ABSTRACT

Carson McCullers is one of the most famous writers in American Literature in the 20th century. She is skilled in portraying the characters suffering the depression and solitude and depicting their intricate and subtle feelings. From the perspective of feminism, this thesis deplores the reasons for predicaments of the protagonist in The Member of the Wedding, aiming to reveal the protagonist’s inner loneliness and identity confusion brought by the outside world and her vulnerable adolescence.

Key words: The Member of the Wedding; spiritual isolation; identity confusion

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

1.1 An Overview on McCullers and The Member of the Wedding-1

1.2 Literature Review-2

1.3 The Significance of This Thesis-4

Chapter Two PRESSURE FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD-5

2.1 Enclosed in a Suffocating Town-5

2.2 Admiration of the South Belle Culture-6

2.3 Trapped in Racial Isolation-8

Chapter Three FRUSTRATION IN HER FAMILY-10

3.1 The Enclosed Family Space-10

3.2 The Absence of Mother-11

3.3 The Taciturn Father..12

Chapter Four HER VULNERABLE ADOLESCENCE-14

4.1 Identity Confusion-14

4.2 No Sense of Belonging-15

4.3 Trapped in Androgyny-16

Chapter Five CONCLUSION-18

WORKS CITED-20