An Analysis Of The Grass Is Singing From The Perspective Of Ethical Literary Criticism

As a winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, Doris Lessing is one of the most outstandingand prolific writers in Britain. Published in1950, The Grass Is Singing is her first book. In thisnovel, Lessing unveils the living predicament in the1930s in South Africa. A large number ofcritics at home and abroad have researched the novel from the perspectives of feminism, post-colonialism, Marxism, psychology and so on. Under the guidance of ethical literary criticism,this thesis aims to make an analysis of the ethical and moral ideas in detail implied in The GrassIs Sing and reveal Doris Lessing’s ethical ideas and humanistic spirits from three aspects: therelationship human and society, the relationship between human and human as well as therelationship between human and himself.The Grass Is Singing presents Doris Lessing’s ethical ideas of pursuing truth in terms ofthe relationship between human and society. The true depiction of racial discrimination andgender inequality conveys Lessing’s implied criticism of South Africa society at that time.Mary’s tragic fate is unavoidable in such ethical context. Doris Lessing wants to bring forth atruth that the relationship between human and society should be harmonious, which is good foran individual’s development.With regard to the relationship between human and human, the novel reflects DorisLessing’s ethical idea of pursuing good. In The Grass Is Singing, Doris Lessing describesdistorted relationship between parents and children, husband and wife, which causes greattrauma to family members. Lessing’s deep concern for harmonious relationship reveals heradmiration for good, such as love, respect, understanding, care and so on.As for the relationship between human and himself, the novel shows Doris Lessing’sethical idea of pursuing sublimation. In The Grass Is Singing, Lessing presents the relationshipbetween human and himself by describing Mary’s predicament. Because of the uncertainty of her ethical identity, she fails to make correct ethical choices. Finally, she loses herself in front ofthe harsh reality. Meanwhile, the novel also depicts her pursuit for elf, but her pursuit ends up infailure unfortunately. Through the depicting of the heroine’s pursuit for self, it shows DorisLessing’s quest for independence, freedom and happiness.The thesis concludes that ethical literary criticism offers a new approach to a goodunderstanding of The Grass Is Singing. Through the depiction of distorted ethics and morality inSouth Africa in the1930s, it shows Lessing’s hope for establishing a harmonious relationshipbetween human and society, human and human, as well as human and himself.