Date of Award
9-1992
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
Supervisor
N. Rosenblood
Language
English
Abstract
To discover Robert Raymond Ross' and Hugh Selwyn Mauberley's motivations for situating their fantasies within a framework of war, this thesis examines The Wars and Famous Last Words from a psychoanalytic and formalistic perspective. The first chapter of this thesis examines Ross' and Mauberley's compulsions to repeat, through displacements, the pre-war deaths of family members, and their compulsions' origins within the Oedipus complex. The second chapter explicates the ramifications of Mauberley's inability to resolve his Oedipal conflict. The fourth chapter probes the protagonists' identification with deities of Judaeo-Christian theology. The concluding chapter explores how war functions as an externalized metaphor for the inner conflicts of Ross and Mauberley.
Recommended Citation
Stewart, Janice, "Heroes in Their Mirrors: An Examination of The Wars and Famous Last Words" (1992). Open Access Dissertations and Theses. Paper 6454.
http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/opendissertations/6454
McMaster University Library