protagonist undergoes a series of confrontations with the shadow intended to bring him to a state of self-awareness. Each protagonist has an encounter with the anima: Miranda for Clegg (representing the anti-quest), Alison for Nicholas, and Sarah for Charles. Each protagonist has the aid of the wise old man: Conchis for Nicholas, and Dr. Grogan for Charles. The archetypes that Fowles's questers encounter enable them to reach a new stage of self-realization or the completion of individuation. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)... |
