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Erich Fromm was a humanistic philosopher and psychoanalytic psychologist. He devoted his life to adapting Freud’s psychoanalytic doctrine to the spiritual situation of Westerners after the two world wars. Today, his ideas still have a great influence on contemporary society, especially his theory of consumer alienation which opens up a certain theoretical vision for the >consumer age< we live in. At the same time, Fromm’s alienation theory has a certain degree of scientificity and extensibility, because he takes Marx’s alienation thought as the theoretical foundation and Freud’s psychoanalytic theory as the extension, and through the appropriate combination of the two, he leads his own alienation theory, in order to profoundly analyze the problem of human alienation, the most important of which is the problem of consumer alienation. For Fromm, the theme of modern capitalist society is no longer >production<, but >consumption<, and the source of alienation is not only the former >alienation of labor<, but also the >alienation of consumption<. The source of alienation is not only the former >alienation of labor<, but also the >alienation of consumption<, in which modern society is full of symbols, and in which people are gradually commodified. During this period, Fromm remained sober, warning people about the great danger of consumer alienation, trying to wake up and save people who were trapped in the trap of consumer alienation, and Fromm always insisted on calling people to be rational subjects, in order to build a sound society. Nowadays, China has become the second largest consumer market in the world through continuous development, and along with the irreversible globalization, the world is becoming >smaller<, so the invasion of the Chinese market by consumerism is inevitable.
In such a social context, Fromm’s theory of consumer alienation becomes more valuable, which is also the starting point and research purpose of this paper. At the same time, the objective limitations of Fromm’s theory of consumer alienation also serve as an important reflection and reference for our analysis of the consumption problem in China. To this end, this paper analyzes and studies Fromm’s theory of consumer alienation and its contemporary value through five main parts: first, through the introductory part, it compares the domestic and foreign literature to achieve a systematic macroscopic grasp of Fromm’s theory of alienation.– Secondly, through the theoretical tracing of Fromm’s theory of consumer alienation, the development background and theoretical foundation of his theory are more objectively understood.– Third, through the exploration of the basic contents of Fromm’s theory of consumer alienation, we discuss its causes and connotations and discover its realistic manifestations and possible crises.– Fourth, through the first three parts, we will find Fromm’s path to overcome consumer alienation and his specific expectations for building a sound society.– Fifth, through an objective evaluation of the contributions and limitations of Fromm’s theory of consumer alienation, we will use its reference value to analyze the current problems of consumption in China, and use it as a reference to actively explore favorable insights and solutions to improve the consumption problem in China. [Translation: www.cnki. net, 9/2022]
Carson McCullers is an outstanding female writer in the 20th century United States, becoming a celebrity with her first novel >The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter<. There is no doubt that McCullers is endowed with a talent for writing. She is a keen and sensitive woman, which is probably due to her life experiences and illness. In some sense, her personality contributes a lot to her writing, enabling her to grasp the slightest details of humanity. She is adept at exploring the psychology of human beings and pays special attention to their state of loneliness, which constitutes her writing theme >spiritual isolation<. McCullers tends to highlight man’s spiritual impotency through physical deformity. The freaks in her works make up rebellious power against the mainstream culture in the American South. >The Member of the Wedding< is a very representative work of McCullers. It follows the theme of spiritual isolation as her other works. Through McCullers’s elaborate portrayal, a 12-year-old girl’s struggle and sorrow are vividly presented to readers. The female protagonist Frankie is a tomboy living in a small Southern town. In the year when she progresses from 12 to 13, she falls into the dull repetition of days, becoming a solitary >freak<. A great dilemma confronting Frankie is that she aspires for freedom, but is unable to take the burden of freedom. Becoming a part of some group and leaving the town constitute two strong desires of Frankie. They are seemingly irrelevant, but closely related. Belonging saves Frankie from isolation, and escape promises her greater freedom and connectedness. Through a close reading of Carson McCullers’s novel >The Member of the Wedding<, this thesis is devoted to analyzing the protagonist Frankie’s living predicament from a psychoanalytical perspective and discussing the underlying solution to the condition. Erich Fromm’s theory of freedom and love exhaustively explores the spiritual crisis of modern man and provides a feasible solution. Using his theory will be conducive to the explanation of the protagonist’s complex psychology and her dilemma. Besides, Adler’s concept of social interest can help further analyze how the protagonist is able to realize positive freedom. After research, it can be concluded that Frankie is confronted with the universal predicament of modern man's burden of freedom. While she tries to escape from the burden, she suffers disillusionment, but at the same time, it helps the development of her individual self and provides motivation for positive freedom. Fromm believes that to get rid of the unbearable plight, love is indispensable. For Frankie and any modern man who suffers from aloneness, mastering the art of love is necessary to advance to positive freedom. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
