1、APsychologicalAnalysisoftheStory【Abstract】KateChopinisafamousfeministwriter.Astrongsenseoffeminineconsciousnessisembodiedinherworks.Hersuccessfuladoptionofthepsychologicalapproach,specificallythestreamofconsciousness,addsgrandeurtosplendorofherliterarycreation.Thesuccessfulemploymentofpsychologicala
2、pproachinTheStoryofanHournotonlyhasachieveddramaticeffectsandintensifiedthethemesbutalsohasexposedthewomensanacliticsituation.【Keywordst】TheStoryofanHour;PsychologicalAnalysis;FeministConsciousness.KateChopinwasborninSt.Louis,Missouriin1851.ShewasraisedbyastrictCatholicmotherandattendedtheAcademyofS
3、acredHeart,whereshewasexpectedtolearnallthesocialgraces.LatershemovedtoNewOrleansandthereshemarriedtoOscarChopin.Butitwasafterthedeathofherhusbandthatshestartedherliterarycareer.Shehaswrittenmanyshortstoriesandpublishedtwocollections,BayouFolkandANightinAcadie,insuccessionandsomefamousnovelssuchasAw
4、akening,whichisnowregardedasoneofthefeministmasterpieces.However,whenitwasfirstpublished,attacksthrewuponherandstunnedhersomuchthatshekeptsilentandwrotelittleelsethroughouttherestofherlifebecauseithasboldlytoucheduponandexposedsomesensitivesocialproblems.Inhernovels,wewillfindthatsheoftenrepeatedthe
5、samethemeandrelatedmarriagetothecageofbars.IfwethrowoureyesontoherEmancipation:theLifeFable,TheStoryofanHourandAwakening,wewillbeassuredofthis.Shehasgivenussomuchfoodtoconsiderthesignificanceoflifeandmarriageandtheembarrassingsituationinwhichwomenlivedthatsheislaterlabeledbytheradicalfeministsin1970
6、sasoneofthewomanwriterswithastrongfeminineconsciousness,althoughsurprisingly,sheherselfresolutelydeniedit.Actuallyitisunderstandablethatsheistakenasaprogressivewomanwriteroffeminineconsciousnessbecauseinhertimes,thesecondwomenmovementbegantosweepoverthewholecountry.Andinherworkstheheroineswerenotmer
7、elycontentedwiththeirfamilylife.Instead,theytriedeverywaysandmeanstobreakthefettersforceduponthem.Theywantedtopursuetheirindividualfreedomandspiritualindependenceanddidntwanttoplayatraditionalroleanylonger.Mostoftheheroinesunderherpen,likeEdnaPontellierandMrs.Mallard,weremoreorlessrebellious,althoug
8、htheirresistancemostlyendedinself-destructionandcompromise.Maybeshewassoradicalthatthepublichadntyetpreparedtoacceptherthen.JustasJaneBailHowardput,sheutteredavoicesofaraheadofhertimes.WhenKateChopinlived,anotherinfluentialtrendthatprevailedintheUnitedStatesandtheEuropeanContinent,namelytheso-called
9、psychoanalysispresentedbytheAustrianpsychologist,SigmundFreud.Hedivideshumanpsycheroughlyintothreeparts:conscious,preconsciousandunconsciousmind.InilluminatingthementalprocesseshefurtherdistinguishesthethreepsycheareasofthemindastheId,theego,andthesuperego.Toelucidatetheirinterplay,heputforwardthepl
10、easure,realityandthemoralityprinciples.Histheorieshavecontributedalottomodernpsychologyandalsoexertedaprofoundinfluenceuponmanysocialaspects,includingliterature.Manyfamouswritersattributetheirdebtstohim.AlthoughthereisnomuchevidencethatFreudhasdirectlyinfluencedKateChopin,yetwecanfindthatshehasrepea
11、tedlyadoptedthepsychologicalapproachinhershortstories,novellasandnovels,amongwhichTheStoryofanHourisatypicalexample.Andthesuccessfulemploymentofthepsychologicalapproachorstreamofconsciousnesshasachievedthedramaticeffectsandintensifiedthethemes.Mrs.Mallard,theheroine,livedasuperficiallyhappylifeinoth
12、erpeopleseyesaccordingtotheconventionalandsecularcriteria.Herhusbandwasgentleandconsiderate,sotheyweredeemedtobeaperfectmatch.However,deepinsideherheartshefeltmuchinhibited.Nooneknew,includingherhusband,ofherspiritualdemands.Yetshehadtomakeothersbelievethatshewashappyandlucky.Shehadtoactthetradition
