从心理学角度分析《喜福会》中的母女关系.doc

A Study on the Relationship Between Mothers and Daughters in The Joy Luck Club from Psychological Perspective11040414 黄雅君Thesis Statement: The paper aims at exploring the relationship between mothers and daughters by using psychological perspective, analyzing why the psychological theory exists and how it affects the whole novel.1. Introduction2. Related psychological theory and its embodiment 2.1 Post-traumatic stress disorder 2.2 The PTSD embodiment in The Joy Luck Club3. The Reason of the PTSD embodiment 3.1 The traumatic memory 3.2 Psychological projection4. The impact on relationship between mothers and daughters 4.1 Impact about conflicts 4.2 Impact about integration5. Conclusion1. IntroductionIn todays literature research field, psychological theory has really made a difference in literature study. Psychological theory help researchers solve millions of problems that are hard to be studied from other perspectives. In a manner of speaking, psychological theory is the indispensable part when doing researches.I have seen many research papers about The Joy Luck Club, but most of them discusses intercultural conflicts and integration, few of them focuses on the psychological theory. In my opinion, I think the psychological factors is the root of emotion and behavior. Similarly, this is the root cause of intercultural conflicts and integration. Without exploration of psychological factors, there is no way to go further and deeper study.The paper tries to make an exploration about the relationship between mothers and daughters in The Joy Luck Club from a psychological perspective. The study is seeking to identify the importance of psychological embodiment in the novel, and make an effort to dig out the deeper meaning of the story, uncover the real feeling of the characters.The paper focuses on the psychological part of The Joy Luck Club, tries to explain the emotions and behaviors of characters, and the root of intercultural viewpoint. In this method, we can understand much better about the personalities of characters , and go much further to touch the main idea of the novel, finally help us get more familiar with the impact of psychological theory and the intention of the author.2. Related psychological theory and its embodiment Through the digging of the characters and the whole story, I discovered a main theory that can clearly explain the feelings of mothers and daughters - Post-traumatic stress disorder.2.1 Post-traumatic stress disorderPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is classified as an anxiety disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Post-traumatic stress disorder may develop after a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events, such as sexual assault, fighting in a war, sustaining a serious injury, or the threat of death in which they experience intense fear, horror, or powerlessness (American Psychiatric Association,2013). The diagnosis may be given when a group of symptoms, such as disturbing recurring flashbacks, avoidance or numbing of memories of the event, and hyperarousal continue for more than a month after the traumatic event.Trauma is generally considered to happen to the analysis and cure of Freud toward hysteria, and is gradually used in literature research.Most people having experienced a traumatizing event will not develop PTSD. Women are more likely to experience higher impact events, and are also more likely to develop PTSD than men. Children are less likely to experience PTSD after trauma than adults, especially if they are under ten years of age. War veterans are commonly at risk to PTSD.2.2 The PTSD embodiment in The Joy Luck ClubIn the novel, four mothers all have experienced miserable trauma. And in some way, their daughters somehow suffered the similar experience as their mothers did. Lindo is a strong woman whose daughter is smart and excellent. But as a girl, Lindo was sent to a rich family in the countryside of China. She tried to accept the fate and served for her feelingless husband and mother-in-law, but after being bullied and humiliated for heaps of times, she eventually could not stand it. Finally she got rid of that house by craft. From the PTSD perspective, the humiliation of her husband and mother-in-law is the trauma that she suffered. Because of it, Lindo grew up as a tough woman who would never bow to destiny, never be willing to tell the true feeling from the bottom of her heart. And thats the direct cause of the conflict with her daughter Waverly. When Ying Ying was young, she was the most beautiful and purest girl in the village. If she had not met with the bad guy, she would had lived a happy life. The man was very handsome, he used Ying Yings innocence and raped her. After the marriage, she born a son for him, but she found that he didnt change even a bit. He started to ignore her, flirted with girls and even brought hookers home. All the love was changed into hatred and agony. Finally in the condition of metal disorder, she strangled her own little son as revenge. As far as Ying Yings concern, her trauma is the way her husband treated her. From then on, she could not smile. So her daughter Lena is always wondering how to please her.When Anmei was a little girl, she was told to hate her mother. People said that her mother betrayed the family because she married a rich man after Anmeis father died. But actually, Anmeis mother was raped by the rich man, so that she had to be his fourth wife. When Anmei followed her mother to the rich mans house, she found that her mother had no status. In the end, her mother killed herself to give Anmei a better place to stand. Anmeis heart was full of sadness and resentment, she condemned the man with her mothers death and finally he promised to give her mother a highest status. Anmeis trauma comes from her mothers