A Study Of The Ethical Theme In Wonderland

In contemporary American literature,Joyce Carol Oates is a well-known American female writer.She is good at drawing a panoramic picture of contemporary American society with a sharp and sensitive depiction.As the final work of The Wonderland Quartet,Wonderland was published in 1971,and was shortlisted for the National Book Awards in the next year.The novel takes America in the 1930s to 1970s as the background,and depicts the protagonist Jesse's growth experience as the main thread to present many ethical disorders in American society.This Thesis analyzes the text and ethical theme from the aspects of sexual ethics,family ethics and bioethics embodied in Wonderland.Taking these three ethical views as the main clue and analyzing their influence on the characters' behaviors and destinies,the thesis interprets the ethical values hidden behind this work.In terms of sexual ethics,the author expresses that she does not fully support the traditional male-dominated sexual relationship,nor does she agree with the excessively open sexual ideology by analyzing the confrontation between rational will and natural will of the characters.As far as family ethics,the thesis focuses on the analysis of the marital relationship,father-daughter relationship and sibling relationship.Oates advocates mutual respect and love between relatives and emphasizes that family responsibility should be the premise for the pursuit of individual freedom.Finally,the bioethics in Wonderland is discussed from the perspective of doctor-patient relationship,so that readers can reflect on the causes of the tension between doctors and patients.And it also expresses the author's willingness to reshape the reverence for life as well as calling for the establishment of a relationship of mutual trust and concern.Through the description of the ethical dilemmas confronted by characters,the novel not only embodies the need for reconstructing a harmonious and orderly sexual ethics and family ethics,but also guides readers to reflect on the doctor-patient relationship that has caused widespread concern in today's society.In Wonderland,Joyce Carol Oates shows her close observation of various social problems in America and also expresses her concerns and deep reflections on the social ethical issues.