"Alienation" And "Authenticity"-An Existentialist Study Of Margaret Drabble’’s The Ice Age

Margaret Drabble(1939-) is one of the most notable British writers today. In her works, Drabble not only reveals the social evils of her day, but also expresses deep concerns over people’s living condition in the modern time, which is well illustrated by her novel The Ice Age. The characters in the novel are confronted with the prevailing existential task——to overcome alienation and live an authentic mode of life.Through an existentialist study of The Ice Age, this thesis finds that the main characters’ journey to the authentic existence significantly agrees with the concepts of alienation and authenticity presented by the existentialists Heidegger and Sartre. They lose their selfhood under the double pressure from society and other people(self-alienation) on the one hand, while on the other hand hear the call of authenticity in the experience of anxiety. By courageously facing their freedom and forming “mature” relationships with other people, they try to overcome alienation and live authentically. This study shows that in The Ice Age, Drabble explores the possibility of an existentialist solution to the alienation her characters have experienced. To Drabble, authentic existence can be attained by integrating one’s personal self with social self, which requires not only courage to face one’s freedom but also willingness to form truly caring relationships with other people.