4。1。1 Strong emotional swings caused by Pierrot …。10

4。1。2 Comfort given by the companion of Pierrot 11

4。2 Pierrot’s importance for Sarton 11

5。 Conclusion 14

References 15

1。 Introduction 

1。1 Brief Introduction of May Sarton’s Background 

May Sarton is the pen name of Eleanore Marie Sarton (May 3, 1912-July 16, 1995), a famous American female memoirist, novelist, poet and diarist。 She is so productive that she has altogether over twenty novels, twenty-five collections of poems and many journals。 Among the different types of literature, she considers herself as a poet first。 But indeed, despite some of her novels and poems, Sarton's best and most enduring work probably lies in her journals and memoirs, particularly Plant Dreaming Deep (about her early years at Nelson, ca。 1958-68), Journal of a Solitude (1972-1973, often considered her best), The House by the Sea (1974-1976), Recovering (1978-1979) and At Seventy (1982-1983)。 Journal of a Solitude as Sarton’s first journal book draws much attention to the study of old people’s life and is considered as one of her best works。 Her later journals have also attracted plenty of readers that even today she still occupies a great position in American literature。 On July 16th, 1995, May Sarton died of breast cancer and was buried in Nelson。 论文网

Among all her works, she enjoys life in her house with pets, beautiful flowers, the blue sky and vast sea out of the window, showing her attitude towards life -- she is confident in herself and the world she lives in。 She keeps writing journals for decades that even after she has suffered from a stroke that severely reduced her ability to write, she continues it by dictating with the help of a tape recorder after recovery。 And this is how At Eighty-Two, Sarton's final journal book, is produced。 This book was published posthumously in 1997, recording her solitary life with visits of her friends and the company of her cat from July, 1993 to August, 1994。 

1。2 Literature review

Despite of her achievement in novels and poems, May Sarton’s main contribution in literature lies in her journals。 She is welcomed by readers mostly for her journals and memories。 She talks about the course of getting old physically and the following inconvenience, and records how she tries to remain vigorous mentally by keeping writing journals to resist amnesia as well as other aged diseases。 There have been researches based on Sarton’s works。 “Sarton engages in a process of collaboration with the reader”, Jeanne Braham points out in Seeing with Fresh Eyes: A Study of May Sarton’s Journals (Branham, 1995: 15)。 Sarton’s writing accomplishment is also discussed by That Great Sanity: Critical Essays on May Sarton, one of the most important criticism works on May Sarton written by Susan Swartzlander in 1995。 The twelve essays in That Great Sanity work together to provide theoretical and critical contexts that make a more exhaustive assessment of Sarton’s achievement than previous ones (Swartzlander, 1995)。 It is emphasized that keeping a daily record allows Sarton to stitch emotional fragments into a pattern, one that reduces the emotional vulnerability of the moment。 (Susan and Marilyn R, 1992)文献综述

Mark K。 Fulk’s Understanding May Sarton is another significant work that comprehensively presents Sarton’s life, experience and literary works rather than limiting Sarton’s literary accomplishments to the categories of feminist and lesbian writing。 In the first chapter, the author clearly states the major theme of Sarton’s writings is solitude, “suggesting the religious significance of a cloistered life, yet pesting it of orthodox religious meaning, and presenting it as the ideal position for a write to reflect on her life and world” (Fulk, 1968: 3)。 Though sometimes depressed by aging and loneliness, Sarton still has clear ideas about herself and appreciats the inner peacefulness reading and writing bring her。