[Chinese abstract not available] Donna Tartt has published three novels all together. In 2014, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her masterpiece >The Goldfinch<. In this novel, alienation is ubiquitous: A terrorist attack causes irreparable harm to victims; there is widespread addiction to drugs and alcohol; relationships among people are alienated, either superficial and distorted or indifferent and apathetic; people worship art, freedom or money irrationally. People are belittled, objectified and deprived of love and conscience in a materialistic and egotistic society. In this novel, Donna Tartt condemns terrorism and explores the causes of alienation and the ways to overcome it which are scientific and reasonable according to Erich Fromm’s theory of alienation which is the theoretical basis of this thesis. Many articles compare >The Goldfinch< with the works of famous writers like Charles Dickens and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Some analyze the power or value of art or explore the question about the degree of freedom. And some praise the excellent writing skills and delicate expressions in the novel. This thesis focuses on manifestations and causes of alienation and ways to alleviate it, which have not been analyzed deeply yet.– This thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter introduces >The Goldfinch< and its author Donna Tartt and Erich Fromm and his alienation theory. This chapter also makes the literature review, analyzing related studies at home and abroad. The second chapter concerns the manifestations of alienation, including people’s irrational worship of art, freedom or money, apathetic relationships between fathers and sons and between man and others, characters’ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and widespread addiction to drugs and alcohol. The third chapter explores causes of alienation in >The Goldfinch<, pointing out that it is materialism and egotism in capitalist society that lead to inferiority and objectification of man and disappearance of conscience and love under the guidance of Fromm’s theory of alienation. The fourth chapter is about redemption in this novel in thought, action and feeling, proposing that to overcome alienation, man should wake up from stupor and pay more attention to human beings than to things as Hobie does to Theo and as Theo does to Mrs. Barbour, man should make right choices actively when selecting career and choosing between good and evil and man should relate himself to the world lovingly and artistically. All these ways can help people overcome alienation and get redemption according to Fromm’s theory. Lastly, there is a conclusion of the whole thesis. This novel shows that productive love is the most important for people to develop and fulfill humanity, which is the ultimate weapon to overcome alienation. In front of alienation, people should not give up their self and humanity, but believe in their own life force and face everything bravely. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 2/2024]
Loneliness, as a universal sensation, has been a classic topic in literature for a long time. Yiyun Li, a new star in Chinese American literature, has published several short stories in The New Yorker, employing her upbringing memories in her motherland and English, the public language in a foreign land. The loneliness and plight of ordinaries against the profound epochal background have been the universal themes in her works and her humanistic and calm written style attracts readers’ attention. At present, studies of Yiyun’s short stories have concentrated on translation strategies, trauma, culture or multicultural, and Chinese characteristics. However, there is a lack of research on the theme of loneliness. In following six representative short stories, >A Thousand Years of Good Prayers< (2005), >A Flawless Silence<(2018), >Extra< (2005), >Gold Boy, Emerald Girl<(2010), >The Science of Flight< (2010), >A Small Flame< (2017), Yiyun Li portrays different kinds of loneliness with different characters in a psychological sense, which is a mirror reflection of the existential predicaments and spiritual dilemmas of modern people, highlighting the universal value of loneliness in literary criticism. The thesis will investigate the theme of loneliness in the six short stories mentioned above, integrating four key concepts on loneliness in Fromm’s Neo-psychoanalytic theory: automation conformity, authoritarianism, the needs for love, and social unconsciousness to examine three types of loneliness in Li’s writings, such as the aphasics, the marginal man, and the rootless people, to ascertain the association of loneliness among these three types of people, and then, to trace the origins of loneliness from the insane personality, the impotence to love, and the suppressed social unconscious. Therefore, the first key to recovering from loneliness is that individuals must confront and accept loneliness; secondly, they should employ spontaneous love to relieve loneliness; and finally, they could completely get rid of loneliness and make connections with the outside world through joint efforts. Li only depicts loneliness, leaving the question on how to dissipate it to readers. Notably, with her caring and warming kindness for her characters, she invites readers to think together and discuss the ways to cure loneliness. Therefore, from the perspective of Fromm’s Neo-psychoanalytic criticism, the thesis offers guidance for the aphasics, the marginalized and the rootless to get beyond loneliness, and provides reference and insight for loneliness research in a contemporary social context. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
Fromm is an important representative of the Frankfurt School in the 20th century, as well as a well-known humanist philosopher and well-known humanist philosopher and psychoanalytic psychologist. The thought of Fromm’s humanistic is based on the investigation of human nature and the analysis of the actual living conditions of human beings. He believes that the rapid development of economy and technology in Western capitalist society has also caused human alienation and social morbidity. On the basis of in-depth analysis and criticism of this, Fromm reveals the survival dilemma of modern people, and hopes to achieve human liberation through psychological revolution (>The Art of Loving< and social revolution (the establishment of a sound society). The article is divided into three parts. The first part is the analysis of the theoretical origins of Fromm’s humanistic thought, mainly involving Freud's psychoanalysis, Marx's theory of alienation, the Frankfurt School’s Critical theory, and the influence of Eastern Zen thought on him. The second part is the analysis of the main content of Fromm’s humanistic thought, taking human nature of good and evil, and the multiple character structure of humans as the logical starting point, leading to the antinomy of existence, the psychological tendency to escape freedom, and the existence of reoccupied existence. In response to these contradictions, Fromm not only proposed to cultivate >new people< from the perspective of psychological revolution, that is, to cultivate creative love and productive personality, but also put forward the idea of overall social change in the fields of economy, politics, and culture, and advocated the establishment of a >new society< aiming at the full and free development of people. The third part is the analysis and evaluation of Fromm’s humanistic thought, analyzing the influence of Fromm’s thought in Frankfurt School, and interpreting the contemporary value of Fromm’s humanistic thought. [English: www.cnki.net, 4/2022]