13、alroleasavirtuouswife,notforherself,butforothers.AccordingtoPeggySkaggs,theheroinesintheworksofKateChopinoftenlivedatwo-facetedlife.Theylivedindisguisetohidetheirrealfeelingsandintentions.Thewomeninthe19thcenturywererequiredtolearnallthesocialgraces(Theauthoressherselfwasalsorequiredtodosoinherpuber
14、ty.)andencouragedtofollowtherulesandprinciplesasmenwantedthemtodo.IntheAmericanfictionGonewiththewind,wecanseethatMummyhasonceandagainthreatenedScarlettthatnomanwouldtaketherisktomarryherifsheinsistedondoingassheliked.Mostwomenwerereducedtothevictimsofthethensocialandmaritalsystems.Yetstilltheyhadto
15、represstheirowndesirestocatertothepatriarchalsociety.Andnoonewouldcareabouttheirrealdemands.Mrs.Mallardwasjustoneofthevictims.Chopinisagoodweaverofplots.Whenwereadhershortstories,wefindtherearesomanymistakesandcoincidencesinthemasifwewerereadingOHenry.Atthebeginningofthestoryshelaysoutsuspensetother
16、eadersandimmediatelyseizestheirhearts.Thenewsofherhusbandsdeathevokesthereadersdeepsympathyfortheheroinewithheartdisease.Theyworryaboutthatshecantsurvivethefatalblow.Liketheothercharactersinthestory,theyallthoughtthatshewouldbeheart-brokenandswoonedonthespotlikeotherwomenencounteringthesamesituation
17、.Butshedidnt.Ofcourseshewepttoo.However,sheweptnotbecauseshefeltsad,althoughhersisterJosephineandotherpeoplebelievedthatshedidbecauseshefoundithardtofacethemusic.Butunexpectedly,astheyreadon,theyfindtheyhavebeendeceivedbecausewhatshe(theheroine)rejoicedforisthatshecouldbefreefromthatmomenton;andther
18、epressedemotionscanbeatlastreleased.Someintensepsychologicalchangeshaveundergonequicklyinherbody.Theinitialresponsetoherhusbandsdeathisthatshefeltfreeinsteadoffeelingsad,whichshowsshemusthavebeeninhibitedforages.Thusshehasasenseofemancipationasifamanweretakenoutofthesuffocatingdungeonwherehehadbeeni
19、mprisonedforagesandfinallycouldbreathefreshair.Atthismoment,thelawless,asocialandamoralidhascontrolledherandtheinstincttopursuepleasuretemporarilygottheupperhandofherreason.Shebecamesoexcitedandecstaticthatshecouldntholdbackhappytearstricklingdownhercheeks.ButwithhersisterJosephineandherhusbandsfrie
20、nd,Richardsinherpresence,shecouldntrevealhappinesstotheirfacesbecausetheconsciousmindremindedherthatshehadtoobservetherealityprinciple.Iftheyhavediscoveredthesecretandrealreasonofhersuddencry,shewouldbesurelycondemned.Herethesuperego,whichyieldstothemoralityprinciple,defeatedtheid,whichissubjecttoth
21、epleasureprinciple.Asaladywhowasaskedtolearnallthesocialgracessincechildhood,shemustfinditimmoralandguiltytobehappyatthenewsofherhusbandsdeath,butmeanwhileshefounditirresistibletofeelexcited,soshedecidedtostayalone.However,JosephineandRichardsmisinterpretedherweepingandmistookthatshewantedtostayalon
22、ebecauseshewasheart-broken.Butneitherofthemknewthataviolentconflicthadoccurredinsideher.Forthetimebeingsheretreatedtoarealmoffreedom.Oncesheenteredintotheroomandwasleftalone,shedidnolongerneedtowearamasksothatshecoulddowhatshejustwanted.Nowshewasagainconqueredbythepleasureprinciple.Shewassoexhausted
23、thatshesankintothearmchairandimmediatelyreturnedtotheunconsciousstate.Sheletherselffollowtheimaginationlikeanunbridledhorse.Hereisthevividdescriptionofhermind,“Thereshestood,facingtheopenwindow,acomfortable,roomyarmchair.Intothisshesank,presseddownbyaphysicalexhaustionthathauntedherbodyandseemedtore
24、achintohersoul.ShecouldseeintheopensquarebeforeherhousethetopsoftreesthatwereallaquiverShewassohappythateverythinginhereyeslookedsolovelyandsoundedpleasant.Anunspeakableanticipationtookherbystorm.Althoughshewasalittlebitfearfulofit,shecouldhardlyconcealherpleasurethatshewantedtodrinkintheveryelixiro
