On The Initiation Theme In Samuel Butler's The Way Of All Flesh

Samuel Butler (1835-1902) is one of the most outstanding writers in the late 19th century. His masterpiece, The Way of All Flesh did not get much attention when it was firstly published. George Bernard Shaw called for the critics to pay a high regard to it in the foreword of Major Barbara. Since then, The Way of All Flesh came within critics'range of vision, laying the foundation of Butler's fame in the history of English literature. Ralph Fox regarded The Way of All Flesh as one of the most important British novels. However, it hasn't attracted the domestic critics'attention.As a new research field in ethics, evolutionary ethics is used to study the phenomenon of human morality by applying the theory of evolution. Being the founder of evolutionary ethics, Darwin expressed his moral values when describing and explaining the phenomenon of human morality. The conscience evolution is regarded as an important part of Darwin's evolution. In his view, the formation of conscience was the result of evolution of social instincts which were possessed by social animals; it was the social instinct that reflected in the psychological aspects of self consciousness. As a"feeling of moral sense", conscience is a"dynamic psychological force", which can directly lead to"altruistic behavior". Although Butler didn't mention conscience directly in The Way of All Flesh, he interpreted that conscience played an essential role in the growth of man through portraying the character. This"autobiographical"fiction narrates that Ernest, the protagonist, completes his conscience evolution in the journey of pursuing freedom, and ultimately makes his moral development come true.In the light of evolutionary ethics, this thesis focuses on the theme of initiation and analyzes the process of the hero's growth in The Way of All Flesh by such key words as"submission","epiphany"and"maturity". It reveals the profound social significance implied in the novel by elaborating the relationship between initiation of the protagonist and evolution of conscience. Firstly, the thesis sorts out the relative researches on Butler and The Way of All Flesh at home and abroad, and interprets the theoretical background to indicate the feasibility and significance of the initiation theme in this novel from the perspective of evolutionary ethics. Secondly, the thesis makes an analysis of the hero's submissive character. Ernest's obedience to the authority reflects his conscience is inhibited by the social context in the late Victorian Era. Thirdly, the thesis expounds Ernest's conflict between his inner desire and conscience in a moral predicament. He gets an epiphany of life after suffering spiritual tribulations. This insight reflects the personal moral values in subversion to the traditional moral values. Last, the thesis places emphasis on the protagonist's maturity through various experiences and extrication of his conscience. In conclusion, it points out that Butler expresses his longing to quest the true inner self and his concern about the moral evolution of human through narrating the initiation of Ernest.