Abstract:Paradise, published in 1998, is Toni Morrison’s first novel after winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993. Set in an all-black town called Ruby, and a Convent near the town, this novel tells the story of the conflicts and contradictions between the two communities. In order to escape from the whites’ prejudice and oppression, the blacks in the novel build their own Utopia—the town Ruby. However, this pure black community is still filled with inequality and discrimination. In Paradise, there exists three pairs of binary oppositions—the white and the black, male and female, and the pure black and the light-skinned black. Binary opposition is rooted in hierarchy in which the former term assumes the role of dominance over the latter one. This paper aims to investigate the three pairs of binary opposition and Morrison’s deconstruction of these oppositions. By deconstructing these oppositions, Morrison expresses her wish to subvert the ideology of binary opposition and establish a society without hierarchy and oppression. This thesis concludes that only through adopting an open and inclusive attitude, can people build an earthly paradise where people can all live happily and harmoniously regardless of their races and genders.

Key words: Paradise; binary opposition; deconstruction

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要：

1. Introduction...1

2. Literature Review..2

3. The Binary Oppositions in Paradise.3

3.1 The Binary Opposition Between the White and the Black

3.2The Binary Opposition Between the Male and the Female

3.3The Binary Opposition Between the Pure Black and the Light-skinned Black

4. The Deconstruction of Binary Oppositions..6

4.1 Establishment of Ruby community

4.2 Reversed Roles in the Convent

4.3 Decay of the Pure Black Community

5. Conclusion 9

Bibliography10

Acknowledgements.11