A Study On The Theme Of Ian McEwan’s First Love,Last Rites From The Perspective Of Sartre’s Existentialism

Ian McEwan is one of the most influential contemporary British writers,also known as the "national writer" of British literary world.In 1975,he published his first short story collection First Love,Last Rites,which received a great deal of attention and recognition and won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1976.Although this collection of short stories is full of violence,murder,incest and other horror elements,it is not just a collection of horror stories.It contains McEwan’s precise analysis of the absurd world,human nature and the plight of human existence.McEwan’s delicate and chilling writing style reveals the turmoil of contemporary British society and the unsettling fears,portraying the external hardships and internal struggles of modern people,which are closely related to some core concepts of Sartre’s existentialism.This thesis consists of six parts.The first part introduces Ian McEwan and First Love,Last Rites,as well as the current state of research at home and abroad,pointing out the purpose and significance of the study.The second part focuses on Sartre and his core concepts of existentialism,namely absurdity,alienation and free choice,as well as the connection between existentialism and the work.The third part studies the absurdity reflected in this collection,mainly in the absurdity of the external world and character’s lives.The absurd world is analyzed in terms of social and environment plights,while the absurd life is discussed in the emotional loneliness and identity anxiety experienced by the characters.The fourth part analyzes character’s self-alienation,the alienation of gender relations and ethical relations embodied by the characters in the light of Sartre’s alienation of “hell is other people”.The fifth part explores the characters’ quest for freedom in different survival dilemma,and their positive or negative choices in the face of an absurd world.The sixth part is the concluding section,which expounds McEwan’s concern about the current state of British society and his reflection on the plight of modern people,and again pointing out the research value and significance of the study on the basis of the inspiration for modern society and young people.McEwan and Sartre are equally concerned with the individual existence and survival of human beings.To certain extent,First Love,Last Rites can also be regarded as a work with existentialist thinking,containing McEwan’s exploration and reflection on human nature,individual value and human existence,which is consistent with Sartre’s existentialist ideas.An existentialist interpretation of the book can provide a new perspective for the study of the book and McEwan and also give some inspiration to modern people in the face of existential dilemmas,encouraging people to make positive choices and pursue personal values.