| Acknowledgements | 第1-5页 |
| Abstract | 第5-7页 |
| 内容提要 | 第7-9页 |
| Introduction | 第9-15页 |
| Chapter One Four Strands of the Novel | 第15-45页 |
| ·Joe Christmas: Search for Identity | 第16-26页 |
| ·Joanna Burden: Burden of Family Heritage | 第26-31页 |
| ·Gail Hightower: Obsession with the Past | 第31-39页 |
| ·Lena Grove: Symbol of the Earth Mother | 第39-45页 |
| Chapter Two Contrast of the Four Strands | 第45-60页 |
| ·Joe and Lena:Violence versus Peace | 第45-51页 |
| ·Joanna and Lena: Sterility versus Fertility | 第51-55页 |
| ·Hightower and Lena: Past versus Present | 第55-60页 |
| Chapter Three Cohesion of the Novel | 第60-73页 |
| ·Cohesion in the Propositional Field | 第60-65页 |
| ·Cohesion of the Interconnecting Patterns | 第65-73页 |
| Conclusion | 第73-77页 |
| Notes | 第77-82页 |
| Bibliography | 第82-85页 |
