A Study Of The Buddha Of Suburbia From The Perspective Of Ethical Literary Criticism

The Buddha of Suburbia was Hanif Kureishi's masterpiece published in 1990.His novels generally focus on racism,class,and gender and investigate Indian immigrants' hybridity identity and living conditions in London and have been translated into more than twenty languages.Owing to the extraordinary narrative techniques and complicated emotions embodied in the novels,Kureishi has been awarded the Whitbread Book Award.It's universally acknowledged that he led a revolution of newborn cultural politics.Throughout related research at home and abroad,most of the attention has been paid to postcolonialism.More significantly,the study of ethical elements are often overlooked.The ethical oppression and ethical predicament in the second half of the 20th century aren't paid enough attention.Thereafter,based on close reading method,this thesis is dedicated to exploring the ethical oppression,ethical confusion and ethical awakening of Indian immigrants from the perspective of ethical literary criticism to interpret Kureishi's ethical thoughts and pursuits in terms of human-society,human-other and human-self relationship.The main body of this thesis is composed of five parts,including the introduction,three chapters and the conclusion.The introduction briefly introduces Kureishi's biography and literary achievements,including his life experience,writing career,and other works.The plot,writing strategy and theme of The Buddha of Suburbia are particularly emphasized,which lays a solid foundation for his following writings.Chapter one investigates the detailed combing and classification of research on Kureishi's novels at home and abroad and then concentrates on the analysis of ethical literary criticism systematically.Compared with studies at home,the studies abroad begin much earlier with more perspectives.Chapter two mainly analyzes social environment of the specific historical period It aims to interpret the ethical oppression of human-society relationship by studying the history of Indian immigrants,comparing the different life in the suburbs and city,and revealing ethical confusion brought by the Indian tradition and the mainstream culture.Chapter three analyzes the relationships between parents and children,husband and wife,and brothers,which presents the ethical confusion manifested in human-other relationship:the changes of ethical identity and consequences it brings to the relationships between the two generations,between husband and wife,and between friends.Chapter four mainly explores the ethical selection of second generation's Indian immigrants.As the future of Indian immigrant,the ethical selection made in ethical predicament,the ethical consciousness achieved after ethical selection,and the ethical sublimation of the second generation are discussed amply and thoroughly.Chapter five briefly summarizes the thesis and reveals Kureishi's ethical pursuit in three layers of relationship:equality,respect,reason and self-analysis.And the practical significance is emphasized to solve the racial conflict and live harmoniously in diverse world.