The Exploration Of Ethical Relationship In The Time Traveler’s Wife

Ethical Literary Criticism is the approach of analyzing and interpreting literary works from the perspective of ethics. It seeks to interpret and study, in the ethical light, the human-nature, human-ego, human-others and human-society relationships. This thesis will adopt the Ethical Literary Criticism to analyze the human-ego and human-others relationship captured in The Time Traveler s Wife.The Time Traveler’s Wife gives an account of the true love between a couple and describes the family, love and marriage of them and those around. Henry, the husband, often travels through time unprepared, while his wife Clare is left in a disorder of time. Their passionate love stands the test of time and meanwhile gets involved in an unimaginable trap of romance. Through her unique storytelling, Audrey Niffenegger tries to move readers and set them thinking.The thesis initially briefs the story of The Time Traveler’s Wife and the researches available on the novel. After tracing the origin and growth of Ethical Literary Criticism, the basis of the argument, the thesis ventures to make the chief point.Chapter One probes three levels of personality, namely, id, ego and superego and analyzes the ethical development of human character. Firstly, both hero and heroine have their natural attributes. While Henry indulges himself in the unprepared journeys of time, Clare lives an abandoned life, defying all conceivable moral restrictions. Secondly, both of them are left to the mercy of fate. Henry suffers hunger when he travels naked through time, yet Clare yearns for the arrival of him all her life and constantly adjusts herself to the moment when he vanishes unexpectedly. Finally they seek to maintain a balance between nature and fate, managing to get their moral awareness heightened.Chapter Two investigates three ethical relationships between the two main characters and others, namely, the relationship associated with gender, family and friendship. Before marriage, Henry plays the role as Clare’s father, helping her deal with daily life. Their life after marriage is beset with happiness and heartache. Meanwhile, they have to face their cold families and selfish friends. The novel reveals the ethical theme that marriage and family life should be based on love.Chapter Three explores Audrey Niffenegger’s view of ethics on marriage and family. The thesis expounds the ideal ethical relationship the author tries to construct in the novel, analyzes the origin of the relationship and clarifies her unique view on marriage and family. This helps to reveal the novel’s educational significance in the building of society and moral standards.The entire thesis, on the basis of close reading, studies the moral destination of the main characters in the growth of their character and examines the ethical dimensions of love and family. This highlights Audrey Niffenegger’s theme of seeking the growth of character and shaping harmonious human relationship in the cold and affluent society.