| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | 第5-6页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第6-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第8-10页 |
| CONTENTS | 第10-12页 |
| CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION | 第12-24页 |
| 1.1 A Brief Introduction to Carson McCullers and Research Questions | 第12-15页 |
| 1.2 A Critical Review on The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter | 第15-19页 |
| 1.3 Theoretical Framework | 第19-21页 |
| 1.4 Analysis Procedures | 第21-24页 |
| CHAPTER TWO SENSE OF LOSS | 第24-42页 |
| 2.1 Crisis of Self-Identification | 第24-35页 |
| 2.1.1 A Stranger in an Alien Land | 第25-30页 |
| 2.1.2 Fragmentation of the Self | 第30-31页 |
| 2.1.3 Alienation from the Others | 第31-35页 |
| 2.2 Social Elements for the Crisis of Self-Identification | 第35-42页 |
| 2.2.1 Racial and Class Discrimination | 第35-39页 |
| 2.2.2 Great Depression and Looming War | 第39-40页 |
| 2.2.3 Spiritual Wasteland in the South | 第40-42页 |
| CHAPTER THREE SEARCH FOR THE AUTHENTIC SELF | 第42-66页 |
| 3.1 Prevailing Anxiety: A Reflection of Self-Awareness | 第42-50页 |
| 3.1.1 Anxiety of the Absurdity | 第42-46页 |
| 3.1.2 Anxiety of the Freedom | 第46-50页 |
| 3.2 Conflicts between the Self and the Others towards an Authentic Self | 第50-66页 |
| 3.2.1 Attempts to Self-Deceive and Escape from the Authentic Self | 第50-55页 |
| 3.2.2 Desire for Communication | 第55-58页 |
| 3.2.3 Grope towards the Authentic Self: A Rejection to Social Uniformity | 第58-66页 |
| CHAPTER FOUR FREEDOM TO SELF-CONSTRUCTION | 第66-76页 |
| 4.1 Unavoidable Responsibilities | 第66-72页 |
| 4.2 Freedom to Make the Commitments | 第72-76页 |
| CONCLUSION | 第76-80页 |
| WORKS CITED | 第80-83页 |
