A Study Of Space In The Collector

The famous British writer John Fowles is the nominee for the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Smith Prize for Literature.His works are noted for the characteristics of post-modernist literature.He often takes freedom as his literary theme and pursues freedom all his life.Nature and philosophy are the spiritual pillars of his pursuit of freedom,as well as the necessary components of his life and literary creation.In his literary works,he takes absurd social reality as a framework to depict people's state of self-isolation,self-identification,and anxiety for freedom.The Collector,published in 1956,is Fowles' first officially published novel and is a best seller at that time.This thesis applies Lefebvre's spatial theory to analyze the physical space,social space,and psychological space in The Collector so as to explore the reasons leading to Miranda's tragic ending.Space is represented in three dimensions in The Collector: physical space---the space confining Miranda;social space---the social roles that Miranda and Clegg play;psychological space--Miranda's oppressed mentality and her pursuit for spiritual freedom.In the physical space,Miranda is secretly imprisoned by Clegg in the cellar of a remote cottage for over two months.The reason why the crime is not discovered until Miranda's death is because Clegg's careful decoration of the cottage,and the enclosedness of the design of the cottage as well as the special geographical location provide a natural protection.The study of the social space in the novel centers on Miranda's and Clegg's social roles.There are class and gender confrontation between them,and gender oppression and class estrangement cause Miranda's tragic ending,and make her a victim of class conflicts and gender oppression.In the psychological space,Miranda bears the mental oppression of Clegg on the one hand.On the other hand,her enchantment with G.P.symbolizes her aspiration for freedom,which ends up with failure.Through the analysis of the space in The Collector,it can be found that the female character Miranda pursues freedom in the process of self-development,but she finally fails.In fact,she dies of the constraints and oppression in the space of three dimensions.This thesis hopes to provide a new approach for the study of the fate of the characters with space theory,and a new perspective for the study of women who pursue freedom in Fowles' works,as well as a warning for the healthy sexual relationship in the contemporary society.