厄舍古屋的倒塌论文

PsychologicalAnalysisofCharacterizationinTheFalloftheHouseofUsherAbstract:TheFalloftheHouseofUsherisoneofthefamousgothicshortstoriesofEdgarAllanPoe.Andthisstoryhasportrayedthreemaincharacters——“I”,RoderickUsher,andladyMadeline.Theyallhavedistinctpersonalities.Fromtheperspectiveofpsychology,thispaperwillemployFreud’spersonalitystructuresystemtoanalyzethecharacterizationinTheFalloftheHouseofUsher.Keyword:EdgarAllanPoe;TheFalloftheHouseofUsher;characterization;personalitystructuresystem摘要：《厄舍古屋的倒塌》是埃德加·爱伦·坡著名的哥特短篇小说之一。小说刻画了三个主要人物——“我”，罗德瑞克·厄舍，玛德琳小姐，其性格截然不同。本文将从心理学的视角，运用弗洛伊德的人格系统理论对《厄舍古屋的倒塌》中的主要人物性格描写进行分析。关键词：埃德加·爱伦·坡；《厄舍古屋的倒塌》；人物刻画；人格系统理论EdgarAllanPoeiswidelyregardedasacentralfigureofRomanticismintheUnitedStatesandAmericanliteratureasawhole,andhewasoneofthecountry'searliestpractitionersoftheshortstory.HeisbestknownforhispoetryandtalesofGothicelementsandmystery.AndTheFalloftheHouseofUsherisoneofthoseGothicstories.AndobviouslyithasbeenalwaysstudiedasaGothicstory.MostofpapersarewrittenaboutitsGothiccharacters,environment,andarchitecture.However,thispaperwillemployanewwaytointerpretthisGothicstory.Inthisstory,therearethreemaincharacters——thenarrator“I”,RoderickUsher,andhissisterladyMadeline.Andthosethreepeoplehavedeeplyconnectedrelations.Andinthispaper,itwillemployFreud’spersonalitystructuretheorytoseparatelyanalyzethosethreecharacters’symbolicmeaningsandthenexplaintheirconnections.InFreud’spersonalitystructuretheory,heassignspeople’smentalprocessesintothreepsychiczones:theid,theego,andthesuperego.Theidis,inshort,thesourceofallouraggressionsanddesires.Itislawless,asocialandamoral.Itsfunctionistogratifyourinstinctsforpleasurewithoutregardforsocialconventions,legalethics,ormoralrestraint.AndRoderickisthesymbolicembodimentoftheid.Hisseriesofunreasonableanduncontrollablebehaviorsandthefinaldegenerationtoinsanityisthesymboloftheunsocialandimmoralid.Andhisfallingisastepbystepprocess.Atthebeginningofthisstory,thenarrator“I”wasinvitedtothehouseofUsherbyhisfriendinchildhoodforalleviationofhisillness.BecauseasRoderickwroteintheletterthat“I”was“hisbestandindeedhisonlypersonalfriend”.Yet“I”knewlittleofthisso-calledfriend.Andhispersonalityinhischildhoodwasdescribedasbeengeneticallysensitive.Andthisishisprimarypersonalityinhisboyhood.Heisjustaintrovertedandlonelyboy.Sothiscouldbethenormalperiodthattheidpersonalitystillissuppressedinhisdeepunconsciousness.Andnowitcomestothetimewhenthisstoryhappened.Andafteravaletushering“me”intothepresenceof“my”friend,“I”sawhimaftersomanyyears.However,“I”gazeduponhimwithafeelinghalfofpity,halfofaweforRoderick’sterriblechangeinsuchabrieftime.“I”comparedhiscountenance,eyesandhairin“my”memorywiththeirconditionsnow.“I”evendoubtedthat“I”didnotspeakwiththesameRoderick“I”everknew.Andthen“I”noticedaninconsistencyinRoderick’sbehaviour.Hecouldnotcontrolhishabitualtrepidancy,thoughhetriedto.What’smore,“Hisactionwasalternatelyvivaciousandsullen,Hisvoicevariedrapidlyfromatremulousindecisiontothatspeciesofenergeticconcision.”Hewasdescribedlikealostdrunkardandirreclaimableeaterofopium.Andhesaiditwasaconstitutionalandfamilyevilwhenhedepictedthenatureofhismalady.Itdisplayeditselfinahostofunnaturalsensations.Andhewastorturedbyananomalousspeciesofterror.Andhekeptsaying“Ishallperish.”“Imustperish.”“IfeltthattheperiodwillsoonerorlaterarrivewhenImustabandonlifeandreasontogether,insomestrugglewiththegrimphantasmfear.”WhenRoderickspokewith“me”,hestillhavelittlereasonleft.Duringthetimetheymet,theword“struggle”wasmentionedtwiceinthisstory.Thus,thiscouldbetheperiodthattheidofRoderickweighedoverthesuperego.Butthesuperegohadnotbeenfullyexpelled.Thenighthisillsister’ssurrendertothediseaseisthecrucialturningpointofhisfinaldegenerationtotheindulgentid.Heinformedhissister’sconditionwith“inexpressibleagitation”.Forseveraldaysensuing,Roderickseemedtoforgetabouthissister.Heactedlikeanormalperson.Hepainted，readandrecitedrhapsodies.Thiscouldbethecalmbeforethestorm.Aboutreading,Roderickwaschieflyinterestedintheperusalofanexceedinglyrareandcuriousbookwhichwroteaboutwildritual.AndIcouldnothelpthinkingofitspossibleinfluenceuponthehypochondriac,namelyRoderick.Thus,whatistheinfluenceofit?TheabruptdeathofladyMadeline.Andheinsistedtopreservehercorpsefortwoweekswhichseemsunreasonableandsingular.Later,itturnedouttobeextremelyabnormalandcreepy.Becauseheburiedhissisteranimatedlyincoffin.AfewdaysafterladyMadelinewasburied,anobservablechangecameoverthefeaturesofthementaldisorderofRoderick.“Hisordinarymannerhadvanished.Hisordinaryoccupationswereneglectedorforgotten.Heimmersedinaninexplicablevagariesofmadness.”Thus,thisperiodishisfinaldegenerationandindulgencetohisunsocialandimmoralid.Theego,inFreud’stheory,istherationalgoverningagentofthepsyche.AsFreudpointsout,“Inpopularlanguage,wemaysaythategostandsforreasonandcircumspection,whiletheidstandsfortheuntamedpassions.”Thus,inthisstory,“I”amthesymbolicembodimentofthebalancedandrationalego.Thewholestorywasnarratedby“I”whowasinvitedtothehouseofUsherby“my”booncompanioninboyhood.Iwasmovedbyhissincerewords