Edward Jones is one of the preeminent African-American writers of contemporary literature, whose masterpiece is >The Known World<, for which he wins the National Book Critics Circle Award 2003, Pulitzer Prize 2004, and International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2005. >The Known Word< is an account of the survival and tortuous fate of black slave owners and slaves from a perspective that black literature has never touched before, enriching the diversity of character identity in black literature and rewriting the connotation of freedom. This thesis analyzes black identity in >The Known Word< from the perspective of Fromm’s concept of freedom Erich Fromm constructs two unique concepts of negative freedom and positive freedom from the perspectives of sociology and psychology. Fromm proposes that the freedom people usually pursue is the extrinsic negative freedom. In the pursuit of negative freedom, a sense of loneliness and powerlessness often emerges, and in order to get rid of these feelings, people choose to escape from freedom again, by eliminating their own individuality and integrating into the surrounding environment, making themselves further and further away from freedom. Only the intrinsic positive freedom can lead people to the path of authentic freedom, achieving freedom and peace within people. In >The Known Word<, Jones also encapsulates the process of black slave owners and black slaves pursuing freedom and finding themselves in a social environment dominated by white culture and white people. Some people experience the pursuit and escape of negative freedom and lose their identity, while others successfully embark on the path of positive freedom, find their identity, and successfully realize the reconstruction of their identity. This thesis is divided into three parts, the first part is the introductory part, including an introduction to Edward Jones and his work >The Known Word<, an analysis of the current state of domestic and international research on >The Known Word<, and related explanations of Fromm’s concept of freedom and the significance of the chosen topic of this thesis.– The second part is the main part of this thesis, which consists of three chapters. The first chapter illustrates that the black slave owners Henry and Maude and the black slave overseer Moses aspire to realize their own identity by pursuing negative freedom, but as a result, they cannot counteract the loneliness and powerlessness of following the negative freedom and instead have the tendency to escape from freedom, give up freedom and lose their own identity. They all damage their families in a way, undermining the foundation of their identity and exploit their compatriots for more wealth, losing themselves in slavery.– The second chapter explains the causes for the lost identity of Henry, Maude, and Moses by analyzing the mechanism of escape from freedom — the hegemonic position of the whites in society and the lack of confidence in their own black culture make them willing to be ruled by slavery and drift away from freedom.– The final chapter explores the reconstruction of the identity and of black slaves Alice and Minerva, the black slave owner Calvin and so on, who complete the reconstruction of their identity through the realization of positive freedom. The regression of black identity and self-realization is achieved through the awakening of consciousness and the construction of harmonious family and social relationships.– The last part concludes and sublimates the above chapters. The parsing of the entire thesis leads to the conclusion that Fromm’s concept of freedom is fully reflected in the magnificent and vast description of black identity in >The Known World<. The concept furnishes us a better perspective and opportunity for the understanding of Edward Jones’ >The Known Word<. It also gives us the opportunity to better understand the responsibility of Jones’ writing and his deep thoughts about the history and future of black people. Meanwhile, in times of various values collide, the blacks’ pursuit of freedom and identity in the novel is also of great practical significance, guiding people to realize their intrinsic freedom and find the true meaning of life. [English: www.cnki.net, 4/2022]
Martyna Majok is a Polish-American playwright. Her second play >Cost of Living< was published in 2018 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in the same year. The main characters in >Cost of Living< are the disabled: Ani and John, and their respective caregiver: Eddie and Jess. They desire to connect with others and the society, while at the same time, gaps of disability, race and class are created between them. However, they do not compromise or give up because of this, but are still actively looking for the salvation of love. This paper interprets the survival dilemma and salvation methods of the characters with the help of Erich Fromm’s human existence theory, revealing the living conditions of the marginalized in the United States who are shackled by disability, race, and class. It calls on the society to give more humanistic care to the marginalized and the disadvantaged. This paper consists of five parts, including the introduction, three main chapters and the conclusion. The introduction summarizes the life experience and main works of Majok, the main content of >Cost of Living<, the current research status of this play at home and abroad, and the theoretical framework. The first chapter combines with Fromm’s thinking on the existence dilemma of the modern people to analyze the survival dilemma of the four characters in the play. The disability brought both mental and physical torture to John and Ani; Eddie had to endure loneliness in the process of individualization; under alienation, Jess became a commodity for exchange of interests, and alienated from others constantly. In the play, both the disabled and the caregivers were caught in an inescapable survival predicament and could not perceive kindness, trust and love between individuals.– The second chapter explores the reason why the characters were in such dilemma with Fromm’s theory of human need. Due to the social exclusion, Ani and John were eager to establish relatedness with the outside. Eddie took the initiative to seek company and rootedness, and Jess was desperate to gain a certain social identity. These unsatisfied spiritual needs made them fall into a desperate situation, and their wrong attempts to meet their needs even got them into deeper dilemma.– The third chapter analyzes different attempts made by the characters to get rid of their predicaments and achieve self-salvation. Infected by love, Ani rekindled her hope and enthusiasm for life. John took the initiative to step out of self-closure. Eddie and Jesse also boldly tried to love others. All the characters made different attempts to build relationships and love with others, but gained different results, which proves that only love based on understanding, respect and trust can lead them out of the predicament of existence and then realize the salvation of love. The play reflects Majok’s ardent care for the fate of the marginalized in the United States. On the basis of Fromm’s existence theory, this paper represents the real living conditions of the characters and the reasons for their deep predicament. Life is full of hardship and pain, and the marginalized represented by the characters in the play who lacked social attention and care are in deeper dilemma. However, predicament does not mean despair, surrender and compromise. Those who live in it should bravely fight against difficulties with an optimistic attitude. Meanwhile, the society should give them more attention and love, so that they can find the meaning of existence in the world full of loneliness and alienation, and realize self-salvation. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
