In Pursuit Of Individual Freedom

Contemporary British writer John Fowles (1926-2005) is an inescapable chapter among any literary text book. His notably best piece, The French Lieutenant's Woman (1969), enjoys remarkable acclaim and success from both the reading public and serious literary circles. This thesis aims to show how the theme of existential freedom is constructed in John Fowles's The French Lieutenant's Woman through a textual study and detailed analysis from the perspective of the general elements of fiction, namely, setting, conflict, characterization and narration.This thesis consists of three parts. Introduction forms the first part, which will be focused on a brief introduction to John Fowles's life, literary career and The French Lieutenant's Woman with commentary remarks on the relationship on how his personal life exerts impact on his philosophical and artistic views, and a literature review in terms of thematic concern and narrative technique.Chapters One, Two, Three, and Four compose the body, offering an interpretation of the text, which is the second part of this thesis. Chapter one will make a general introduction to existentialism, focusing on the concept of freedom of Sartre who influences Fowels greatly and Fowles's distinctive philosophical concern of freedom as well, which differentiates Fowles from other existentialists. Chapter Two will analyze the physical, social and cultural setting of the novel coupled with the conflict that ultimately leads to the liberation of the main characters. Setting and conflict are the basis of characterization and thematic construction. The repressive and restrictive Victorian society and the conflict between a culture that suppresses authenticity and a self that seeks truth prompt Sarah and Charles to be aware of and realize their freedom. Chapter Three will deal with thematic construction from the aspect of characterization. Both Sarah Woodruff and Charles Smithson demonstrate existential freedom that can be reflected in the portrayal of the characterization. The novel justifies the two of them emancipated from the constraints of the society and its institution and freed through their individual pursuit and personal choice. Chapter Four will be engaged in narration. Particularly, intrusive first-person narrator and triple endings will be discussed to show how Fowles leverages conventional as well as postmodern narrative techniques to liberate the narrator and the readers from the rigid norm and limitation of the traditional realism.Conclusion is the third part of this thesis, which comprises a summary of Fowles's thematic construction of existential freedom and comes to the conclusion that those fictional elements, essentially authentic and consciously existential, work as an organic unity to develop the story and construct the theme. The thematic construction of existential freedom demonstrates Fowles's philosophy of life on relative freedom and his view on fiction-writing,"I write, therefore I am".