Repression,Alienation And Imbalance In London Fields

Contemporary British writer Martin Amis' s novel London Fields,through portraying the repressive physical space,the alienated individual spiritual space and the imbalanced social space in London society,reveals the hidden discipline and desolation of British cities,the psychological morbidity and distortion of individuals,and the disorder and imbalance of the whole society.Based on the space theory,this thesis explores the novel's theme as alienation and imbalance from the physical space,the individual spiritual space and the social space.The thesis presents that modern society of materialism breeds four absurd phenomena;namely the decline of urban ecological civilization,the degradation of individual ethics and morals,and the lack of social humanistic concern as well as the alienation among interpersonal relationship which have increasingly come out.The main body of the thesis is divided into three parts:The second chapter mainly discusses the macro urban landscape of decadent London.The spider's web is not merely a simple natural phenomenon but much rather a repressive space symbolizing that the characters have nowhere to shelter.Keith's TV is no longer an entertainment tool in the traditional sense but much rather a symbol of discipline for controlling people's minds.The house where the Clinches lives is more of a symbol of characters' sufferings and social positions than a space just for characters' activities,which reflects the sharp gap between the rich and the poor.Based on the physical space,individuals' spiritual space is uncovered with imbalance and alienation.The third chapter mainly discusses hollow man Nicola's distortion and lovelessness,cheater Keith's money-worshiping and philistinism,hypocrite Guy's self-lost and degeneration.The alienated individual space further aggravates the disorder and imbalance of the social space.The fourth chapter reveals people's fear and numbness for London fields,the indifference and estrangement among the families,as well as the disgusting and morbid atmosphere of life that Nicola and Guy indulge in,thus reflecting the imbalance and disorder of London society on different levels.In London Fields,the depressing living space represses individuals' subjective cognition,and the disciplined class system inhibits individuals' identity construction.The life atmosphere which is oriented by rash spending and money-worshiping as well as the alienation of individuals' spiritual space sharpens the disorder and imbalance of London society.Through London fields,the novel reveals the disciplineof Britain cities,the hypocrisy of individuals' ethics,and the extreme variation in material well-being.All of these factors ultimately result in the inevitability of social imbalance which is the corollary of severe crisis in capitalist society.