Self-awareness and Authenticity in Doris Lessing’s Short Fiction

Abstract

In this thesis, I will be analyzing selective short stories by the short story writer Doris Lessing. The aim of the study is to examine how Lessing fictionalizes self-awareness as an inevitable path to the individual’s authenticity. The thesis focuses on how Doris Lessing’s short fiction narratively structures the experience of self-awareness in the form of an experiential self-journey that helps individuals achieve their authenticity and raise awareness of the importance of prioritizing their individuality. The thesis also examines Lessing’s characters through the psychoanalytical insights of Karen Horney and R.D.Laing, along with some philosophical concepts in the following three contexts: the period of adolescence, the feminine world, and the African veld.