PSYCHOLOGICAL CHRONOTOPE IN JOHN FOWLES’S NOVEL «THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN»

Abstract

The objective of the investigation is to analyse the novel «The French Lieutenant’s Woman» by John Fowles from the perspective of psychological chronotope. Psychological chronotope creates a complete picture of the characters’ inner world. The investigation of the psychological chronotope gives an opportunity of defining the peculiarities of the characters’ self- awareness, of analysing their motivation, the logic of their relationships and the conditionality of plot twists. In John Fowles’ novel «The French Lieutenant’s Woman» the characters’ psychotypes are conditioned by the time and the place – England of the 60-s of the XIX century. The psychological chronotope reveals the divergences in the characters’ psychotypes, contrastive psychotypes (Charles Smithson’s and his uncle’s, Charles Smithson’s and Mr Freeman’s, Ernestina’s and Sarah’s).Under the impact of Charles Darwin’s theory on the origin of species Smithson begins to change and often makes an unconventional or even inappropriate for a victorian gentleman choice, but still he remains one of them, that’s why having found Sarah he wants to marry her and can’t understand why she does not want it. Sarah’s decision to choose the job she likes instead of an advantageous marriage proves that Sarah is a new for this epoch psychological type in which John Fowles traces the emergence of modern views on moral values and the place of women in society at the time of serious restrictions of women’s rights.The setting in the novel serves to embody the degree of freedom. Charles and Sarah usually meet in the open area which is in harmony with Sarah’s personality, with her open mind and loathing for restrictions. Ernestina and Charles in most cases meet indoors, often in her aunt’s stifling house. Travelling plays an important role in Charles’s evolution. Travelling, Charles seems to be looking for himself. Changing the European scene for the American provokes the corresponding changes in Charles’s personality. He becomes open to new ideas and less prejudiced.The analysis of the psychological chronotope of the novel «The French Lieutenant’s Woman» by John Fowles showed that time and space are of fundamental importance for the formation of the system of the characters’ beliefs and values. In the investigated novel the psychological chronotope is the core of the plot as within it the story lines tie and untie, providing the integrity and the development of the plot. The psychological chronotope acquires a certain symbolic meaning implying mental and spiritual moving of progressive young victorians to self-awareness, self-determination, to the awareness of the importance of freedom of choice, to the formation of the new moral values which will dominate in the XX century.