JohnFowles’PhilosophicalIdeologyEmbodiedinTheFrenchLieutenant’sWoman
金卡丽上海对外贸易学院
【Abstract】ThispapergivesatentativeanalysisonJohnFowles’philosophicalideologyembodiedinTheFrenchLieutenant’sWoman,anddiscussestheexistenceofGodanditsexistencebutnotinterveningofhumanaffairs,thephilosophicalconceptofexistentialismandthecharacters’freedomofchoosingtheirownidentityinthisnovel.
【Keywords】God’sexistenceExistentialismIdentity
【中图分类号】H31【文献标识码】A【文章编号】1006－9682（2009）05－0061－01
TheauthorJohnFowleswasimmediatelyrecognizedasanoutstandingwriterwithrichimagination.Beingthemostcommerciallysuccessfulnovel,TheFrenchLieutenant’sWomantopsFowles’subsequentworksandconfirmshisstatusasanovelistparexcellence.
Comparedtobeanovelist,JohnFowleswishesmoretobeaphilosopher,andhehashisownopinionabouttheideologyoftheworldandtheGodlesssituation.
Ⅰ、Godexistingbutnot-intervening
ThechiefconcernofFowles’viewtotheworldisthequestionsaboutGod.DoesGodexist?Ifso,whatarehisnatureandhisrelationtohumanbeings?HeaffirmstheideathatGodexistsintheworld,butthenatureof‘God’isquiteunusual.Godexistsintheworld,whilethejusticethat‘God’doestomankindishisroleasanon-intervenertotheiraffairs.Assoonasheintervenesintheirconflicts,heisunabletomakethefairjudgments.
Embodiedinthenovel,itistheauthorwhoplaystheroleasGod.JohnFowlesstatesinthisnovelthat“thenovelistisstillagod”,sincehecreatesthenovel,theauthoristheGodinhiswork,andthehappeningofthestoryischangeableoncetheobserver,theauthor,changestheobserved.
AsGodexistsbutneverintervenes,sodoesthenovelist.Inmetafiction-composing,theauthornolongerdeterminescharacters’fates.HeappearsinthenovelliketheGod,entersintothetextsometimes.Hedisappearsalso,forheneverintervenestheloveaffairamongthecharacters.
Ⅱ、Existentialfreedom
TheissueofhumanfreedomhaslongbeentheconcerninJohnFowles’philosophy.ExistentialistshavetheopinionthathumanbeingsarecondemnedtobefreewhenfacingtheGodlesssituation.AsGoddoesnotdefineman’sessence,heisfreetochoosehisessenceduringhisexistenceintheworld.Man’sessenceisdefinedintheprocessofchoosing,andhehastheabsolutefreedomtochoosehisidentityatwhatevertimeandwhateverplace.
SinceGoddisappears,manhastotaketheresponsibilitytochoosehisessence.Existentialistsadvocatethatmanshouldtakeactiveactiontochangehissurroundings.Existentialistsalsosupporttheideathatmanshouldtakeactiveactiontoalterhisfortunethroughselection.Manenjoysthefreedomtochoose,regardlessofanyconventionsorstandards.Lifeisfullofchoices,andtheimportanceoflifeisendowedbymanhimself.
Inthisnovelitisthefictionalcharactersthathavethefreedomtodeterminetheiressence.SarahWoodruff,themostimportantfigureinthisnovel,achievesthefreedomtodefineheridentity.
Sarah’schoosingforthefirsttimetakesplaceatherfirstappearance.Despitethepoorfamilybackground,Sarahnevercompromiseswiththetragicfatethatlifedoestoher.Disdainedbythelocals,Sarahmakesnodefense.Livinginanincomprehensibleway,Sarahfeelsathometobeanoutcastofthesociety,thusenjoyingtheunconventionalindependenceandfreedom.ThesecondtimethatSarahcontrolsherdestinyhappensafterheracquaintancewithCharles.HavingdevelopedanintimaterelationshipwithCharles,SarahabandonstheopportunityofapromisingmarriageanddisappearsfromCharlesdespitehisintenseemotiontoher.Beingfoundinanartist’splace,SarahisproposedbyCharleswhileshesurrenderstheidentitytowifehood.Sheissatisfiedwithherstatusquo,forsheenjoysthepleasurethatworkgivesher.Shereducesherselftotheworkofart,whichseemstobeheronlypathtofreedom,thebestchoiceofheressence.Sarah’sthirdchoosingmightbedifficulttointerpret,andsheisquiteclearwithherselfthatsheisthekindofpersonthatcannotbeunderstood,andherhappinessdependsonhernotunderstanding.Nomatterwhatherdestinymightbe,theonlyprinciplethatSarahstickstoisfreedomatherownwill.
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