Abstract: Edward Morgan Forster, in his novel A Room with a View, focuses on depicting the heroine Lucy, especially her inner side. The whole novel is a complete process of the awakening of Lucy’s self-consciousness which conforms to Hegel’s philosophy on the development of human self-consciousness -- individual self-consciousness, recognitory self-consciousness and universal self-consciousness. This paper discusses in detail the factors contributed to form Lucy’s three states of self-consciousness, difficulties arising from the external and the internal in all respects which Lucy confronts with and overcomes, thus demonstrating the whole process through which Lucy’s unconsciousness is gradually transformed into feminine self-consciousness from the perspective of Hegel’s self-consciousness.

Key words: Hegel; Lucy; Self-consciousness; awakening; A Room with A View

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Hegel’s Self-Consciousness-3

2.1 Definition-3

2.2 Three Stages to the Construction of Self-consciousness.3

2.2.1 Individual Self-Consciousness-4

2.2.2 Recognitory Self-Consciousness-5

2.2.3 Universal Self-Consciousness-5

3. Analysis of the Awakening of Lucy’s Self-consciousness iu A Room with a View from  the Perspective of Hegel’s Self-consciousness-7

3.1 Formation of Individual Self-consciousness: Lucy’s Interaction with New Environment -- A Journey to Italy-8

3.2 Formation of Recognitory Self-consciousness: Lucy’s Interaction with George and Mr. Emerson-11

3.2.1 Lucy’s Interaction with George-12

3.2.2 Lucy’s Interaction with Mr. Emerson-14

3.3 Formation of Universal Self-consciousness: Lucy’s Introspection and Conciliation of Inner Contradictions through Pursuit of Love-16

4. Conclusion-21

References-22