The Purification of Semantic Environments and Des’s Process of Moral Growth in Lionel Asbo: State of England
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1202.11Keywords:
Martin Amis, Lionel Asbo: State of England, media, semantic environments, moral growthAbstract
Martin Amis’s new novel Lionel Asbo: State of England (2012) is a reflection and criticism of the pollution of the semantic environment. It’s a satire of the media and celebrity culture in the capitalist society. From the perspective of media ecology, this paper studies the purification of the semantic environment which leads to the protagonist Des’s moral growth. Initially, Des is immoral, for he lives in the polluted semantic environment of Diston. With the purification of semantic environment by traditional culture in the public library, Des gets moral growth and rises from darkness. His obsession with good books and serious newspapers leads to his moral growth. Through seeking knowledge, Des achieves his self-perfection, and helps the improvement of the society by becoming a crime reporter for a national newspaper the Daily Mirror and writes about law and order to guide people.
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