As an eminent Jewish American writer, Philip Roth is well-known as an incisive observer of America’s social scene. His works mainly deal with several themes, including Jewish identity, spiritual crises of humankind, the American Dream, and conflicts between human nature and the ethic or morality of modern society. His masterpiece, the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award in 2001, >The Human Stain< probes into the plight of self in American society. Up to now, different scholars at home and abroad have analyzed it from a variety of perspectives, like ethnic identity, racial passing, trauma, archetype, and narrative method. Unlike the previous studies, this thesis analyzes it from the perspective of Erich Fromm’s alienation theory. As a ubiquitous social phenomenon in modern society, alienation, a mode of subjective experience, indicates that man regards himself as an alienated one or receives the outside world passively. In this novel, these major characters suffer from alienation respectively, including self-alienation, the estranged relationships with one another as well as alienation in the whole society, which results from some irrational thought prevailing in America, like deep-seated racial and gender disparity, political correctness, the climate of persecution and cruel Vietnam War. Based on textual analysis and reference learning, this thesis concludes that though people go through alienation seriously, they can get rid of it through the salvation of love, the pursuit of identity, and the healing power of nature. Sincerely, this thesis can contribute to an interpretation of >The Human Stain< from a new perspective alienation, and raise attention to modern man’s living predicaments and its salvation or solutions. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
As one of the most famous contemporary female writers in America, Donna Tartt is a newly rising star in American literary circles. It is Tartt’s merit to describe the loss and confusion of teenagers and her work is characterized by its graceful language, compact plot and great readability. As a masterpiece that has taken Tartt’s nearly eleven years to get completed, >The Goldfinch< tells a story of a miserable boy and a famous painting which has escaped a disaster. Since its publication in 2013, >The Goldfinch< has been interpreted by scholars at home and abroad from different perspectives, whose research results are mainly concentrated on its theme and narrative skills. However, there have been no scholars so far who have interpreted the alienation phenomenon of the protagonist in the work from the perspective of alienation. Therefore, the author attempts to give a brand-new analysis and interpretation of Theodore’s alienation phenomenon in the novel with the guidance of famous psychologist Fromm’s theory of alienation, which aims to provide readers with more abundant angle to understand this masterpiece. This thesis consists of three parts: introduction, main body and conclusion. In the part of introduction, Donna Tartt and her masterpiece >The Goldfinch< are briefly arranged. Besides, this part summarizes the current research status of this topic at home and abroad and gives a brief introduction of the alienation theory of Fromm. The research significance of this paper is also clarified in this part. The body part is the main body of this thesis, which consists of three chapters. The first chapter explores the manifestations of Theodore’s alienation, which is embodied in his alienation from society, from others and from himself. Alienation is an extremely adverse phenomenon that will do harm to one’s mental health. However, it is unavoidable for Theodore to suffer from alienation due to his miserable sufferings and living environment. The second chapter analyzes the roots of Theodore’s alienation, which is carefully clarified from the perspective of society, family and Theodore’s psychology.– The first section discusses the social roots of Theodore’s alienation: the unstable social environment and the general absence of family ethics have caused individuals’ general estrangement and alienation.– The second section shows the family roots of Theodore’s alienation: the early death of his mother and the absence of his family affection lead to the cultivation of his closed and timid character.– The third section explores the psychological roots of Theodore’s alienation: his inner emptiness and loneliness are the fundamental reasons for his alienation. The third chapter analyzes the process of how Theodore constructively eliminates his alienation and finally obtains a sound psychology. The acquisition of fatherly affection and the nourishment of friendship make him feel be loved and help him gain a sense of security and the courage to move forward. Besides, the re-establishment of relationships with the outside world gives him a sense of accomplishment and helps him realize his own value. Moreover, the painting >The Goldfinch< provides him with a broad artistic space, in which he can find some comfort and courage. All of these factors have contributed to the elimination of Theodore’s alienation.– The conclusion part is the summary of the above analysis. By analyzing the manifestations and roots of Theodore’s alienation, and his efforts to eliminate alienation under the guidance of Fromm’s alienation theory, the author constructively gives the advice of solving the spiritual crisis and eliminating the alienation phenomenon of modern people. Besides, the significance and shortcomings of this thesis are also clarified in this part. With the rapid progress of society, people’s material life has been greatly improved. However, people’s spiritual world has not kept pace with their increasing material wealth. The relationships among people become aloof and isolated, which is harmful to one’s healthy development and the progress of society. Therefore, this paper aims to provide some constructive suggestions for modern people to properly handle their anxiety and eliminate their alienation phenomenon through the detailed analysis of Theodore’s alienation. It also aims to achieve the healthy development of individuals and help them establish a harmonious relationship full of love. [www.cnki.net, 11/2022]
