Abstract：Doris Lessing, a British woman writer who, in 1962, completed her The Golden Notebook, generally acknowledged as her masterpiece, and established her the position in the Western literary world. Lessing’s works pay more attention to major social issues, and her style and subject matter have changed repeatedly. She has won the Nobel Prize for Literature and several important literary awards. She is known as the greatest female writer after Woolf.
Her early work, The Summer before the Dark, described the spiritual crisis of a middle-aged housewife. The publication of The Summer before the Dark attracted widespread attention abroad, and it was praised and controversial. Most critics exposed her spiritual growth through Kate’s resistance to the patriarchal culture. Some critics analyze Kate’s personalization process through psychological factors, and critics analyze the novel from a symbolic perspective. The related research in the country mainly analyzes the works from the perspective of feminism, narrative strategies, Freud and Jung’s psychology. Some scholars are concerned about the theme of women’s growth in the novel. However, there are few related studies and there is a lack of systematic and comprehensive sorting.
This paper analyzes this novel from the perspective of female growth themes. Based on predecessors’ research, through the literature review and textual reading, the heroine’s growth path is explored, enabling us to better interpret the female theme of the work. Experience the complex psychology of women in difficult times in modern society and understand Lessing’s humanistic concern for growing women.
Keywords: The Summer before the Dark female growth lost return
中文摘要：多丽丝•莱辛，英国女作家，1962年她完成了一般被公认是她的代表作的《金色笔记》，奠定了她在西方文坛的地位。莱辛的作品多关注重大的社会问题，风格与题材屡次转变。她曾获得诺贝尔文学奖以及多个重要文学奖项，被誉为继伍尔夫之后最伟大的女性作家。
她的早期作品《天黑前的夏天》讲述了一位中年家庭主妇的精神危机。小说一出版就在国外引起了广泛关注，有赞扬也有争议。多数批评家是通过凯特对父权制文化的反抗来揭露她的精神成长历程；有的批评家是通过心理因素来分析凯特的个性化进程；还有批评家是从象征的角度来解析这本小说。国内的相关研究主要是从女性主义、叙事策略、弗洛伊德和荣格的心理学角度来分析作品。有部分学者关注到了小说中的女性成长主题，但相关研究较少，缺乏系统全面的梳理。
本文主要从女性成长主题这一角度来分析这本小说，在前人研究的基础上，通过文献梳理和文本细读，探析女主人公的成长之路，使我们能更好地解读作品的女性主题，体会现代社会中遭遇生存困境的女性复杂心理，从而理解莱辛对成长中的女性的人文主义关怀。
关键词:《天黑前的夏天》；女性成长；迷茫；回归
Contents
Abstract
中文摘要
Chapter One Introduction-1
1.1-Introduction to Doris Lessing-1
1.2 Introduction to The Summer before the Dark-1
1.3 Literature Review-2
1.4 Thesis Structure-2
Chapter Two Initiation Novel-4
2.1 Definition and Characteristics of Initiation Novel-4
2.2 Development and Influence of Initiation Novel-5
Chapter Three Interpretation of Female Growth Theme in The Summer before the Dark-6
3.1 Confusion and Escape-6
3.2 Awakening of Female Consciousness-7
3.3 Journey of Self-discovery-8
3.4 Return-9
3.5 Growth-11
Chapter Four Causes for Female Growth-12
4.1 External Factors-12
4.2 Personal Factors-12
4.2.1Lonely Life Experience-12
4.2.2 Yearning for Nature-13
Chapter Five Conclusion-14
References-15
