Abstract: British writers are always keen on creating literary based on Colonial of Africa. With the weakening of the British Empire, British writers in the 20th century started focus on the conflict between primitive African civilization and western colonial culture, and all the problems which were caused by the rapid development of Industry civilization. Doris Lessing is one of the representatives who focused on the internal contradiction of western civilization and probed into the available of communication and fusion among different civilizations. From the perspective of the Spatial Criticism, this paper will analysis Mary’s survival predicament in The Grass Is Singing from three aspects: the social space, the domestic space, and the psychological space. In a conclusion, this paper finds that colonialism and racial discrimination is the root of Mary’s suffering and tragedy and reflects on the shortcomings from the western civilization. 

Key words: The Grass Is Singing; spatial criticism; colonialism; survival predicament

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1.-Introduction-1

2.  The Spatial Criticism-3

2.1 The Concept of Space-3

2.2 The Development of the Spatial Criticism Theory-4

3.-The Space in The Grass Is Singing-6

3.1 The Social Space in Southern Africa-6

3.1.1 Colonial Society in Southern Africa-7

3.1.2 Isolated Social Relations in Southern Rhodesia-8

3.2 The Domestic Space in Mary’s Life-10

3.2.1 Loss of Parents’ Love in the Childhood-10

3.2.2 Poor and Boring Marriage Life-11

3.3 The Psychological Space in Mary’s Mind-13

3.3.1 Mary’s Arrogance and Inferiority-13

3.3.2 Indecisive and Struggled Inner World-15

4.-Conclusion-17

References-19