پگاه شیبه

This paper illustrated in Alice Munro’s selected works the bad condition in which the characters are trapped as a result of their contexualized mind that is confined to limited interpretation in accordance with the Other’s desire, their mental attachment and dependence to Symbolic Order and what it imposes as the only way to think and live. Lacan’s concept of Beauty encapsulated in “act[ing] in conformity with one’s desires” is thought while reading Munro’s writings. It is a socio-ethical reading of Lacan. It was proved socio-ethical reading in psychoanalysis is quite fruitful; it gives the data that its effect goes from individual to society. Lacan’s notion on Symbolic Order was theoretically analyzed to prove how ethical psychoanalysis helps characters awareness. The bad condition illustrates living in Symbolic Order. The characters found it intolerable since unlike Lacanian ethics and Beauty that helps human to live his life in its full,morality in Symbolic Order works for desire of the Other. Symbolic Order subjects the characters to structure of power; the dominant socio-political power that follows “morality of the master” meaning that it determined society’s conventions. Characters have no role in making their life by their own decisions and in conformity with their Real desire. They turn into passive individuals with victim mentality. Relinquishment of one’s own desire results in feeling of guilt and regret. Hence, while characters stand out from the social orders, they experience a neutral stance in which they come to awareness; this neutrality illustrates Beauty in Lacan.

Lacanian Beauty in his ethics is encapsulated as making decisions and “act[ing] in conformity with one’s desires”. This idea is thought while reading Munro’s short stories to argue humans reconfigure their life through decision, transgression, act and love. Munro’s characters are confined in the condition that contextualizes them through one limited interpretation, detaching them from their individuality. To get out of this condition they detach from the Other via acting on their Real desire. So the Real opens the space for the decision that postulates the possibility for transgression. Thus, it is claimed making decisions leads to transgression that necessitates act whereby love is experienced. This study through analyzing decision, transgression, act, love and their relation introduces neutrality as a novel idea about a stance in which Beauty in Lacanian ethics is founded. It demonstrates neutrality is a pure communication area not polluted by Symbolic Order, a singularity, a power stance, a varietal stance in which love is the law. In this neutral singularity, humans succeed in living a life in its full. Lacanian ethics and sociology are interconnected to demonstrate the new context of life human can live so as to bring forth new outlooks on ethics including Beauty.