death. It makes her clear that she must defend for herself, and fight for herself. Many years later, her daughter Rose meets with similar situation, so Anmei wakes her up by uncovering the wound.When Suyuan was in China, the war was torturing her so much. On the way of evacuation, she got severe dysentery. Helplessly, she left her twin babies at the foot of the tree because she thought she was doomed. However, she was saved by others, which put her into long terms of regret about abandoning her babies. After she went to America, she born June. But the feeling of regret never stopped. So she put all her expectations on June, including the twin babies. June found the love was too heavy to take and too hard to complete. Once little June said the secret out loud because of anger, Suyuans wound was torn apart. The twin babies is exactly her miserable trauma. The pain is going to follow her all over her life. 3. The Reason of the PTSD embodiment Why the PTSD embodies in the novel? There are two main factors that cause the embodiment. The first one is the traumatic memories that the mothers and the daughters had; the second one is the psychological projection that arises from the traumatic memory.3.1 The traumatic memory The traumatic memory is an psychologically, emotionally and even physically abnormal state that caused by severe traumatic event in daily life. It includes two main conditions: first, the cause of mental trauma has to be strong enough; second, emphasizing the experience that the event affects the heart of individual(Zhao Dongmei,2009). The traumatic memories of the characters in The Joy Luck Club running through the whole novel(Wang Zhimin,2012). As mentioned before, four mothers suffered from misery and difficulties in China. Those memories would never get out of their heads. Also, they would never forget the pain. Therefore, even they moved to America and had a brand new life, they still could not let it go. So the children they born were inevitably influenced by their mothers. That is to say, their daughterslives were somehow similar with their mothers, but less painful. The traumatic memories metally pushed mothers to lead their daughters to a specific way.3.2 Psychological projectionPsychological projection is the act or technique of defending oneself against unpleasant impulses by denying their existence in oneself, while attributing them to others(Sigmund Freud,1905). For example, a person who is rude may constantly accuse other people of being rude.Although it is rooted in early developmental stages, and classed by George Eman Vaillant as an immature defence(R. Skynner/J. Cleese,1994), the projection of ones negative qualities onto others on a small scale is nevertheless a common process in everyday life, so The Joy Luck Club is no exception.In The Joy Luck Club, four mothers are all have the symptoms of psychological projection. Londo is so tough and strong that she is used to give orders to Waverly, and never says any praises or expresses any true feelings no matter how excellent Waverly is; YingYing is drown into the sadness of killing her own son, so that she can hardly give attention to her daughter Lena, but in the meanwhile, YingYings personality was modeled by Lena, and make her flabby and irresolute, just like the way YingYing used to be; Anmei watched her mother die, which let her understand the importance of fighting against the fate. So when her daughter Rose stooped to compromise everything for her husband, Anmei told Rose to speak out loud for herself; Suyuan abandoned two babies and suffered too much in China so that she put everything onto her daughter June in America. By this token, the behaviors of four mothers and their relationships clearly indicate the symptoms of Psychological projection.4. The impact on relationship between mothers and daughters There are always two sides of impacts on one thing. The influences of the post-traumatic stress disorder also can be divided into two aspects: impact about conflicts and impact about integration.4.1 Impact about conflictsThroughout the story, the most obvious impact is that the post-traumatic stress disorder and the psychological projection give a huge conflict on the relationship between Chinese mothers and American daughters. Waverly was fed up with Lindos toughness and strength and quarreled with her mother, getting all dissatisfaction off her chest; Because of her personality and YingYings influence, Lena subconsciously tolerated the long-term unfairness of the abnormal painful marriage; June could not endure the stress anymore, she spoke out all her grievance towards her mother Suyuan, holding the belief that Suyuan never really knows her. In other words, the mothers believe that the daughters will intuitively understand their cryptic utterances, but the daughters dont understand them at all(Chin,Frank,2005).4.2 Impact about integrationIt seems that their relationship are getting dangerous. But there are another impact that can fuse the relationship together. Its the fusion impact. After the conflict was intensified, the function of PTSD and psychological projection can push people to express the true feelings. Lindo finally told Waverly about her real thoughts that Lindo was always satisfied with Waverly; Knowing the truth that Lena was in bad situation with her husband, for the first time, YingYing woke up from her dream and persuaded Lena to get back everything she deserved; Similarly, Anmei taught Rose to speak for herself, dont make any compromise; Suyuan eventually told June:”I see you.” Suyuan did understand the kindness and generosity of her daughter. Therefore, the impact can lead the relationship to a much better way.5. ConclusionThe paper indicates that the characters in the novel all have psychological symptoms, and explains what the PTSD is, why it exists and how it affe