A Study Of Responsibility Ethics In Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom

As a contemporary American novelist and essayist of great renown,Jonathan Franzen was bestowed upon the accolade of being"one of the most outstanding American novelists"by critics.In Freedom,he pays attention to the real life problems of American citizens at the beginning of the 21^stcentury and shows great ethical concerns.The previous research of Freedom mainly focuses on ethical criticism,globalization process,financial capital and ecological criticism.This thesis investigates Freedom under the theme of responsibility ethics within historical context,hoping to provide a different angle for ethical research.Responsibility ethics marks the era in which human beings get rid of obscurity,bid farewell to loftiness,and step into a secular society.Responsibility and role are closely connected,and the role runs through the research of responsibility ethics.Based on the ethics of responsibility proposed by Max Weber,this thesis analyses the ethical choices of the generation that grow up in a society that promotes free market ethics,and attempts to explore the ethical values and social responsibilities of the characters in Freedom when in different social roles.The interpretation of Freedom is accomplished from three perspectives.From the perspective of social responsibility,from a thorough analysis of the social responsibility of business corporate and individual’s social responsibility in the local community,the novel reveals the corrupt nature of free market ethic,and stresses the necessity that social entities should take responsibility in a local community.From the perspective of individual self-responsibility,the thesis studies the narrative strategy in the novel,that is,to assign the Protestant ethic and free market ethic to protagonists’different ethical choices and set up a conflict between them,and shows the responsibility individuals should undertake in the free market environment.From the perspective of family responsibility,the thesis studies the typical middle-class American family and the conflicts between family members presented in the novel.From the depict of the alleviation of family conflicts,especially the transformation of the younger generation,the thesis conclude the significance of responsibility ethics holds for unsolvable social conflicts.Through a careful interpretation of the text,Freedom not only depicts the moral crisis suffered by the characters in a society that advocates freedom,but also reveals the“responsibility”nature of the ethical criticism and gives it special value in the social context.In a generation when the epidemic is raging,it is important to respect and defend the dignity of moral ethics and undertake ethical responsibilities for a better society.