| Why are exotic outdoor settings so pervasive and the focal points of the narrators in British author John Fowles' fiction, and how are their prevalence and significance tied to the heroes in five of his works? More specifically, what is the common role of the lost domain as a demythologizing transforming enclosure, common to The Magus: Revised Version, The French Lieutenant's Woman, "The Ebony Tower," Daniel Martin, and The Collector, in gradually purging the unlikely heroes of their romantic idealism and persistent character flaws? Aspects of these well-deserving questions have been registered but not developed, and my thesis is an attempt to address them with an admiring but critical eye.; The introductory chapter of my thesis first defines the general lost domain model, as crafted and employed by Fowles, as a liberating enclosure heretofore unknown to the hero and separate from society. It also describes the literal natural characteristics of the lost domain model and identifies its common functions in all of Fowles' works that I examine.; Each of the following five chapters of my thesis focuses on a specific Fowles text, chronologically charting the transformation of the hero even if the text presents the hero's life out of realistic sequence. I dwell primarily on passages in the texts that either describe the domains or their effects on Fowles' heroes Nicholas Urfe, Charles Smithson, David Williams, Daniel Martin, and Frederick Clegg.; Ultimately, I conclude that without total temporary immersion in these lost domains, the heroes are incapable of the drastic changes they exhibit when they reemerge in the social realm.; Close readings and critical analysis of the texts, specifically those passages related to the environment, as well as dependence on critical literary sources, were invaluable to shaping the thesis and drawing conclusions. Familiarity with Fowles' other works (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) aided my understanding of the lost domain model's significance in light of the author's dependence upon and deep reverence for the natural environment. |
