On The Existential Ideas In Iris Murdoch’ The Unicorn

Alice Murdoch(1919-1999)is a British contemporary writer known for her innovative narrative skills and bold experimental writing techniques.Most of her works focus on the plight of philosophy,and the narrative structure is delicate and complex.The novel Unicorn was written in 1963,and it is a book advocating "goodness" with the purpose of guiding people out of the dilemma of anxiety and alienation.Experiencing anxiety and falling into alienation is one’s helpless compromise to the predicament of survival,but this is not the pessimistic philosophy,but the exploration of the truth of the world and life through the path to goodness.This thesis discusses the survival dilemma and existing significance of the characters in Unicorn from the perspective of existentialism.It aimes at finding out how individuals can rely on free choice and take responsibility actively to find survival value in a world with absurdity,emptiness,and contingency.Accordingly,this thesis analyzes the different types of characters’ anxiety from the perspectives of nothingness,freedom,and death at first.Regarding Hannah as a “false God” image,Dennis a devout religious believer,and Max a rational Platonist,this thesis explores the root causes and classification of the anxiety of the three characters.It points out that anxiety coexists with existence.It is rooted in basic anxiety in existence and can only be relieved but cannot be eradicated.And the universal existence of anxiety is also the root cause of the survival difficulties of the characters.Secondly,the theme of alienation is revealed by analyzing the relationship between the self,the other and the world.For example,Hannah’s evasion from anxiety in a self-deceiving manner and she fell into self-alienation as a result;Dennis was deprived of each other’s subject and object in the situation of the existence and attention of others,falling into the alienation of human relations;Max was driven by the lack of love.Therefore,he was always in the circulation of overcoming and transcending himself,and then he plunged into the alienation of the relationship between human and things.In addition,by discussing the theme of contingency,the thesis attaches importance to analyzing the absurd experience of the survival circumstances of the characters after free choice.Under the urgency of anxiety and alienation,they gain knowledge of contingency constantly,thus exploring the true self,respecting and grasping contingency,and finally stepping on the truth road guided by goodness.Murdoch inherits Sartre’s philosophy in acritical way and puts forward the view of goodness in order to achieve moral freedom.She pays attention to human’s moral consciousness and tries to awaken it,which is a starting point of focus on humanity.And she emphasizes unswerving moral struggle and breaks personal confusion so as to cast a loving gaze on others,the future.Besides,she also equates the responsibility of existentialism with the concern for goodness,aiming at exploring the true path to goodness.Understanding Murdoch’s thoughts on issues such as fate and freedom,chance and necessity,life and death,contributes to helping us comprehend the profound moral philosophy.