An Ethical Literary Interpretation of “David” in <i>The Fifth Child</i>

英国人文主义作家多丽丝·莱辛(Doris Lessing)的小说《第五个孩子》通过对家庭生活、道德伦理和人性复杂性的描绘，呈现出深刻的伦理价值和教诲意义。回溯该作品的历史伦理环境，审视戴维作为父亲所面临的伦理两难——挽救天生怪异且暴力的第五个孩子班或保护其他孩子，并探究其舍弃班这一伦理选择的动机及其影响，可以发现戴维出于维护传统家庭理想和保护其他家庭成员安全所做出的伦理选择不仅未能解决家庭危机，而且使其付出了丧失身份感的代价。透过文学伦理学解读戴维这一父亲形象，读者可以更深入地理解人物形象，领悟作者的伦理思想，即处理特殊家庭困境、构建和谐家庭需要所有家庭成员共同承担家庭伦理责任。The novel The Fifth Child by British humanist writer Doris Lessing presents profound ethical value and didactic significance through its portrayal of family dynamics, moral ethics and the intricate nature of humanity. Retrospecting the historical ethical environment within the narrative, scrutinizing the ethical dilemma David faces as a father—whether to save the unusual and violent fifth child, Ben, or protect the other children—and exploring the causes and effects of his decision to abandon Ben, it is found that David’s ethical choice, driven by his desire to uphold the traditional family ideal and ensure the safety of the other family members, not only failed to resolve the family crisis, but also led to the tragic loss of David’s sense of identity. By interpreting the father figure David through the lens of ethical literary criticism, readers can attain a deeper understanding of the character and gain insight into Lessing’s ethical contemplation, that is, addressing special family challenges and fostering a harmonious family necessitates the collective acceptance of familial ethical obligations by all members.