A Study Of Human Existence In John Fowles' The Collector

John Fowles, well-known for his deep thought of politics, society, religion, art and humanity, takes as the foundation of his philosophy the search for man's value of being, choice for being and activities in a changeable world. Living in a world war time and greatly influenced by the thought of existentialism, Fowles creates his masterpiece, The Collector giving us a close observation of the social phenomena and a profound exploration of man's spiritual state and their messy life in that troubled world. The Collector starts Fowles'profound exploration into art and embodies his deep humanity concern over modern people. By a rather absurd story, Fowles brings us not only a temporary spiritual shock but also a great work with keen philosophical enlightenment and profound realistic meaning. Nevertheless, critics both in China and abroad give a cold shoulder to this novel in nearly 20 years after its publication. Some simply consider it a thriller and place it in crime columns. Though many studies and researches have been made now, problems of Clegg's absurdity, Miranda's dilemma and the image of G.P. are still worth discussing. The thesis here, from the perspective of existentialism and by way of analyzing the paradox, the dilemma and the leading principles of human existence in the text, together with a close a look at its context, the social reality and the ideological trend of existentialism, tends to give a deeper study and a relatively more objective and justifiable research. Fowles'philosophy of life in this novel may offer us enlightenment in better seeing both ourselves and the modern world and then we make right choices to start responsible activities.Firstly, the protagonist Clegg represents the paradox of being. Clegg lives in a cold absurd world, a spiritual desert of ruptured kinship in which he loses friendship and deforms love. Facing the world's absurdity and ruthlessness, he chooses to escape. By imprisoning a talented Art School lady to live with him, he puts himself in an absurd world. He thought he had got it, but actually he gets nothing and even destroys it. Clegg is a typical absurd man in an absurd world. We may ask why Clegg chooses to behave in that absurd way. What is the root cause for his absurdity? And is it reasonable to do so in that absurd world? Secondly, from Miranda, Fowles explores the dilemma of being. Being an intelligent and loveable lady, she once has a wonderful life and a promising future. However, the abrupt occurrence deprives her of all the happiness. She is kept in captivity in a basement without sunshine and fresh air. For the love of life and the love for the beloved ones around her as well, she chooses to face all the setbacks first. Nevertheless, Miranda is a brave and strong-willed girl. She couldn't stand so many unbearable things in life, especially being deprived of the freedom for life. She has the strong longing to be free and to be herself. Thus, she decides to rebel bravely against the unfairness and absurdity of life. Pitifully, no matter how hard she has tried and how much she has suffered, she can not get rid of the troubles in life. She falls in a dilemma and even finally dies of this cruel coldness. It's true that Miranda's experience shows the accidental and hostile side of life, but what are the root causes for her final tragedy? What does Fowles want to say by putting her in such a dilemma? Is there any relation between her tragedy and the cruel truth in 1960's? Finally, the image of G.P. stands out. He lives a rather smoother life, getting along well with the people around and better coping with the problems in life. What does Fowles want to tell us by him and does he represent Fowles'value of life? Besides introduction and conclusion, the thesis is divided into four chapters as follows: the context of Fowles'existential thought, the paradox of human existence, the dilemma of human existence and the art of human existence, aiming to the exploration and studies of the humanism in The Collector.The study of Fowles'The Collector from the perspective of existentialism is of theoretical and realistic significance. Existentialism popularizes in a highly civilized and much troubled world when people feel bewildered and even frustrated. Existentialism enlightens people's hope for life when the trauma of war and the consequences of industrialization shape modern people's life and even twist their characteristics to some extent. It is a thought of action which tells people that though life is limited and absurd, we still have the freedom to choose to make our life better, and most importantly we should be responsible for our choices and activities. The value of Fowles'The Collector lies exactly in this existentialist humanity concern.