Contemporary American writer George Saunders was recognized as >the writer for our time<. He was the winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize for his novel >Lincoln in the Bardo<. Saunders is good at writing short fictions, with >CivilWarLand in Bad Decline<, >Pastoralia<, >In Persuasion Nation< and >Tenth of December< as his representative works. His short story collection >Tenth of December<, published in 2013, keeps Saunders’ terse, humorous and ironic writing style, describing the alienated body under the context of consumer culture. The current research on >Tenth of December< mainly focuses on one to two short stories in the collection. Most of the studies are conducted from the perspective of post-colonialism, feminism, ethics and consumption in cultural studies. Topics of the research cover trauma, ethics, alienation etc. However, body as an important research object has not been discussed yet. In light of it, the paper focuses on the alienated body caused by the consumer society and aims at exploring its nature and its social and cultural roots, as well as the writing intention and the social value of the collection. There are five chapters altogether. The first chapter gives brief introduction to George Saunders and >Tenth of December<. Besides, after sorting out the previous and the current studies on Saunders’ works, this chapter points out the significance of the study and expounds the researching approach.– The second chapter defines >the alienated body< by means of sociology and Erich Fromm’s theory of alienation, and sorts out the phenomenon of alienation in body and its subsequent consequence.– The third chapter, based on Jean Baudrillard’s theory of the consumer society and Max Horkheimer’s critique of instrumental reason, is committed to interpreting the phenomenon of the alienation of the body and exploring the social roots for it, including the re-appropriation of the body by capital, the toiling of body by sign-value consumption as well as the impairment of body by instrumental reason. Based on the former two chapters, the fourth chapter is devoted to exploring the palpable ways out of the dilemma. Individuals whose bodies are alienated should, first of all, become an independent subject to regain subjectivity. Secondly, death also serves as a solution to the alienation of the body. Last but not least, individuals can turn to the power of the humanist communities to realize salvation.– The last chapter is the concluding part, summarizing the main idea of the paper and pointing out the social values embodied in the novella as well. Through textual analysis, a conclusion can be drawn that the alienated body is the product of the consumer society. By revealing the alienation of the body, the story collection aims at speaking for the marginalized people whose bodies have been utilized as an operational capital by revealing the alienation of the body and appeals for the renaissance of humanistic spirit in the consumer society. On top of that, the problem that happened to the body is also associated with the future of humankind. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
Although scholars from home and abroad have paid much attention to the alienation theme in O’Neill’s >Long Day’s Journey into Night<, their examinations are mainly from one perspective and seldom from multiple aspects. Therefore, in light of Erich Fromm’s analysis of man’s relation to himself, others, and society in his alienation theory, the thesis purports to argue that, by analyzing the causes of alienation in >Long Day’s Journey into Night<, the Tyrones, the main characters in the play, are in the existence of meaninglessness and hopelessness. The thesis includes an introduction, body, and conclusion, and the central part is the body, which is divided into three chapters. With the application of Fromm’s notion of escape mechanism, chapter one inquires why the Tyrones are beset by alienation from themselves and how they attempt to eliminate alienation. Authoritarianism and destructiveness are the causes why the Tyrones run up against alienation from themselves. Precisely, the Tyrones’ dependence on anonymous authorities engenders their idolatrous love for Catholicism and their parents. Meanwhile, pushed by the automaton conformity mechanism, each in the Tyrones is split into real self and pseudo self. In addition, the Tyrone family, with the mechanism of destructiveness, tries to eliminate themselves from suffering from alienation through alcohol or morphine, which are weak and unsustainable, so they cannot eliminate alienation. By analyzing the reasons and attempts, the chapter reveals people’s meaningless existence in that they fail to achieve their self-development.– Chapter two studies why the Tyrones sustain alienation from others in the conjugal, parent-child, and sisterly/brotherly relationships. To be specific, affected by egoism, human relationships, enslaved by personal benefits, are reduced to relations between commodities. Due to inhuman relationships, the Tyrones cannot gain happiness or hope in their relations with others. In chapter three, the reasons for alienation from society suffered by the Tyrones are explored from their production process, consumption activities and past experiences. The family is separately trapped in the past and cannot get rid of the agony from the past, so they become the slave of their past experiences. In the production process, the Tyrones work only for the sake of dollars, thus ceasing to be an active agent in society. In the consumer world, the Tyrone family purchases not for the use-value of commodities but the possession of them. Hence, the Tyrone family, being the object of social activities and the past, finds no way to succeed or step into the future, consequently caught in the existence of hopelessness and meaninglessness.– The conclusion part points out that, in the capitalist society, the Tyrones suffer from alienation from themselves, others, and society, leading to a meaningless and hopeless existence. Through investigating the causes of the alienation in the play, the thesis reveals the living predicament of modern people, which will arouse people to pay attention to their existence and spiritual needs. [www.cnki.net, 11/2022]
[Chinese abstract not available] >Ragtime<, published in 1975, is the fourth novel written by Jewish-American novelist E. L. Doctorow, for which he was awarded >the 1976 National Book Critics Circle Award<. Doctorow focused on the important figures in three families to explore the fate of different classes in the United States, and he didn’t try to write a grand history of the entire United States to reflect that time. He perfectly presented three very different American family freedom dilemmas in >Ragtime<: One was a wealthy middle-class white family, the other was a Jewish family from European immigrants, and the last was a black family, which genuinely reproduced the microcosm of all classes in that era. At present, some scholars have explored >Ragtime< from different angles such as feminist criticism and new historicism. Because of its unique writing style and ingenious narrative techniques, there are also many scholars studying the narrative strategy of the novel. However, there is a lack of comprehensive comments on the dilemma of freedom of the protagonists, the mechanism to negative freedom and how to realize positive freedom in the novel. From the perspective of Fromm’s freedom theory, we can find that the freedom dilemma of an individual in modern society makes people confused. So manipulation and being manipulated, a desire to destroy, automaton conformity, and other mechanisms of negative freedom come into being. As for Fromm, to be a complete human being, to be truly free must be achieved through the spontaneous love and creative labor of the individual. Based on Fromm’s view of freedom, the interpretation of >Ragtime< is of guiding significance for individuals in today’s society to move from freedom dilemma to positive freedom. Ultimately, the liberation and free and all-around development of human beings is the highest value orientation for realizing a community with a shared future for mankind, which promotes the human beings to move towards a better tomorrow.
