基于马斯洛需求层次理论的《更多的人死于心碎》中贝恩的悲剧命运分析

Abstract:Asagiantof20th-centuryAmericanliterature,JewishAmericanwriterSaulBellowproducedMoreDieofHeartbreaklateinhiscareer.ItisaboutthespiritualproblemsofbotanistBennandshowstheexistentialcrisisofmodernintellectuals.UsingMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheory,thisthesisanalyzesthedisconnectionbetweentheneedforbelonging,theneedforrespect,andtheneedforself-fulfillmentafterphysiologicalneedsaremet,andthiscausesthedeepreasonsforBenn’stragedy.Bylookingattheproblemsinmarriage,thesidelininginacademia,andthedistanceinemotions,thenovelshowstheemptinessofhumanspiritualneedsundermaterialwealthandclearlyshowsthesurvivalproblemsofcontemporarysociety.ThisarticlebelievesthatBenn’stragicfateisnotonlyduetotheexternalenvironmentbutalsocomesfromhisunmetpsychologicalneeds.ByputtingBenn’sexperiencesintoMaslow’stheoryframework,itishopedthatthisthesiscanexplainthecomplexrelationshipbetweenhumanneedsandthetragicaspectsofhumanexperience.Andfurtherreflectonthesocialrealityitreflects,whichcancallonpeopletoliveinalow-desireway.KeyWords:MoreDieofHeartbreak;Tragicfate;Maslow’shierarchyofneeds;Psychologicalmotivations摘要:作为20世纪美国文学巨匠，犹太裔美国作家索尔·贝娄在其职业生涯晚期创作了长篇小说《更多的人死于心碎》。该小说聚焦植物学家贝恩的精神困境，揭示了现代知识分子的生存危机。本文以马斯洛的需求层次理论为基础，分析了贝恩悲剧的深层动因是其生理需求满足后，归属、尊重和自我实现需求的脱节。小说通过婚姻异化、学术边缘化和情感疏离，揭露了物质繁荣下人的精神需求的贫瘠，为当代社会的生存困境提供了深刻的隐喻。本文将论证贝恩的悲剧命运不仅仅是外部环境造成的，而是深深植根于他未得到满足的心理需求。通过将贝恩的经历置于马斯洛的框架中，本文希望能够阐明人类需求与人类悲剧性体验之间错综复杂的相互作用，进而深思其折射出的社会现实，能够呼吁人们以低欲望的方式生活。关键词：《更多的人死于心碎》；悲剧命运；马斯洛需求层次理论；心理动机ContentsTOC\o"1-1"\h\z\t"标题2,2"Acknowledgements IAbstract II摘要 II关键词 III.Introduction 11.1Backgroundofthestudy 11.2IntroductiontoSaulBellowandhisworks 11.3Literaturereview 21.4Purposeandsignificanceofthestudy 4II.OverviewofMaslow’sHierarchyofNeeds 42.1OriginanddevelopmentofMaslow’shierarchyofneeds 52.2MajorideasofMaslow’shierarchyofneeds 52.3Applicationinliterarycriticism 7III.Benn’sTragicFateBasedonMaslow’sHierarchyofNeeds 83.1Benn’srealizedphysiologicalneeds 83.2Benn’sunaccomplishedesteemneedsandsafetyneeds 103.3Benn’sfrustratedloveandbelongingneeds 123.4Benn’sunrealisticself-actualizationneeds 15IV.CausesofBenn’sTragicFate 174.1Socialfactors 184.2Personalfactors 19V.Conclusion 20WorksCited 23=1\*ROMANI.IntroductionThisthesiswillbebasedonMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheoryandthehistoricalbackgroundofAmericanliteratureinthe20thcentury,andthengraduallydelveintospecificanalyses.AndthisthesiswillbecarriedoutbasedontheexplorationofSaulBellow’swritingstyleandthemes.Bysummarizingtheresearchsituationsofscholarsathomeandabroad,thisthesiscanbeconductedmoredeeply.Throughanalysis,thisarticlewilldemonstratetheprocessbywhichBennfellintolonelinessandtragedyduetotheunmetspiritualneeds.1.1BackgroundofthestudyMoreDieofHeartbreakisarepresentativeworkofSaulBellow’slaterperiod.Itkeepshisfocusonthespiritualproblemsthatintellectualsface.ThenovelmainlytellsthestoryofbotanistBenn’sstrugglesinhisrelationshipsandlife.Intheend,atragedyhappensbecausedifferentpeople’sneedsarenotmet.ThebookiscenteredaroundintellectualBennCrader’sproblemsinhismarriageandcareer.Itshowsthestrongconflictbetweenmaterialwealthandspiritualemptinessinmodernsociety.Thisrepresentsthetragedythatintellectualsexperienceintoday’sworld.Throughcarefulanalysis,thisarticleshowshowBenngoesfromhavinghisbasicphysicalneedsmettochasinghigherspiritualneeds.Finally,becausethesespiritualneedsarenotmet,heendsupaloneandfacingtragedy.Maslow’shierarchyofneedstheoryoffersasolidtheoreticalbaseforthisthesistoexplorewhyBenn’stragedyhappened.Maslow’sHierarchyofNeedstheorywasputforwardinthemid-20thcentury.Asanimportanttheoreticalframeworkinpsychology,ithasdeeplyaffectedthestudyofhumanbehavioralmotivation.Ithasalsogivenauniqueinterdisciplinaryviewforliterarycriticism.BasedonMaslow’stheory,Benn’stragedycanbeseenasthenecessaryoutcomeofanimbalanceinmultiplelevelsofneeds.Heseeminglysatisfiedlower-levelneeds(physiologicalneeds),butlatercollapsedbecauseofrepeatedfailuresinhigher-levelneeds(safety,asenseofbelonging,respect,self-fulfillment).Usingthistheoreticalframework,thisthesistriestore-examineBenn’sdifficultsituationanditsdeeplinkwiththealienationofmodernsociety.1.2IntroductiontoSaulBellowandhisworksAsaprominentwriterin20th-centuryAmericanliterature,SaulBellowisfrequentlyreferredtoas“theconscienceofAmericanliterature”.Aprolificwriter,hiscareerspannedmorethan60years.Overthedecades,hepublishedmorethanadozenfull-lengthnovels,middle-gradeshortstories,essays,reviews,travelogues,collectionsofnovels,poems,etc.,essays,reviews,travelogues,andplays.Asarepresentativeofrealistliterature,amasterofliteraryattainments,andthemostprominentspokesmanforhumanism,Bellowhasundoubtedlywonmanyimportanthonors.SaulBellowwastheonlynovelistwhowontheNationalBookAwardthreetimes,includingTheAdventuresofAugieMarch,Herzog,andMr.Sammler’sPlanet.Moreover,in1975,hewonthePulitzerPrizeforHumboldt’sGift.Furthermore,hewasawardedtheNobelPrizeinLiteraturein1976.BellowwasthefirstJewishwriterinAmericanhistorytowintheNobelPrizeinLiterature,whichisofgreatsignificancetoAmericanJewishliterature.Bellow,adescendantofJewishimmigrants,showshowdifferentpartsofAmericansocietyareconnectedbyincludingthethemeofculturaldiversityinhiswork.Hiswritingslookatthefinancialproblemsinmoderncitylifeandconnectmodernismwithpostmodernism.MoreDieofHeartbreak,hisfamouslatework,keepslookingattheproblemsthatintellectualsface.ThroughthecharacterofBenn,Bellownotonlycriticizesthewaymodernsocietymakespeoplefeelalienatedbutalsothinksaboutthelastingconflictinhumaneffortstoachieveself-realization.Inthisnovel,Americaisshownasaplacewheremoralsarebrokenandpeopleareunfriendly.Pragmatismandafocusonusefulnesshavetakenoverpeople’slivesandbecomethewayAmericansact.Materialismandvariousdesireshavereplacedthetraditionalmoralrulesthatonceheldpeopletogether.Thecharactersallhavetheirowndesires,butsadly,theycan’tcontrolthemselvesortheirlives.Theirmindsareinconflictwiththeutilitariansocietyaroundthem.Bellowsawthisasthegreatesttragedyinlife,whichiswhyhebelievedmorepeople“dieofheartbreak.”1.3LiteraturereviewInrecentyears,foreignscholarshaveinterpretedMoreDieofHeartbreakinmanywaysandhaveachievedrichresults.ForeignscholarshaveconductedresearchfromtheaspectsoftheimageofAmericanintellectualsandtheJewishthemesinBellow’sworks.Forexample,intermsoftheimageofAmericanintellectuals,RamziMarrouchiandMohdNazriLatiffAzmiin“MadnessandtheAlienationofIntellectualsinSaulBellow’sWorldofFiction”crystallizehowandwhyBellow’sintellectualheroesinhislaternovelswerethethinkers,dissidents,andrevolutionariesoftheirtime,chartingthedeclineofhumanismandthesufferingofintellectuals.SomeforeignscholarshavestudiedtheJewishthemesinBellow’snovels,suchasSukhbirSinghin“‘Socialismofthesoul’:HolocaustinSaulBellow’sTheVictim”,itisbelievedthatBellowdealtwiththethemeofJewishassimilationinanallegoricalway,projectingtheconceptofuniversalbrotherhoodonacommonhumanbasis.Domesticscholarshaveconductedextensiveresearchonthisnovelfromotherpsychologicalperspectives,spatialtheoryandconsumeristviewpoints.Fromtheperspectiveofpsychologicalresearch,suchasNingDongandXueHan.InNingDongsstudy“Bellow’sCritiqueofPansexualityfromMoreDieofHeartbreak”,aclosereadingofMoreDieofHeartbreakinthelightofFreud’stheoriesrevealsthatBellowcarriesoutaprofoundcritiqueinthenovel,andthatthroughthiscritique,Bellowelucidatestheimportanceofmoralityandconscienceinhuman’slife.Throughthiscriticism,Bellowclarifiedtheimportanceofmoralityandconscienceinaperson’slife.Manyotherscholarshaveconductedstudiesfromtheperspectiveofspatialtheory,suchasFangJingandSunZhenzhong.In“AnInterpretationofMoreDieofHeartbreakfromThePerspectiveOfEdwardW.Soja’sSpaceTheory”,SunZhenzhongtriestodrawonEdwardW.Soja’sSpaceTheory,andanalyzethenovelfromtheperspectiveofthefirstspaceofperception,thesecondspaceofconception,andthethirdspaceofopennessandinclusiveness,attemptstoanalyzethemaincharacterBenn’spathofself-redemptioninmodernsocietyinthethreespatialdimensionsofthefirstspaceofperception,thesecondspaceofconception,andthethirdspaceofopennessandtolerancewiththehelpofEdwardSawyer’sspatialtheory.Manyscholarshavealsointerpretedthenovelfromtheperspectiveofconsumerism,suchasJiXiaohong,ZhengZhihui,andWangLixia.In“ElectronicTowerandtheVillageofHometown-OnSomeImagesinMoreDieofHeartbreak”,JiXiaohongarguesthatthephenomenonofmoney-grubbinganditsresponsetotheageofconsumerismrevealedinthenovelhaveprofoundphilosophicalmeanings.ItisespeciallyworthwhiletorecognizethatBellowelevatesthecriticismofconsumerismtoaculturaldimensionandahighlevelofhumanisticconcern.Somescholarshavealsointerpretedthenovelfromthelevelofmoralinquiry.Forexample,NingDongandZhangJun.In“MoreDieofHeartbreak:Bellow’sMoralInquiryintoContemporarySocietyandLife”,ZhangJunshowsthatBellow,throughcharacterization,makesaseveremoralinquiryintotheethicalenvironmentofcontemporarysocietyandthemeaningoflife,andprofoundlyexplainshispositionagainstmoralnihilism.In“TheImageofAmericanIntellectualsinMoreDieofHeartbreak”,LiYaxuetriestodefinetheimageofAmericanintellectualsinthetext,explorestheircharacteristics,andfinallyanalyzesthecausesofthespiritualdilemmasofsuchcharacters.Ingeneral,domesticandforeignresearchonMoreDieofHeartbreakfrommanyangleshasbeenrich,buttherearefewstudiescombiningMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheorytoanalyzethehero’stragedyinthenovel,sothisthesiswillbebasedonMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheoryonMoreDieofHeartbreakintermsoftheanalysisofthetragicfateofthehero.1.4PurposeandsignificanceofthestudyThepurposeofthisstudyistoexplorethepsychologicalmotivationsbehindthebehaviorofcharactersinliteraturebyapplyingMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheorytotheanalysisoffictionalcharacters.In-depthanalysisofthehierarchyofneedsofBenn,theprotagonistofSaulBellow’snovel,exploresBenn’slackandfulfillmentofeachlevelofneedsandhowtheselacksaffecthisfate,torevealtherootcausesofhistragedy,andtounderstandthecomplexityofthehumanspiritualecologyinthepostmodernperiodasreflectedinthenovel.Therefore,itisimportanttostudyMoreDieofHeartbreak.Thetheoreticalsignificanceliesinofferingnewwaystounderstandthenovel.ByanalyzingBenn’stragicfate,thisthesishelpsreadersbettergraspthecomplexityandvarietyofhumannature,aswellashowthesocialenvironmentaffectsanindividual’slife.Atthesametime,thestudyalsogivesinsightsintohowtomeetindividualneedsinreallife.Thiscanhelppeopleunderstandthemselvesbetterandstriveforahealthierandhappierlife.II.OverviewofMaslow’sHierarchyofNeedsBytracingtheoriginanddevelopmentofMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheory,peoplewillunderstandtheevolutionofitsconceptandtheinsandoutsofitstheoreticalbasis.ThishistoricaloverviewwillhighlighthowMaslow’sideasevolvedfromthefive-tieredpyramidtoamoredetailedmodelthatencompassestheneedforgrowth.Subsequently,themainviewpointsofthistheorywillbeexploredindepth,breakingdowntheneedsateachlevel,frombasicphysiologicalneedstothepeakofself-actualization.TheapplicationofthistheoryinliterarycriticismwillproveitspracticalityinanalyzingthecharactersandthemesofnovelsandbuildabridgeforthecentralargumentofthethesisonBenn’stragedy.2.1OriginanddevelopmentofMaslow’shierarchyofneedsAbrahamMaslow’shierarchyofneedsisoneofthemostinfluentialpsychologicaltheoriesofthe20thcentury.Maslowfirstintroducedthistheoryinhis1943paper“ATheoryofHumanMotivation.”Later,heexpandedonitinhis1954bookMotivationandPersonality.Asakeyfigureinhumanisticpsychology,Maslowtriedtochangepsychology’sfocusfromstudyingmentalproblemsandbehaviorismtounderstandinghumanpotentialandgrowth.HistheorywasareactiontothelimitsofFreud’spsychoanalysisandbehavioristmethods.Hethoughttheseapproachesoverlookedthecomplexityofwhatdrivespeople.Maslow’sfirstmodelhadfivelevelsofneedsinahierarchy:physiological,safety,loveandbelonging,esteem,andself-actualization.Hesaidhumanneedsarelikeapyramid.Basicsurvivalneedsareatthebottom,andhigherpsychologicalneedsareatthetop.Whenlower-levelneedsarenotfullymet,higher-levelneedsstarttoappear.Inthe1970s,Maslowmadehismodelbiggerbyaddingcognitiveandaestheticneeds.Later,heintroducedtheideaofself-transcendenceandsawitasthefinalgoalofhumandevelopment.ThischangeshowsMaslow’songoingstudyofwhatdrivespeopleandhisbeliefthatindividualscanreachhigherstatesofawarenessandfulfillment.Maslow’stheorywasshapedbyhisresearchonrolemodelslikeEinsteinandEleanorRoosevelt.Hethoughttheywere“self-fulfilling”people.HealsogotideasfromEasternphilosophy,existentialism,andtheholistichealthmovement.Eventhoughsomepeoplecriticizehistheoryforculturalbiasesandnotbeingempiricallystrict,Maslow’shierarchyofneedsisstillabasicframeworkinfieldslikepsychology,education,andmanagement.2.2MajorideasofMaslow’shierarchyofneedsThecoreofMaslow’stheoryisthathumanneedsareorganizedhierarchically,withlower-levelneedstakingprecedenceoverhigher-levelones.Thefiveoriginallevelsofthehierarchyareasfollows:Themostfundamentalneedsforlivingareknownasphysiologicalneeds,andtheyincludethingslikefood,water,shelter,andsleep.Thepersoncannotconcentrateonmoreambitiousobjectivesifthesedemandsarenotsatisfied.Itischallengingtohavethemotivationtocreatenewdemandswhenphysiologicalneedsarenotsatisfied.Otherneedsariseoncephysiologicalneedsaremet.Maslow’shierarchyofneedsputssafetyneedsrightafterphysiologicalneeds.InMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheory,securityneedsarethesecondlevel.Securityneedsincludewantingstability,safety,order,andbeingfreefromdanger.Afterbasicsurvivalneeds,peoplelookforphysical,emotional,economic,andsocialsecurity.Securityissuesareakeydriverofhumanbehavior.Whenpeoplefeelunsafe,theyfocusongettingridofthreatsandcan’tpayattentiontohigher-levelneeds.Thisfeelingofinsecuritycanhurttheirschoolperformance,theirabilitytoformhealthyrelationships,andeventheiremotionalwell-being.InMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheory,theneedforloveandbelongingisthethirdlevel,anditispartofsocialneeds.Atthislevel,peoplearesocialandwantrelationships,emotions,andtofeeltheybelong.Thislevelincludesfamilyrelationships,friendships,andromanticrelationships.Itstressesthathumanswantcloseness,socialconnections,andasenseofbelonging.Whenphysicalandsafetyneedsaremostlymet,peoplebegintolookforemotionallinkswithothers.Theyhopetobeaccepted,loved,andpartofagroup.Theneedforloveandbelongingisanimportantpartofhumanmentalhealth.Iftheseneedsarenotmet,peoplemayfeellonelyandisolated.Theymayevendevelopmentalproblemslikedepressionandanxiety.Butwhentheseneedsaremet,peoplewillfeelsupportedandunderstood.So,theywillhavemoremotivationtopursuehigherneeds.Theesteemneedslevelincludesthedesireforrespect,recognition,andself-esteem.Ithastwoparts:theneedforexternalrecognitionandinnerself-worth.Whenpeople’sesteemneedsaremet,theygainconfidence,afeelingofvalue,andasenseofcontrolovertheirlives.Butiftheseneedsarenotmet,itmaycausenegativefeelingslikeinferiority,helplessness,anddepression.Maslowsaidthattheneedforrespectisanimportantconditionforpeopletopursueself-actualization.Peoplecanmorefreelytrytomaximizetheirpotentialonlyaftertheyhaveenoughself-esteemandgetrespectfromothers.Esteemneedsarenotfixed;theychangeasindividualsgrowandthesocialenvironmentchanges.Self-actualizationisatthetopofthehierarchy,whichmeanstheneedtorealizeone’sfullpotentialandpursuepersonalgrowth.Self-actualizedindividualsarecharacterizedbycreativity,authenticity,andasenseofpurpose.Maslowdescribedself-actualizationas“becomingeverythingthatoneiscapableofbecoming”(46).Thisneedgoesbeyondbasicsurvival,safety,belonging,andrespect.Itshowsaperson’ssearchformeaning,growth,andexcellence.Peoplewhoreachself-self-actualizationusuallyhavethesequalities:seeingrealityclearly,acceptingthemselvesandothers,havingastrongsenseofrightandwrong,beingabletoformdeeprelationships,andfeelingexcitedandcuriousaboutlife.AnotherkeyaspectofMaslow’stheoryistodistinguishbetweenflawedneeds(physiologicalneeds,safetyneeds,loveneedsandrespectneeds)andgrowthneeds(self-actualizationneedsandself-transcendenceneeds).Theneedfordeficiencyarisesfromthelackofsomethingfundamental,whiletheneedforgrowthisdrivenbythedesiretobecomethebestversionofoneself.Maslowemphasizedthatthehierarchyisnotrigid;Anindividualmayexperiencemultipleneedssimultaneously,andculturalorpersonalfactorsmayaffectthepriorityofneeds.2.3ApplicationinliterarycriticismMaslow’shierarchyofneedstheoryisuniquelyappliedtoliterarycriticismasabasisforanalyzingcharacters,themes,andstories.YangQinghui’spaper,“AnalysisofLeadingActors’CareerPathwaysinTheInternbasedonMaslow’sHierarchyofNeeds(2024)”,examinesthetwoprotagonists’character,figure,journeyandlifechoicesintheirprofessionallifetrajectories,andatthesametimetoanalyzeandinterprettheirdifferencesandsimilaritiesatahighlevel.Moreover,thispaperreflectsthedifferencesintheprofessionallifecharacteristicsofmenandwomenundertheinfluenceofAmericanculture.WangBeibei,inherdissertation“AninterpretationofLove,againinthelightofMaslow’shierarchyofneeds(2018)”,shere-examinedthefemaleleadthroughthehierarchyofneeds,exploringthefactorsthatdroveherultimatesuccessandself-actualization.Furthermore,Maslow’sframeworkcanbeusedtostudythesocialandculturalbackgroundsdepictedinliteraryworks.Bythismethod,criticscanlinkthemotivesofindividualcharacterstobroadersocialandpoliticalissues.Inconclusion,Maslow’shierarchyofneedstheoryisauniversaltoolinliterarycriticism,enablingresearcherstoanalyzecharacters,themesandnarrativesthroughhumanmotives.Itsapplicationhasenrichedpeople’sunderstandingofliteratureasareflectionandinfluenceofhumanexperience.III.Benn’sTragicFateBasedonMaslow’sHierarchyofNeedsMoreDieofHeartbreakundoubtedlyaniconicmodernnovelthatprofoundlyreflectsthedramaticchangesinAmericansocietyattheturnofthe20thcentury.Itwasahistoricmoment,theCivilWarhadjustended,andmanyofthequintessentialAmericanforcesofthe20thcenturyhadquietlyrisentoprominence.TheindustrialismoftheNorthwasgraduallyovertakingtheagrariancivilizationoftheSouth.Inthebigcities,thegreatageofbossismhadquietlybegun,andthefaceofAmericansocietywaschangingradically.3.1Benn’srealizedphysiologicalneedsInthe1980s,theUnitedStateswasinthedeepeningperiodofpost-industrialcivilizationandalsoastagewhensocialvaluesfluctuatedviolentlyattheendoftheColdWar.Atthattime,Americansocietywascharacterizedbydistortedvalues,utilitarianismandselfishness.“Greedisvirtue”becamethephilosophyofsomepeopleintheworld,thestandardofsuccesswashighlymaterialistic,andmoneybecamethecoremeasureofpersonalvalue.Inordertopursuewealthandstatus,peoplearewillingtosacrificethebottomlineofmorality,andtherearealotoffraudsandmalpracticesintheworkplace,andinterpersonalrelationshipsarereducedtotheexchangeofbenefits.Emotionalrelationshipssuchasfamilyandfriendshiphavebeenerodedbycommercialization.Forexample,parent-childinteractionsinthefamilyhavebeenreduced,andparentshaveneglectedtheirchildren’seducationbecausetheyarebusyworkingtomakemoney;interactionsamongfriendsoftenhaveutilitarianpurposes,andpureemotionalexchangeshavebecomescarce.Americansbecamemoreopen-mindedandlessisolatedfromtheworldandeachother.SoontheUnitedStateshadthelargestrailroadsystemintheworld,andpeoplebecamemoremobileandlivedatafasterpace.From1870to1890,thetotalpopulationoftheUnitedStatesdoubled,villagesevolvedintotowns,andtownsrapidlyexpandedintocities.ThesizeandgrowthofthesecitieswasenoughtoastoundtheFoundingFathers.Nationalincomequadrupledspectacularly,markingthebeginningofwhatMarkTwaincalledthe“GildedAge.”Benn,asaprofessorofbotanyatauniversityintheUnitedStates,iswell-treatedandhasalmostallofhisneedsmetforlife,suchasfood,shelter,andpersonalsafety.Hewasaccomplishedandknowledgeableinscientificresearch,butnoneofhisinsightshadautilitarianpurpose.Inlife,especiallyintheareasofsocializingandrelationships,hesometimesseemstobeslow,andhisperceptionofhumannatureisevenmoremuddledthanmanypeoplewithordinarynaturaltalentsseemtobe.Hewasobsessedwithplantresearchandhadfewphysiologicalneeds,buthewasalsoeasilyinfluencedbytheseneedstosatisfythem.Hisacademicachievementswereexploitedbysocietyandhisattitudetowardsmaterialthingsremainedindifferent.Thisledtohislackofinnersecuritywhenfulfillinghis“physicalneeds”,whichinsteadbecameanexcuseforspiritualwandering.Whenallscholarsarefightingforfameandfortuneinthissocietyfullofdesires,heonlywantssomenormal,ordinaryandhumansatisfaction,ratherthansatisfactionbasedonplants.And,naturallyandfirmly,hewentaboutdoingso.Well,myunclewasremotefromallthis,oneofthelearnedscholars,almostunawareoftheactivitiesofthepowerplayersandhighrollers,theengineersandthebusinessschooltypes.Herepresented(seemedtorepresent)theoldinnocenceofthedaysbeforesomanyinertiaswereovercome.HereIneedtosaynomorethanthathewasdevotedtoplantstudies.Tothisplant-basedfulfillmenthewantedtoaddcertainhumansatisfactions-normalsatisfactions.Sohedid.(Bellow17)Heobserveshisphysiologicalneedsasiftheywereplantspecimens,therebyachievingastateofphysicalandmentalseparation.Forinstance,heoftenshowspassivityanddetachmentinsexualrelationships,asifhisbodyweremerelyatooltofulfillhisneeds.Sopicturethisnow:aseerinthevegetablekingdominvitedtoastrip-tease(Bellow106).Afterwatchingastripteaseperformance,hedevelopedasexualurgeandbelievedthathelackedsexualhealth.Eventually,hedecidedtoaddressthisneedbymarryingMatilda.However,inreality,thismarriagewasmoreofahastycompromise.Sopicturethisnow:aseerinthevegetablekingdominvitedtoastrip-tease.Theirbondwasdrivenmorebyphysicalneedsthanbytheresonanceofanemotionalworld.Bennsoughtnothingmorethanapeacefullife,andhesawhislifewithMatildaaspureastheplantshestudiedinhisbooks.HemarriedMatildaasabeautifulyoungwoman,andhethoughtthatthebeautyshedisplayedwillgiveherthelifeshedesired,andsohemarriedinhaste,withouteventellinghisnephew,withwhomhewasclose.However,thishastydecisiondidnotreallyfulfillhisspiritualneeds,butratherexacerbatedhisloneliness.Inthenovel,Bennshowedacontradictorypsychologicalstateinhismarriedlife.Ontheonehand,heenjoyedthephysicalfulfillmentbroughtbymarriage,butontheotherhand,hefeltdeeplylonelyandlost.ThiscontradictorypsychologicalstatereflectsBenn’sbiasedunderstandingofphysiologicalneeds,whichheregardedasanexistencethatcanbeindependentofemotionalneeds,andignoresthewholenessandcomplexityofhumanneeds.Hehasalreadymethisphysicalneeds,whichhasgivenrisetomoredesiresbecausehisphysicalneedslackaninnersenseofsecurity.Asthechasmsofdesirearefilled,morepainfollows.Hisphysiologicalneedswereoverlysatisfied,andthiscausedthecollapseofhishigher-levelneeds.InMaslow’shierarchyofneeds,physiologicalneedsareatthebottomofthepyramid.Hetriedtousephysiologicalneedstoreplaceotherhigherneeds,andthisfinallycausedthecollapseoftheneedstructure.Healsohasasimilaralienatedattitudetowardshisfamily,likehisrelationshipwithhisuncle.Heeventhinksplantsaremorereliable“objectsofbelonging”thanhumans.Avoidinginterpersonalrelationshipshasmadehimmoreisolated.Benn’sphysicalneedsappearedtobesatisfied.However,thiswasactuallyacomplicatedformofself-deception.Thesenseofsecurityhecreatedthroughsex,marriage,andacademicstatushidthebreakdownofhishigher-levelneeds.Thematerialisticlogicofmodernsocietymakesthisdifficultsituationworse.Whenapersonlinkstheirself-worthtomaterialthingsandmaterialaspects,theywilldefinitelyfaceaspiritualdesert.3.2Benn’sunaccomplishedesteemneedsandsafetyneedsBenn’sneedsforrespectandsecurityhav