對英國十九世紀作家Thomas De Quincey的研究向來多以浪漫主義或是殖民主義的角度進行，討論De Quincey如何受到外在時代精神及文學浪潮的影響。然而，本論文將透過精神分析理論的幫助，討論De Quincey與其作品『一個英國鴉片吸食者的告解』之間的內在關連，亦即作者與作品之間，某一種必然且不可切割的關係。本論文將試圖證明寫作此一動作不應被視為一個簡單的情感抒發管道，且任何作品的形成亦非巧合。就De Quincey的作品而言，從作者的取材，使用材料的方式，到最終的成品，都一再地體現了作者意圖利用作品做為呈現自我並且瞭解自我的媒介。
本論文將分為三個章節。首先，在第一章『細讀De Quincey的夢』，我將會從作品中找尋De Quincey對於作夢及夢的體察和瞭解，整理De Quincey對於作夢及夢的見解。並且試著回答他對於『夢將如何帶來對自我心靈認識？』此一問題的解釋。第二章『寫作自療』，我將要從精神分析的角度，檢視寫作對於主體而言，具有哪些益處，並且如何協助作者在寫作的過程中，面對並且處理自身內在的困境。最後，在『千挑萬選的成品：自傳式的告解』裡，我將談到自傳式作品和自我表達之間的關連，並且進一步指出這樣的自傳性作品，不只是有意識地自我呈現，更是另一個認識無意識自我的方式。
透過精神分析理論的讀法，本論文期許可以瞭解作者、寫作和作品間，三者之所以密不可分的原因和價值。並且指出在這個類似於『金三角』的關係裡，作者不但在寫作的過程中獲得表達的機會，更在每一個創作的軌跡和最終的作品裡面，發現了作者自己暗藏於意識之外另一些關於自我的真相。

Thomas De Quincey was generally studied as a Romanticist or an Imperialist writer; the focus has been on how De Quincey’s work embodies the spirit of his age. However, in my thesis, I would like to examine the internal relationship between De Quincey and his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater from a psychoanalytical point of view, and I hope my thesis could help to understand the psychological reason behind the writing of this work. There are three chapters in the thesis: “A Close Reading of De Quincey’s Dreams”; “Healing through Writing”, and “An Autobiographical Confession: the Select Genre.”
In the first chapter: “A Close Reading of De Quincey’s Dreams”, the focus will be on De Quincey’s own concept of dreams as well as the dreams he shared with readers in the Confessions. From a close reading of his work, I would like to show that dreams do help to bring De Quincey closer to the veiled world of unconscious. In “Healing through Writing”, the discussion will be switched to the act of writing. This chapter will deal mainly with theoretical discussions of the psychological values of writing. I think the theoretical elaborations will make it easier to understand the positive and pleasant traits of writing which helps the writer to deal with his own predicaments. Finally, in the last chapter, “An Autobiographical Confession: the Select Genre”, I would like to show that it is not without reasons to write an autobiographical confession because such a work does not only help De Quincey to present himself in front of the public but also enables the writer to know about another self which has always hidden in the world of unconscious.
My thesis aims to probe into the internal relationship between De Quincey, as a writer, and the writing of the Confessions. In De Quincey’s case, when writing is considered as a way of communicating with the outer world, it also unveils, to the writer, some part of his true self that has always been outside of the conscious perception. Therefore, I hope my thesis would be able to uncover the psychological values of writing, and how writing is the access to know more about the self.

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………i
Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………v
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..1
Chapter One: A Close Reading of De Quincey’s Dreams .....................................13
Chapter Two: Healing through Writing ................................................................ 35
Chapter Three: An Autobiographical Confession: the Select Genre …………...50 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................69
Works Cited................................................................................................................73

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