摘 要

《到十九号房》是多丽丝·莱辛的一部短篇小说，该作品风格沿袭了他一贯擅长的空间意象描写。作品中主人公苏珊·罗林斯的心理发展历程是推动小说情节发展的主要动力。小说讲述了为了获得自由，主人公追求不同的房间意象来逃避现实中的人和物，最终，在十九号房了结了自己的生命。就本质而言，现实社会中家庭主妇的角色丧失了生活的激情，这种不公平的社会地位否定了苏珊的生存意义，导致了她悲剧性的结局。本文将运用空间理论中自己和他人的对立、冲突来解读《到十九号房》，进而证明在男权社会下女性意识的觉醒，以及现代社会中人们之间的冷漠，缺失交流，孤独会导致无法避免的悲剧。

关键词：多丽丝·莱辛；《到十九号房》；空间意象；心理路程；女权意识;

Abstract

To Room Nineteen, one of Doris Lessing’s most important short stories is characterized by the unique employment of space images. This thesis will focus on the space images in To Room Nineteen from the perspective of psychologically changing process of protagonist. In addition, the aim of this thesis is to study the awareness of Feminist is awakening under the repression of Patriarchal society and conclude that the loneliness, lacking of communication and indifference between modern people can lead to irreparable tragedy.

Key words: Doris Lessing; To Room Nineteen; Space Images; Psychological Process; Feminist;

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Demonstration 2

2.1 Space images creating in the self-disorientation 2

2.1.1 Self-disorientation in the large white house 3

2.1.2 Self-disorientation in the garden 3

2.2 Space images reflecting in the self-identification 4

2.2.1 Self-identification in the spare room at the top of the house 5

2.2.2 Self-identification in the Miss Townsend’s hotel 6

2.2.3 Self-identification in the Welsh emptiness 6

2.3 Space images representing in the self-discovery 7

2.3.1 Physical belongs in the room nineteen 7

2.3.2 Psychological belongingness in the room nineteen 9

3. Conclusion 10

Works Cited-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11

Bibliography------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12

A Study of Space Images in To Room Nineteen

1. Introduction

Doris Lessing (October 22, 1919-November 17, 2013) is one of the most important and greatest female writers in history of English Literature in the 20th century. Her career as a writer began with the publication of The Grass is Singing, a work reflecting miserable lives of Negro slaves. The Golden Notebook published in 1962 foundered her indispensable status in literary field. Her works advocate human freedom, female’s awakening and struggling, and she won the Nobel Prize in 2007.

To Room Nineteen is written in 1962 as a successful story in Doris Lessing’s short stories collection one man and two women. The story is about the tragic life of an intelligent woman. The protagonist Susan is a middle-aged English woman. Before marriage, she works as a painter in an advertising firm; She is intelligent, humors, and independent .After her marriage, she gives up her job in order to look after her three children. She becomes a good housewife and a good mother. However, after the youngest children goes to school, she finds her life is so boring that she desires for freedom, she wants to find the true ego. Every day, she is tortured by two thoughts, on the one hand, she is sorry not to be a qualified wife and mother, and on the other hand, she is finding various ways to find her ego. Moreover, her husband cannot understand her and suspects her; finally, in order to get the true freedom, she chooses to commit suicide in the room nineteen.

To Room Nineteen has enjoyed success and a high status in literary field since its publication. Many critics explore the work from different angles, not only the themes but also some of the writing techniques have been found and discussed. The study of this novel is beneficial for the reader to have a whole understanding of the novel; it is also a good novel of perfect literary work.