An Interpretation Of The Absurdity In Solar From The Perspective Of Spatial Criticism

Ian McEwan(1948-)is a contemporary British prolific writer of citizens.He attracted people's eyes for First Love,Last Rites(1975).His early works were mostly related to dark themes such as death,violence,abuse,abnormality and so on.Therefore,he was ever called"Ian Macabre".But his later works began to broaden vision,dabbling in social and political category such as ethics,family life,conflict of faith and historical understanding.And this change pushes him to the mainstream.Since its publication in 2010,Solar,has been got the readers,and has gone into the New York Times Bestseller List.The novel Solar covers a wide range of themes,such as,adultery,women's social status,greed,academic plagiarism,environmental protection and various kinds of interests' conflicts of environmental protection and the absurdity of modern communications industry.All of these are in the exploration of human nature and interpersonal indifference and absurdity of the London city.In the novels of McEwan,there is always a point to make color of peach change into color of blood.And this turning point makes everything concerns the protagonist change and he has to pay the price for his choice and decision.In Solar,Beard deviates from the track at a turning point again and again and embarks on an absurd life.It also reflects the absurdity of modern society.Since the publication of the novel,domestic and foreign scholars have carried out a series of studies from the perspectives of ethics,irony,spiritual dynamics,narratology,feminism and ecology.However,the perspective of spatial criticism in the novel is ignored by scholars.This paper will use spatial criticism as a theoretical framework to read the novel,to analyze how Beard walks on an absurd way and to disclose the absurdity of society.The article is divided into six parts.The first part is the introduction to the author Ian McEwan and the novel Solar.The second part is the introduction to the theory of spatial criticism.The third part presents the absurd behavior of Beard as well as the absurdity of modern society from three physical spaces:the house of Beard and Patrice,The Center on the outskirts of Reading and Dorset Square.The fourth part analyzes Beard from the three spiritual spaces:marriage,career and himself.The fifth part analyzes the novel from the three social spaces:modern media,environmental protection and female social status.The sixth part gets the conclusion that Beard is an absurd person,and modern society is also filled with absurd atmosphere.These three spaces become a kind of system in the novel and successfiully demonstrate the absurdity of modern society.