摘 要

《水泥花园》是伊恩·麦克尤恩最受赞誉，亦是受到最多评论关注和阐释的作品之一，被誉为他的两部小型作品之一。该小说以主人公杰克的视角讲述了一个看起来耸人听闻的故事。父母的相继离世，使得四个孩子——朱莉，杰克，苏和汤姆被困在水泥花园中，相依为命。本文主要探讨《水泥花园》中孩子的悲剧成长，通过用弗洛伊德精神分析法中的人格结构理论以及自我防御机制理论来剖析孩子成长悲剧过程中出现的心理问题: 恋母情结，自恋以及异装癖，并分析导致这种悲剧的深层原因：孤立隔绝的社会环境以及不正常的家庭关系。

关键词： 伊恩·麦克尤恩，《水泥花园》，悲剧命运，弗洛伊德，精神分析法

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Contents

1. Introduction 1
2. Demonstration 2
   1. A brief introduction of Freud's Psychoanalysis 2
      1. Theory of Personality Structure 3
      2. Theory of Self-defense Mechanism 4
   2. Twisted psychological development of the kids 4
      1. The interpretation of the boys’ Oedipus Complex 5
      2. The interpretation of Jack’s Narcissism 8
      3. The interpretation of Tom’s Transvestism 9
   3. Cause for the tragic growth of kids 9
      1. Isolated and alienated environment 10
      2. Odd and unhealthy family relationships 11
3. Conclusion 13

Works Cited 14

Bibliography 15

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On Tragic Growth of Kids in the Cement Garden

Introduction

Ian Russell McEwan (June 21, 1948- ), a prominent contemporary novelist, was born in a military family in 1948. When he was little, he lived with his father. They traveled a lot and lived in Singapore for a long time. Then he alone studied in a boarding school. Later, he believed that he was just a regular student until he was in touch with literature. In 1970, he graduated from University of Sussex. Guided by Malcolm Bradbury and Angus Wilson, he began to write short stories. McEwan’s early works are labeled by Kiernan Ryan “the art of unease” and he himself is also nicknamed “Ian Macabre”. What gives him such “fame” is his first several works such as First Love, Last Rites (1975), The Cement Garden (1978), The Comfort of Strangers (1981), etc (Hu 8).

The Cement Garden, written in 1978, is viewed as one of the most acclaimed works among McEwan's novels and it’s also one of his two small masterpieces (the other one is the Comfort of Strangers). In 1993, the famous writer and director Andrew Brikin helped bring The Cement Garden to the big screen which made him win the best director award in the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival. The story is told by one of the main protagonists Jack. It vividly describes the twisted psychological problems and great tragedy of the children. “The family’s house is more like a cement wasteland because it stands alone in a deserted street and the garden is cemented by his ‘frail, irascible, obsessive’ father” (Hu 9). After the parents die, the house becomes more and more isolated. Then, the whole family is broken and the four kids face a disordered society. In order to keep their family integrated and prevent their little sister and brother from being adopted, Jack and his elder sister Julie hide their mother’s body in the cellar. From then on, they shoulder the responsibility of taking care of the family members. Jack is a little fascinated about his and Julie’s body. Julie is wayward girl but is gradually becoming gentle after her mother’s death. Their sister Sue seems to be the most normal kids in the whole book. She loves

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