Memory and the Quest for Self

Explore in detail the feminine self-discovery journey that Margaret Atwood and Alice Walker both describe in four of their novels. In order to explore this process, C. G. Jung's psychological developmental theories of the human personality are utilized. While performing a Jungian analysis on Surfacing, Cat's Eye, The Color Purple, and The Temple of My Familiar, the author proposes that the female protagonists in these novels incorporate three distinct actions into their behavior that enable them to embark on a self-discovery journey and find a self-identity that frees them from the trauma of their pasts.