Reconstruction of the Female Lineage in Possession

【Abstract】The three layers of narration is one of the most outstanding writing techniques Byatt has applied in her masterpiece Possession.According to the theories about female lineage and also mother- daughter relationships put forward by Luce Irigaray， the famous French feminist， there can be close interrelations among those three female characters—goddess Melusina， poet LaMotte and scholar Maud—from three different historical periods or spaces. They together have woven readers a complex female lineage in its symbolic sense， and each has achieved her own rebirth from it.

【Keywords】A.S.Byatt; Possession; Luce Irigaray; female lineage

【作者簡介】馬曉珍（1992-），女，漢族，河南安陽人，西安外國語大學，2017級在讀研究生，研究方向：英語語言文學。

Ⅰ. The buried female linage

Irigaray has developed a complex and detailed theory about the mother-daughter relationship. She holds that the establishment of the whole western civilization is based on “Matricide”， instead of the idea of “Patricide” believed by Sigmund Freud. （Irigaray， 2007： 184）. Of course， “Matricide” here only is only in its symbolic meaning， which means “to drive mother off the power center， to make mothers voice silenced， and her desires oppressed” （Liu Yan， 2007， 74）. In order to establish the patriarchal culture， intimate relations between mother and daughter are cut， mothers womb is belittled， mothers ability to reproduce is denied， while fathers role of being the only creator is strengthened. In Possession， the tragic fates and sufferings of those three female characters have fully proved this point.

Irigaray once boldly claimed that， “when in Totem and Taboo， Sigmund Freud conspicuously confirmed “Patricide” to be the basis of Aboriginals establishing tribes， he forgot a more ancient murder—murder to the mothers， is actually the basis of a tribes establishing certain rules. ” （Irigaray， 2007， 184）. In Possession， the story of this female monster Sphinx is a proper evidence to this. Being the symbol of the extreme mystery， the female monster Sphinx controls human beings highest and broadest knowledge. Yet once men began to acquire knowledge， they then killed this female ruler， seized the power and finally made themselves the supreme controller. In this sense， it is after mens killing the supreme female ancestor that they finally established the later patriarchal society.

The feline Sphinx roamed free as air and smiled

In the dry desert at those foolish men

Who saw not that her crafted Riddled clue

Was merely Man， bare man， no Mystery.

But when they found it out they split her blood

For her presumption and her Monstrous shape.

Man named Himself and thus assumed the Power

Over his questioner， till then his Fate-

After， ?his Slave and victim.

——（Byatt， 1991， 346）

The female protagonist goddess Melusina in this fairy tale， is a mother murdered by this patriarchal society. She is firstly betrayed by her husband， and then is seen as a monster， becomes the scapegoat of the murder between her sons. Being a goddess， Melusinas position is belittled; as a mother， her ability to reproduce is doubted by the father; and as a builder of the city， her contributions are denied also.

Victorian poet LaMotte is also a victim of patriarchal system in long period of her lifetime. Being a talented female poet of that era， LaMotte is a person with bold feminist standpoint. In her early age ， LaMotte， together with her friend Branchy， even chooses to live in a house separated from the external patriarchal society， to firmly protect their individual freedom. Poetry is the thing she is ready to devote her life to. However， everything was changed after her encounter with Mr. Ash. Under the great pressure from the external patriarchal society， the unmarried LaMotte was forced to leave. LaMottes inspiration of poetry creation is undoubtedly seriously undermined under such various sufferings. Ash， the other famous poet of the same period， gets all his success and reputation， while LaMotte can only moaned，“ I live in an Turret like an old Witch， and make verses nobody wants.” （Byatt， 1991， 537）. The formidable patriarchal culture is the real pusher of all those changes.

Ⅱ. The reconstruction of female lineage

Irigaray always emphasizes that mothers cannot be murdered any more， instead， they ought to be given the deserved respect， and also the right to speak. Here ， two senses are contained in this female lineage. The first one comes to the relations in blood between mother and daughter， mothers ability to reproduce. The other sense comes to sense of the right to speak. In Possession， Byatt has successfully finished such a female lineage， and make the mothers in history and daughter in reality both find their own place.

First is the ancient female ancestor Melusina. Due to the recreation and reconstruction by talented Victorian female poet LaMotte， Melusina was recognized and worshiped by people. LaMotte rewrites the story of Melusina， and her image in household life， in constructing the society， and and most importantly， in a mothers love to her children. Under the pen of LaMotte， Melusina is longer the scary monster， but a positive contributor both in building the city and developing agriculture. The goddess image of Melusina is finally recreated， and her feelings are also rewritten. Even though this work didnt produce much influence in society at that time， LaMotte believed that Melusina would not die， and she would finally regain her deserved population. And the fact finally proves this point. With the rediscovery of these letters between LaMotte and Ash， this masterpiece finally got her attention.

Just as Melusina who has been revived by beautiful poetry created by LaMotte， LaMotte herself is also found and acknowledged by people through those corresponding letters between herself and Ash. LaMotte recorded the secret love of her and Ash in the doll poems， as she believed this was the most safe way to keep it. ?When Maud reads aloud these poems written by LaMotte， there seems to be a magical force leading her to this secret hidden behind. Eventually， she successfully makes it.Like Sphinx， LaMotte weaves a mysterious web by her elegant poetic language. Yet this time， the person who finally resolves it is no longer the ever dominant man， but an offspring of the ancient and historical female ancestor. This has to be a real success， and the place of LaMotte is also verified and established through this way.

The last woman， Maud， through her arduous exploration and a lot of efforts in many years， also finally set up her own place in this female lineage. Maud is an excellent female scholar with beautiful appearance， yet always wears a sense of coldness and indifference in the outside， giving people the impression of no passion. ?Yet this behaviour rightly reflects her inner distrustfulness in her female temperament， and her fear to acknowledge her natural sexual desire. Yet things begin to change when Maud finally finds out that her female ancestors are the brave Melusina with clear distinction between love and hate， and also the fearless and persistent LaMotte. She begin to gather her strength inside， and choose to frankly show and enjoy her always existent female beauty. Maud finally accepts herself， and also reaps her true love with Roland.

Ⅲ. Conclusion

Then， a complete female lineage is finally set up， from the ancient goddess Melusina， to Victorian poet LaMotte， and to Maudrn female scholar Maud. Irigary holds that the ideal mother-daughter relations should be a win-win one. In other words， the intimate relations between two women with complete and independent personality. When this female lineage is finally set up ， every woman can then find her own place in it， and also help each other.

References：

[1]Alban， Gillian. Melusine the Serpent Goddess in A.S. Byatts Possession and in Mythology. Boston：Lexington Books， 2003.

[2]Byatt， A. . Possession： A Romance. London： Vintage. 1991.

[3]Franken， Christien & Splendore， Paola. “A.S. Byatt： Books and Myths”. European Journal of Womens Studies， 9 （2002）： 497-499.

[4]Irigaray， L. “This Sex Which Is Not One”. C. Porter & C. Burke （trans.）. New York： Cornell University Press. 1985.

[5]Irigaray， L. ?“The Bodily Encounter with the Mother”. 2007.

[6]Irigaray， L. ?“The Forgotten Mystery of Female Ancestry”. 2007

[7]Shaw， Jan. “The Tale of Melusine in AS Byatts Possession： Retelling Medieval Stories.” Storytelling： Critical and Creative Approaches. Palgrave Macmillan， London， 2013. 222-237.