Golding´s metaphysicsWilliam Golding´s novels in the light of Arthur Schopenhauer´s philosophy

Resumo

This thesis analyses the metaphysical concerns of the British novelist William Golding through the prism of Arthur Schopenhauer´s philosophy. Using this theoretical framework makes it possible to bring together a series of metaphysical elements that appear in Golding´s works and that previous interpretations have failed to connect with each other. After offering an overview of those readings and of Schopenhauer’s theory, I examine the aspects of Golding’s novels that coincide it. Thus, I deal with the kinds of knowledge — rational and non-rational — available to his characters, and their capacity to reach the metaphysical side of the world. Next I discuss Golding’s treatment of the descriptions of the world provided by science, art and religion. Religion focuses on the essence of the world, often conceptualising it as will. Since this essential will is an amoral urge which cannot be satisfied and in which our inborn and unchangeable character is rooted, Golding presents human life as characterised by mutual aggression and pain. Despite offering several ways of avoiding suffering — aesthetic contemplation, compassionate altruism, death and social repression — he suggest that, with the exception of death, they can only mitigate pain, never put an end to it; hence Golding’s pessimistic rejection of utopian solutions. All of these aspects of his novels coincide with Schopenhauer’s philosophy. However, Golding gradually introduces a series of elements that diverge from the world view to which Schopenhauer gave philosophical expression: Golding begins by contemplating the possibility of choosing what to will; then he questions the possibility of knowing the essence of the world; finally, he opens the door to utopia. Apart from these, the novels contain another element that is not included in Schopenhauer’s model: the divinity. I finish my discussion exploring its place in Golding’s works.