Possibility Of Freedom In Human Existence

John Fowles (1926-2005) is the great English writer after World War II. In the English literary world of the 1960s and 1970s, novel creation was in a predicament. Many novels fell into obscure formalism with lack of profound contents. Readers felt at a loss when reading those pilot works. However, Fowles was not influenced by such adverse circumstances. His first three novels The Collector, The Magus and The French Lieutenant's Woman made great success, pushing him to the climax of his writing career. Fowles was greatly influenced by Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialism, which laid emphasis on man's unlimited individual freedom in absurd living. Based on it, Fowles formed his thought of relative freedom. Though confronted with various social constraints, human beings should not give up their rights of struggling for freedom. His novels obviously reflect such thought with appealing plots.This thesis is to make a study of themes and writing techniques of three novels mentioned above, showing that behind the persistent efforts lies Fowles'unremitting pursuit of relative freedom in human existence. The thesis discusses themes of victims under tyranny, pursuit of freedom in myth and mystery and female internal emancipation of the three novels respectively. Moreover, the thesis analyzes writing techniques of construction of synchronic discourses, inheritance and innovation of the romance pattern, and postmodern metaficational writing applied to three novels respectively. John Fowles gives up omniscient narration, offering freedom to authors, characters and readers as much as possible. Fowles is always the innovator in the traditional rein.Overseas critics have made deep analysis of John Fowles'works, but heated domestic research mainly focuses on The French Lieutenant's Woman and The Magus is still not drawn adequate attention. The theme and writing technique of the novel are analyzed as part of the thesis in a certain perspective. Through analyzing three novels as integrity, this thesis fully displays John Fowles'gradual development of relative freedom.