Through hackling Herbert Marcuse’s theory of alienation criticism and liberation in the psychoanalytic context, the article aims to illustrate what influence on Marcuse the psychoanalysis theory has. Besides, by analyzing and comparing with other theorists’ alienation criticism and liberation theory in the related Schools, the article tries to find out not only the similarities and differences but also the successive relationship between each other. Meanwhile the article tries to discuss the evaluation of Marcuse’s of alienation criticism and the liberation theory in the contemporary. As a Western Marxist esthetician, Marcuse combines Marxist aesthetics with Freudian psychoanalysis. He focuses on emphasizing biological characteristics and psychological analysis of individuals of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Furthermore, Marcuse transforms and re-interprets Freud’s psychoanalytic concepts such as instinct, unconscious, personality structure by combining with Marx’s social and cultural critique theory, and creates his own critique concept, which contains additional depression, reality principle and erotic sublimation. More importantly, Marcuse rediscovers Freud’s brilliant exposition on imagination and fantasy, associates Freud’s theory with aesthetic and artistic liberation path, tries to regard aesthetic art as a tool to liberate individuals and reform the society. Thus Marcuse builds up a new horizon for sensibility, art and aesthetic field. From Freud to Marcuse and Erich Fromm, to Deleuze and Jameson, they all have different understandings of concepts such as unconscious. Therefore they form different civilizations and Liberation theories. Those differences reflect an academic transition. Owing to combination unconscious and artistic, the emphasis on biological foundation for psychoanalysis and establishment of aesthetic utopia, Marcuse plays an important role in the academic development. Marcuse’s alienation critique and aesthetic liberation theory can be seen as a cultural critique, in which aesthetics become an important tool for criticism and redemption. His focus on individual’s alienation reflects a strong humanistic care, and point to an utopian imagination about the future. But his analysis on human alienation in the psychoanalytic context has surmounted the specific social historical conditions and ideological barriers, and has a great significance for the contemporary China. [English: www.cnki.net, 6/2022]
[Chinese abstract not available] Erich Fromm is a Western Marxist and a major representative of the >Freudian Marxism< school. His thoughts are very rich, among which the critical theory of character structure is of great significance and is an important component of Fromm’s ideological system. This theory is an original theory formed by Fromm on the basis of combining Marx’s thought and Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, and on this basis, he deeply criticized Western capitalist society. The content of Fromm’s critical theory of character structure is mainly reflected in the trilogy of character structure theory, namely, >Escape from Freedom<, >Man for Himself<, and >The Sane Society<. Through these three books, we can see the clear thread of the construction and development of Fromm’s critical theory of character structure: from the analysis of the causes of specific social phenomena-the rise and popularity of fascism-to the theoretical framework, and finally highlight the future direction of this theory. >Escape from Freedom< is mainly a probe into the origin of the significant event of the emergence and popularity of fascism in the 1930s, revealing the universal state of modern people’s escape from freedom and the formation of psychological mechanisms for escape from freedom. Starting from the discussion of human nature issues, >Man for Himself< proposed a division and in-depth interpretation of human social personality, and initially completed the configuration of the critical theory of personality structure. >The Sane Society< is the development and extension of the themes in >Escape from Freedom< and >Man for Himself<, highlighting the ideal future pointed to by the critical theory of character structure.– The introduction first introduces the theoretical value and practical significance of the research, then combs the research status of domestic and foreign scholars on Fromm’s critical theory of character structure, summarizes the main viewpoints of the academic community on its theory and the existing problems. Finally, the research methods, research objectives, and innovations of this article are proposed. The first chapter mainly analyzes the origin of Fromm’s critical theory of character structure. The changes brought about by the two world wars and the industrial revolution are the realistic background for the emergence of this theory. Marx’s thought and Freud’s theory are the theoretical source and foundation of Fromm’s critical theory of character structure. Fromm, based on Marxist positions and methods, placed human beings in the relationship between human beings and the world and analyzed human behavior from the perspective of economic and social structures. However, he believed that Marx ignored the importance of irrational factors and did not realize the laws of human nature itself. So Fromm borrowed Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and devoted himself to theoretical elaboration of modern people’s social personality from the perspective of social psychology.– The second chapter mainly analyzes the foundation of the critical theory of character structure: the escape freedom theory. In the book >Escape from Freedom<, Fromm reveals the formation process of the psychological mechanism of escaping freedom based on the situation of people escaping freedom in modern society, and forms a systematic theory of escaping freedom. This article mainly expounds the process and reasons for people’s transition from pursuing freedom to escaping freedom, and sorts out three manifestations of the psychological mechanism of escaping freedom: authoritarianism, destructive desire, and mechanical convergence. Fromm seeks to find a positive way out of love and labor for people, enabling them to maintain individual independence, achieve positive freedom, and establish close ties with others. The third chapter mainly explains the construction of the critical theory of personality structure. >Man for Himself< is a sequel to escaping freedom. Fromm further reveals the alienation of modern personality structure in his book. The discussion of human nature is the foundation and prerequisite for the concept of social character. Fromm revealed three main contradictions faced by human beings by analyzing their survival dilemmas, which led to various needs. It is precisely because people have adopted different ways and means in the process of striving to meet these needs that they have formed different social personalities. This part systematically explores the connotation of social character, the expression of alienation of human social character, and the division of social character-productive and non-productive social character. It focuses on explaining four types of pathological non-productive social character, and initially proposes an ideal personality under sound social conditions, namely, productive social character.– The fourth chapter mainly discusses the future dimensions of the critical theory of personality structure. >The Sane Society< is the ideological extension of >Escape from Freedom< and >Man for Himself<. Since the existing society is morbid and cannot support the shaping of an ideal productive social character, it should move towards the construction of a sound society. Fromm proposed three solutions to the problems of capitalist society: totalitarianism, super capitalism, and socialism beyond both. He analyzed the reasons why the three solutions could not be implemented, and then advocated the establishment of >Humanistic socialism<. He proposed standards and theoretical ideas for a sound society, and discussed specific reform plans for moving towards a sound society. The fifth chapter evaluates the value and limitations of Fromm’s critical theory of character structure. This theory enriches Marx’s alienation theory, expands the content of Marxist social character and Freud’s character theory, and has unique theoretical contributions. At the same time, it also deepened the criticism of contemporary capitalist society. Of course, it also has the limitations of breaking away from historical materialism and not touching the fundamental contradictions of capitalist society. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 1/2024]
V. S. Naipaul is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding novelists in the history of English literature. With the multicultural background and unique writing angles, he was awarded Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. As a representative work in his early time, >A House for Mr. Biswas< provides us with firsthand materials to understand the living dilemmas of the immigrants. In the novel, the cultural estrangement and identity displacement faced by the exiled people are vividly presented through a comical description of the protagonist, Mohun Biswas’s persistent striving for his own >house< under the duel impact of the intrusion of the suzerain culture and the bondage of the tradition. This thesis intends to explore the alienated image of Mr. Biswas and probe into the intrinsic reasons in light of Erich Fromm’s psychological alienation theory. Besides, Naipaul’s affirmative attitude to the question that whether people from the third world can establish their home and realize their identity in suzerains is discussed and revealed in the thesis. The thesis holds that Naipaul, through a detailed depiction of Mohun Biswas’s pursuit of the >house< in his life, endows his rather modest achievement with a heroic dimension, transforming himself into a self-made hero who conquers difficulties and achieves success >through failures<. Compared with escape, an excitement hidden in the engulfing and repulsive world is eventually grasped by Mr. Biswas. He confirms such possibility through his perseverance and struggles. The ending also reflects Naipaul’s own dream of a utopian society that can accommodate self-realization pursued by the immigrants. [English: www.cnki.net, 6/2022]
[Chinese abstract not available] Erich Fromm’s concern for human existence is an important part in the construction of his social critical theory. His philosophy of existence originated from his early growth experience, including the theory of social character, the thinking of human existence requirements, the examination of human’s lifestyles. And the suggestions on how persons can move towards a well existence after the categorization. Searching on Erich Fromm’s philosophy of existence from a holistic perspective will help us clarify the value orientation and theoretical vision of Erich Fromm’s social criticism, and help us to build the panorama of Erich Fromm’s philosophy. Although Erich Fromm’s theoretical construction is not perfect, his belief in our ability to achieve a better life can inspire us to move forward.– Firstly, Erich Fromm’s early growth experience exposed him to psychoanalytic and Marxist theories, and focused his perspective on human survival. After joining the Frankfurt Institute, the research on the mental and psychological conditions of Weimar German manual workers and white collar workers, which he presided over, provided empirical support for his social criticism theory, and also inspired him to propose a theory of social character, thereby promoting the birth of Escape from Freedom. He connected the thoughts of Freud and Marx with humanism, and paid more attention to human existence. He firmly believed that people can continuously develop to a good life.– Secondly, psychoanalytic theory influenced Erich Fromm’s focus on human survival needs. He found that human existence needs are divided into two categories, one is the existence needs brought about by human natural nature, and the other is the existence needs brought about by human social nature. With the constraints of the existence needs of man’s natural nature, man has also evolved a developed mind in an attempt to surpass himself. The need of human social nature also stems from this transcendence. At the same time, the development of the human brain promotes the emergence of human rationality. Rationality is both sides now, which brings human beings the ability to self-reflect, making them not satisfied with the harmonious and stable state of nature at present, and constantly changing themselves; however, it has also caused mankind to remain in an unbalanced state, resulting in a contradiction in human existence, namely, the antinomy between life and death and its historical contradiction. Based on this contradiction, people have generated the need for social existence, which can be divided into five aspects: relevance, transcendence, root-seeking, sense of identity, and orientation and dedication to alleviate the pain caused by this contradiction. In addition to the existence needs brought about by human natural and social natures, the personality generated by human beings in society also has an impact on the existence needs. This is manifested in two aspects, namely, non-productive orientation and productive orientation. The former is the personality generated by alienated people when facing society, while the latter is the personality displayed by genuine people when facing society and realizing themselves. Non-productive orientation can be divided into four categories: acceptance orientation, exploitation orientation, hoarding orientation, and market orientation. The productive orientation, or creative orientation, is centered on >love<. Compared to non-productive orientation, productive orientation can meet the needs of positive communication with the world, demonstrate one’s individuality, and achieve one’s own development.