The Ethical Concern Of Martin Amis

Martin Louis Amis(1949-) is an outstanding British novelist, known as one of the three giant writers in the contemporary British literature with Ian McEwan and Julian Barnes. He keeps an intense interest in the theme of the 20 th century, which can be reflected in Money: A Suicide Note(hereinafter referred to as Money), one of his most famous novels. With a male anti-hero as the protagonist, Amis depicts the wickedness and depravity of his behavior and focuses on the exploration of the filthy and dissolute scenes of western society at the end of the 20 th century, which presents an apocalyptic warning. The thesis invokes Professor Nie Zhenzhao’s ethical literary criticism as theoretical framework, revealing the ethical concern of Amis reflected in Money.The thesis is composed of five chapters. Chapter One gives a brief introduction to Martin Amis and his novel Money. Then it introduces the literature review of this fiction. The applied theory and layout of the thesis are also stated in this chapter. Centering on the theme violence, Chapter Two makes an analysis of the violent phenomena among male and female, different classes and races, and then points out the issue of the inappropriate positioning of ethical identities. Chapter Three focuses on the social ethos characterized by consumerism and money worship. It discloses the moral deficiency of people under the influence of such ethos and a series of unfavorable consequences, such as physical damage, distorted values and a vicious circle due to the affected ethical selections. Chapter Four mainly analyzes the glutted low culture which aggravates the contamination of ethical environment. What are demonstrated in this section are the issues of the misinterpretation and substitution of high culture affecting the shaping of character, the over-promotion of pornography causing the violation of ethical taboo, and people’s lack of ethical consciousness to sober themselves in the contaminated ethical environment. Chapter Five is the conclusion. Based on these analyses, conclusion can be drawn that the generation of violence, the prevalence of consumerism and money worship, and the invasion of low culture exacerbate the depravity of the social ethos of the late 20 th century. Moreover, Amis’ s concern for the severe social malaise is exhibited. Through the warning of the protagonist’s tragic ending, Amis appeals to people to be vigilant to the depraved social ethos, maintain the ethical orders and create a harmonious society.