Foreign Literature Studies ›› 2017, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (1): 60-69.

• English Literature Studies • Previous Articles     Next Articles

A Study of Ethical Paradoxes in Roald Dahl's Fantasy Novels

Xu Derong, Yang Shuo   

  • Online:2017-02-25 Published:2022-06-15
  • About author:Xu Derong is associate professor at College of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China(Qingdao 266100, China), specializing in translation of children's literature. Email: 77david@163.com; Yang Shuo is M. A. student at College of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China(Qingdao 266100, China). Email: 867690456@qq.com

Abstract: This paper investigates the abundant ethical paradoxes in Roald Dahl's fantasy novels from the perspective of ethical literary criticism. It holds that Dahl creates ethical paradoxes with the stylistic features of fantasy novels to help child readers exercise critical thinking in understanding concepts of good and evil, ethical identity and moral models, thus giving full play to the unique function of fantasy novels in moral teaching and moral development. Dahl examines the ethical relationship between children and adults from children's point of view and sets up child moral models with high rationality and sense of justice, which shows obvious child-oriented features. However, the representation of ethical relationships and the solution to ethical paradoxes bear extremist tendencies, and the potential negative impact of such extreme approaches to addressing ethical paradoxes on children's development of moral concepts needs to be examined.

Key words: Roald Dahl, fantasy novels, ethical paradox, moral teaching

Journal Integrated Operation and Management Platform with Network JMPN-2.0
Journal Integrated Operation and Management Platform with Network

《Foreign Literature Studies》editorial department
Foreign Literature Studies, 152 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. To subscribe to this journal or purchase any single issue, please contact us at wwyj@mail.ccnu.edu.cn. Phone: (86) 2767866042.
Copyright © 2021   System Management
Statistical information:total visitors Online