In Search Of Freedom:A Critique Of Egoism In Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom

Jonathan Franzen(1959—)is one of the most famed novelists and essayists in the contemporary American literary world.In 2001,his ambitious work The Corrections won the National Book Award and established his encyclopedic writing style.A decade later,Freedom(2010)led to Franzen’s appearance on the cover of Time magazine,crowned with the title “Great American Novelist”.As its title implies,Freedom explores the temptations and consequences of the seemingly limitless “freedom” in contemporary American society.Although current critiques of the novel have focused respectively on freedom for individuals and freedom for the entire human species,there is a lack of interconnection between the study on individual behaviors and on human activities as an integrity.In an attempt to relate the studies from a deep ecological perspective and enhance the understanding of freedom,this thesis intends to examine the positive aspects of freedom implied in the novel,based on the theories proposed by Arne Naess,Spinoza and Erich Fromm.Inspired by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess,deep ecologists from the late1970 s have started to reflect on a dominant paradigm in human culture which explains not only the egoistic exploitation on nature but also the suppression among human society.The first chapter studies the autobiography of Patty Berglund and holds that the egoistic control over other beings only brings a fake sense of security.In contrast to it,when Patty finds self-worth in work,she achieves the positive freedom and recovers her sense of community.In addition to individual freedom,Erich Frommwarns about the extremely individualistic pattern in capitalistic structure.The second chapter focuses on the selfish domination over capitals in business,as Joey Berglund learns that the greed for wealth under the name of free trading by certain beneficiary groups is demolishing the lives of innocent people.In the end Joey abandons the immoral means of profiteering in Iraq War and finds back his identity in the community.Finally,the study on passive freedom goes from egoistic domination over other beings and capitals to superiority over nature.The last chapter explores the anthropocentric paradigm behind environmental destruction and resource exploitation represented in Walter Berglund’s narratives.But aside from the reflection,this chapter still tries to maintain that it is possible to reach a biocentric future if the co-dependent relationship among human society is attained and extended to the whole biosphere.As Spinoza and Erich Fromm have outlined,the negative freedom is often criticized,for it drives for self-interests at the sacrifice of other beings,while the positive freedom is expounded,for it enhances self-dependence,self-value,and most importantly,a sense of community.It is argued that freedom should have boundaries decided by realization of self-value and a sense of social responsibility.Obviously,the idea of giving back to the community is core to understanding freedom promoted in this novel,for characters get rid of their self-centered domination and turn to positive freedom when they are able to reconnect with their community.