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1750 Psychological Perspective Assignment
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Psychological Perspective (1750)
Added on 2020-05-11
1750 Psychological Perspective Assignment
Psychological Perspective (1750)
Added on 2020-05-11
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Running head: PSYCHOLOGYPsychological perspective of Doris Lessing’s Under My SkinName of the student:Name of the university:Author note:
1PSYCHOLOGYTable of contentsBiographical and thematic elements in Under My Skin...................................................................2Deeper insight into Under My Skin.................................................................................................2Critical reflection of Doris’ desires.................................................................................................6References........................................................................................................................................8
2PSYCHOLOGYBiographical and thematic elements in Under My SkinUnder My Skin is one of the masterpieces of Doris Lessing’s first volume ofautobiography. As a matter of specification, the volume enhances the clarity of the readers abouthow she spent her childhood in the dense forest of Africa. Time and memory is one of animportant theme of this volume. Recollection of the past from the perspective of a child Dorisacts as a flashback of her development (Watkins, 2016). This includes self-retrospection,adjusting relationship with parents and societal approach. Adjust with her parents is very muchsimilar to the relationship portrayed in Gosses’ Father and Son.Doris’ development amidst an adjusting environment, strains her biological relationshipwith her parents. Her uncompromising attitude reflects her determination towards the attainmentof independence. This determination gets societal rejection, however, her soft kind andcompassionate nature nullifies this rejection. Along with this, conglomeration between thepersonal and professional life is reflected in the creation, Under My Skin. Maintenance ofbalance adds value to the personality of writers like Doris (Rubenstein, 2014). Deeper insight into Under My SkinSkin is the inner covering of an individual. Skin protects the individual from the outsideand foreign materials, which can prove harmful. The proposition “under” can be considered as“part for the whole” and the possessiveness reflected by “my” is the individual as a whole.Collaboration of these parts results in the formation of the individual as a whole. These parts canbe considered as two selves, which make up an individual. Naming the autobiography as UnderMy Skin is Doris’ attempt to invoke her other self in terms of memorizing her childhood in the
3PSYCHOLOGYdense forest of Africa (Martens, 2014). Countering this, skin can be considered as a generalizedversion of one’s body. In view of this perception, the proposition “my” is contradicted, whichnullifies the individuality of Doris Lessing. Doris had to adjust with her parents for having a worthwhile existence. However, hercaring and compassionate attitude strengthened her relationship with society. The proposition“under” can also reflect a suppression of one of the selves due to the efforts, which Doris had toput for keeping the relationship with her parents alive. On the other hand, poetic approachtowards the scenic beauty reflects the freedom and liberty of her selves in terms of adding valueto her existence (Georgescu, 2014). Time is one of the other issues, which grabs the attention of the readers upon the mentionof Under My Skin. Reflecting on the lost childhood is Doris’ lamentation towards the lostchildhood. Viewing it from the other perspective, this reflection can also be considered as alonging for regaining the lost childhood. This yearning desire is a desire to take a rebirth in termsof shedding the worldly responsibilities. The action of shedding off the responsibilities reflectsan immature behavior, which negates the development of Doris. Countering this, shedding offthe responsibilities can be considered as Doris’ desire to escape into a utopian world, where shewould be able to live amidst the “singing grass” (Fike, 2016). This desire snatches her presentsocietal existence. Taking a cue from the utopian society, it acts as a distortion for the characteristics of thepresent connotation of “society”. This is because the society consists of a group of foolish peopleseeking the meaning of their lives. In this process, they encounter higher stress and feel lethargictowards the performance of basic tasks. Viewing it from the other perspective, childish reflection
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