Manifestations of Sufism in Doris Lessing's Early Novels: Revisiting Lessing's Writing Life

Doris Lessing, the Persian-born, African-raised and London-residing writer enjoys a writing career which has spanned more than 50 years. Critics have labeled her as Marxist, feminist, Sufist and even psycho-analyst. Studies on Lessing point to a definite watershed between her pre-Sufi and post-Sufi works. It is my contention that latent Sufi characteristics are inherent in her works. To prove that even Lessing?s early works contain Sufi characteristics. the chapters have been arranged in reverse order by looking at her later fictions first, and then returning to her early works in the later section. A total of 8 novels are analysed here in general. The methodology appropriated entails tracing these elements in Lessing?s works which are overtly Sufistic, to works which are in transition and finally retracing them in her first novel. The book shows that Sufism has always been present in her works, this book departs from other critics and researchers who examine Lessing?s works in more general terms since the use of a non-western perspective actually enriches understanding of Lessing who is mainly read from eurocentric points of view.