25、flifethroughtheopenwindow.Shemurmuredtoherselfoverandover,“Free,free,free!”“Free!Bodyandsoulfree!”Herseeminglyinappropriatepleasureformedastrikingyetdiscordantcontrastwiththedeathofherhusband.Alltheseshowthatshewasnootherthanabeastinthecageandshehadrepressedherselfforsolong.Butnow,shecouldatlastlive
26、akindoflifeshewanted.Thoughsometimesshefeltshehadloveforherhusband,sheoftendeniedit.Maybethiskindoflovewasonlyoutofherresponsibilityasawife.Sothiswastheso-calledhappymarriage!Heretheauthoresselaboratedavividpictureoftheworkingmindoftheheroineasifsheweredirectingamovie.Shefaithfullypresentedaseriesof
27、snapshotslikemontagetoherreaders.Thoughshenevercommentedonitfromthemoralstandpoint,westillcandrawtheconclusionthatthesuperficiallyluckyandhappymarriageisacastleintheair;thatis,itmightlacknothingbutlove.PerhapsMr.Mallarddidlovehertoo,butheoftenignoredherexistenceasanindividual.Inanotherword,helovedan
28、dtreatedhiswifeasapet.AndthenwecanimaginethathowmanywomenofthatdaywouldsufferthefateofMrs.Mallard! WhileMrs.Mallardwasindulgingherselfinthesweetdaydreams,hersisterJosephinesknockatthedoortookherbacktotherealworld.Josephinehadthoughtthathersisterlockedherselfintheroomtoventhergrief.Sheworriedabouttha
29、thersisterwoulddrivecrazyandprobablycommitsuicideonimpulse,sosheinsistedonheropeningthedoor.However,ironically,Mrs.Mallardstillwantedtotastethesweetnessoffreedomalittlelongerandevenbegantomakeablueprintofherfuturecarefreelife,soshedraggedondeliberatelytoopenthedoorforhersister.Whenshewentoutanddesce
30、ndedthestairswithhersister,sherefreshedherselfandshecarriedherselfunwittinglylikeagoddessofvictory.Buthersweetdreamwasdoomedtobefulfilledbecausethatthenewsofherhusbandsdeathturnedouttobearumor.Whenshesawherhusbandcamebacksafeandsound,shewassoshocked,andmaybealsosodespairedthatshecouldntstandtheblowb
31、roughtbythetrickGodplayedwithher.Shewassopsychologicallyweakthatherheartdiseasesuddenlyattackedherandsentherdirectlytotheno-returnroad.Interestingly,thedoctorarbitrarilydeclaredthatshediedbecauseofexhilaration,andprobablythecauseofherdeathcouldonlyberenderedthisway.Sadly,evenuntilherdeath,noonecould
32、understandwhatMrs.Mallardwasthinkingabout.ThedeathofMrs.Mallardisfarfromanindividualtragedy.Itisatruereflectionofthecommonfateofwomeninthe19thcentury.Simultaneouslyitisalsoaeulogydedicatedtothem.AlthoughallMrs.Mallardseffortsanddesiresendinvain,sheechoesthesecondwomenmovementinfullswingintheUnitedSt
33、atesandprovokesmorepeople,especiallywomentothinkabouttheirowndestinies.ConsideringthefiercepublicresponsetothepublicationofherAwakening,KateChopinmustfeelmuchstressedsothatshedeniedthatshewasafeminist.SaraParton,oneofhercontemporariesandthemostcontroversialAmericanwomanwriter,didntadmiteitherthatshe
34、wasafeminist.Buttheybothhavemadegreatcontributiontotheelevationofthewomenssocialstatus.Shortasitisinlength,theStoryofanHouraffordsusmuchforthought.Notablytheauthorhaswonderfullyadoptedthestreamofconsciousnessinhernovelsandwithhersubtledescriptionshehasproducedatrue-to-lifeeffect.Inthissense,wecandec
35、idethatsheisagoodpractitionerofitpresentedbyWilliamJames.TherebywecanalsoseethepervasiveinfluenceofpsychologicalanalysisamongtheEnglishwriters.【Bibliography】1Chopin,Kate:TheStoryofanHour;fromTheSelectedEnglishShortStories,CompiledbyDuLixia;XianJiaotongUniversityPress,December2001.2朱刚.新编美国文学史.上海外语教育出版社,2002年12月第1版.3朱世达.当代美国文化与社会.中国社会科学出版社,2000年11月第1版.4朱刚.二十世纪西方文艺批评理论.上海外语教育出版社,2002年10月第1版.5彭贵菊.真实的束缚，虚幻的自由.外国文学评论,2003年第1期.
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