A Study Of Edith’s Ethical Predicaments In Hotel Du Lac

In Anita Brookner’s(1928-2016)work Hotel du Lac,the protagonist Edith Hope experiences the confusion of ethical identity,the awakening of ethical consciousness,and the reestablishment of ethical order in persistent pursuit of love and marriage.Grounded on Professor Nie Zhenzhao’s Ethical Literary Criticism,this thesis studies Edith’s ethical predicaments through a close reading of this work with an intention to enrich the understanding of its practical significance and arouse the public’s concern to the single middle-aged intellectual female’s psychology,aiming to draw people’s concern and introspection on the same social problems in real life as well.This thesis focuses on three points: the manifestations of Edith’s ethical predicaments,the causes of it,and the ways she overcomes it.Edith’s ethical predicaments are mainly manifested in three ways.Firstly,due to she does not have the self-subjectivity in love and interpersonal communication,and it makes Edith is marginalized,which leads to her confusion of self-ethical identity.Secondly,due to Edith does not receive the love she deserves as a child in the family because she grows in a family that lacks love and care,which leads to her confusion of family ethical identity.Thirdly,due to she lives in an ethical environment of dual oppression of patriarchy and consumerism for a long time,and it makes Edith is always in a subordinate position like other women,which leads to her confusion of gender ethical identity.There are multiple causes for Edith’s ethical predicaments.To begin with,with the help of rational will,Edith begins to reflect on her irrational behavior in the pursuit of love.What’s more,the double oppression of women by patriarchy and consumerism leads Edith to have the thought of resistance.In addition,the tragic ending of the fate of shared community for women makes Edith realize the helplessness and misery of women,because they can’t control their fate.Through continuous efforts and attempts,Edith finally breaks away from the ethical predicaments.First and foremost,Edith rebuilds her ethical identity by refusing to continue being David’s mistress.Then,Edith regains her ethical consciousness by resisting patriarchy and consumerism.Finally,Edith remakes her ethical choice by becoming an independent woman not dependent on anyone and by no longer pursue love and marriage blindly,which makes her break away from the ethical predicaments that has always been.Based on the above analysis,it can be concluded that Edith is caught in ethical predicaments due to the dual oppression of patriarchy and consumerism on women and the influence of her family of origin.In the end,Edith manages to break away from the ethical predicaments by rebuilding ethical identity,regaining ethical consciousness,and remaking ethical choice.This thesis explores Edith’s efforts and attempts in order to break away from ethical predicaments,and provides inspiration and reference for people who find themselves in similar ethical predicaments in real life.Furthermore,this thesis offers suggestions for people to avoid being trapped in ethical predicaments as well.