Роль «етики піклування» у романі С. Рушді «Опівнічні діти»

The article is dedicated to exploring the notion of ethics of care as a leading approach to interaction within society. Based on Salman Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children, it examines the absence of the ethics of care at the levels of family, education, and state governance, leading to irreparable consequences in the characters' lives. The main goal of the study is to identify possible reasons for the absence of the ethics of care, which leads to key conflicts in the novel and negatively affects the relationships between the characters. It is demonstrated that the conflict between the individual and society is inherent to carriers of ecofeminist mentality, who strive for peace through unity. An analysis of the main characters of the novel Midnight’s Children has been conducted, focusing on Saleem as a representative of the ecofeminist mentality and Shiva as his antagonist. The study reveals the influence of family relationships on the development of Saleem’s ecofeminist mentality. An attempt has been made to identify the cause of Shiva’s destructive behavior based on the works of Erich Fromm, The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness, and The Art of Loving. The study results indicate that neglecting the ethics of care becomes a source of social disintegration, which is relevant for contemporary society that seeks peace and evolution in intercultural relations. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the literary reflection of the absence of the ethics of care and its potential consequences.