Lilys Pursuit of Self―Interpretatio of The House of Mirth in Lacans Subject Theory.docVIP

Lilys Pursuit of Self―Interpretation of The House of Mirth in Lacans Subject Theory 　　【中图分类号】I712.074 【文献标识码】A 【文章编号】2095-3089（2016）01-0001-02 中国论文网 /1/viewhtm　　1.Introduction 　　Lacan’s subject theory including the mirror stage theory and the three orders theory. This theory could clearly illustrate the psychological journey of a subject. Although this theory is based on the evolution of infants’ psychological development， it could be a metaphorical process from an infant to a mature adult. Meanwhile， in The House of Mirth， the heroine Lily indeed experienced an indispensable growth and pursuit of self. Hence， Lacan’s subject theory could be applied to analyze the process of Lily’s pursuit of self. 2.The Formation of Lily’s Self 　　The formation of self is crucial for an individual’s growth. For Lily， her formation of self largely depended on two essential others and her growth environment. 　　According to Lacan （cited in Evans：1996）， in the mirror stage， the self is a kind of illusion which is generated by the unconscious itself. Namely， the self can not be a real and specific thing without other’s desire. The self’s desire is determined by the desire of others. Hence， the journey of one’s self？鄄pursuit is bound to be alienated. At the very beginning， infants mistake the little others as themselves. To receive others’ recognition when growing up， they have to be affected by the big “Other”， called linguistic symbols. Obviously， the other is essential for a person’s growth. 　　The formation of Lily’s self under the influence of her essential others： her mother and father. As a dominant figure， Mrs. Bart’s desire decided where Lily’s desire lay. Her constant pursuit of extravagant life made a tremendous impact on Lily’s self when Lily was unable to distinguish her real self and the others. In the meantime， Mr. Bart’s exquisite interest and ideal value also contributed to the formation of Lily’s self， which went against her mother’s influence. Mr. Bart laid em