| Summary: | 追求自由與自知之明是英國小說家約翰‧傅敖斯作品中不斷出現的主題。其小說中之主角經常透過自我的追尋，打破各種人為制度的桎梧，而成就某種自由。本論文乃就其『法國中尉的女人』以及『捕蝶人』兩本小說來探討該主題。引文部分依據傅氏的『思想集--理想的典範』(The Aristos)中所呈現的概念勾勒出傅氏對自由理念的藍圖。
本論文共分三章：首章探討『法國中尉的女人』作品中主角莎拉‧伍德芙追求自由之過程。她身為維多莉亞時代的孤女，寧可承受被杜會人群放逐的命運，也不肯成為傳統法則盲目的遵奉者。她雖然付出了相當的代價--諸如遭孤立與唾棄等，卻也成就了可貴的"莫我"與"自由"。
第二章就另一主角查爾斯‧史密森的成長過程加以研討。史君本來具備成為少數精英的潛能，而莎拉的出現恰好扮演其"導師"之角色。對他而言，發掘自我對莎拉之真感情的過程正好刻劃了自我追尋的過程。而當他能夠依其"真我"做出"決定"之際，也正是他贏得"自由"的時刻。
末章對傅氏之典範人物－少數精英，再做進一步的描繪，並就其責任及兩種"階級"－少數精英與芸芸眾生之間的衝突加以探討。其中『捕蝶人』是本章主要的討論對象。我們發現傅氏所憧憬的自由並非建構在自私的個體利益上，而是回歸至人文的終極關懷。
也許誠如傅氏所言，"絕對的自由"無法輕易達到。然而，即使人類擁有的僅止於此一。"有限"的自由，卻也可能是人類未來唯一的救贖。
=== The quest of freedom and self-knowledge is a recurring theme in John Fowles's works. The protagonists of his novels usually struggle to win their freedom from some sorts of constraints while achieving self-knowledge through the course of suffering. The task of this thesis is to explore the growth of the characters in Fowle's two novels--<u>The French Lieutenant's Woman</u> and <u>The Collector</u>.
This thesis is divided into three chapters. In the introduction, I try to costrue the Fowlesian idea of freedom, which is generally based on Fowles book of ideas-----<u>The Aristoi</u>. Those include existentialism, self-knowledge, the "nemo" (Fowles' term for "anti-ego"), and the aristoi (a term originated by a Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, to represent the moral and intellectural elite). All of them are concerned with Fowles perception of freedom; in this part, different concepts is discussed respectively.
In the first chapter, I explicate how Sarah Woodruff (the protagonist in <u>The French Lieutenant's Woman</u>) gains her freedom in the conservative Victorian society. My focus is on the particular conflict she must face and the social constraints from which she tries to extricate herself and how she evolve to be the "aristoi". Also, there is discussion on the price she must pay for her freedom.
In the second chapter, I deal with the process of self- discovery of the other protagonist in <u>The French Lieutenant's Woman</u>--Charles Smithson. Charles, a potential aristoi, undertakes an existential trial and evolves toward a new species, the aristoi; his self-discovery, however, is parallel to the recognition of his feelings toward Sarah. Like her, Charles chooses to win his freedom with an act of defiance against society--in his case, the break of his engagement with a conventional girl, Ernestina.
In the third chapter, I depict the paradigm of Fowlesian character--the aristoi. An exploration on the responsibility of this moral and intellectual elite, an examination on the conflict between the two categories-----the Few nad the Many, as well as a search of a reconciliation between these controversial categories are made, mainly referring to <u>The Collector</u>.
Limited as it might be, the Fowlesian freedom, I believe, will explore a new 'exit' for human and in turn contribute to the establishment of a 'better world'.
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