– Furthermore, after paying attention to human survival needs, the alienation thought of Marxist theory prompted Erich Fromm to pay attention to human’s lifestyle. He divided the way people live in life into two categories: having and being. The alienated lifestyle with having is aimed at possession, and the experience of re possession is constantly trying to obtain something that can be endowed with value; fear, fear oneself not having more. Due to the endless possession, they find it difficult to overcome the spiritual dilemma that possession brings to themselves. The lifestyle of being that breaks away from alienation and focuses on the development of existence is the goal. The survival exper+J35622ience of existence is to obtain what can truly enrich and develop oneself. They do not focus on what they have obtained, but on what they have obtained from it. Through the actions of obtaining, they continuously develop to achieve their own realization. Therefore, those who focus on their own re existence can actively develop themselves and move towards true happiness. On his analysis, Erich Fromm proposed an idea of how to turn to a being lifestyle of life. As long as people themselves can know that they are suffering, recognize the root causes of suffering, find ways to eliminate suffering, and change their existence lifestyle, there is hope that they will emerge from the spiritual dilemma of having. The process of individuals turning to new people needs to be accompanied by social changes and the emergence of a new society, but it is also necessary to be prepared to practice the >art of being< Erich Fromm clarified four obstacles that affect the art of practicing existence, namely, >flashiness, gossip, (believing) gain without payments, and avoiding pain<. Five methods for cultivating the art of being are proposed, namely, >unswerving, sober, conscious, focused, and thoughtful<. Individuals are ready to become new people, and with the emergence of a new society, they can move from the alienated self to the true >I am who I am<.– From Erich Fromm’s analysis of human existence needs and lifestyles, we can see his deep and humanistic concern for human existence. However, his concerns are not comprehensive. Erich Fromm focused on the generality of human personality, while ignoring the uniqueness of human beings; focusing on the individual existence of human beings, while ignoring the interactive behavior with others. Erich Fromm’s division of human existence lifestyles, limited by his proposed functional possession and possible egoistic explanations of being, is not very successful. This paper also proposes an idea to solve these two aspects of problems, in order to improve his theory of human existence. There is a view that Erich Fromm’s philosophy of existence is an interesting combination of psychoanalytic models and existential philosophy. Although the field of psychology has not developed a school of existentialism, Sartre’s >Existentialism is a Humanism< provides argument support for this view. It can be found that Erich Fromm’s philosophy of existence can meet the >existential humanism<, and naturally it is also existential. From the perspective of existentialism, Erich Fromm’s philosophy of existence recognizes that existence precedes essence, advocates the essence of time, upholds humanitarianism, recognizes human freedom and responsibility, focuses on human authenticity, and considers human morality; showing the light of existentialism. In short, Erich Fromm’s concern for human existence is profound and full of Humanism. And hopes and expectations for people also float on paper to inspire us to live better. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 1/2024]
Kurt Vonnegut (1922 – 2007) is a prominent American writer. As a soldier surviving the World War II, he is exceptionally concerned about the society in wartime and the future of human beings. This thesis takes Vonnegut’s fourth novel >Cat’s Cradle< published in 1963 as the research subject. Through the portrayal of the major characters – Dr. Felix Hoenikker and his three children, Dr. Asa Breed and Jonah, the novel exposes a series of social issues such as the misuse of science and technology, religious nihilism, and man’s alienation. Based upon Ihab Hasan’s postmodernism theory and Eric Fromm’s alienation theory, this study aims at interpreting the creative features of >Cat’s Cradle< from three aspects: alienation, indeterminacy and Fragmentation through analyzing the content and the form. Simultaneously, the research tries to dig out Vonnegut’s writing intention, which is to break the scientism and religious nihilism and arouse man’s courage and wisdom of facing up to life. Chapter One begins with a brief introduction to Kurt Vonnegut’s life and his works, pointing out that Cat’s Cradle is worth studying due to its experimental writing style and concern for the social reality. Then, the significance and the layout of the study are indicated.– Chapter Two introduces and analyzes the previous studies on >Cat’s Cradle< at home and abroad, through which the writer finds it necessary to study the textual and practical significance of >Cat’s Cradle< in postmodern context. The theoretical framework of the thesis includes Ihab Hassan’s postmodernism viewpoints and Erich Fromm’s theory of alienation.– Chapter Three draws on Fromm’s alienation view and Hasan’s self-less-ness and depth-less-ness view, pointing out that alienated people in postmodern society often lose their human nature, and nihility and absurdity are the main features of human beings. Through the analysis of the main characters in the novel such as Dr. Hoenikker, Dr. Asa Breed, Dr. Hoenikker’s children and narrator Jonah, Vonnegut’s depiction of the absurdity and indifference in human nature is exposed.– Chapter Four discusses the characteristic of indeterminacy embodied in >Cat’s Cradle< from the aspects of identity and theme. It not only analyzes the importance of indeterminacy in highlighting the author’s writing intention, but also denotes that indeterminacy has permeated into the thoughts and actions of people living in postmodern society. Vonnegut’s concerns and worries about the instability of postmodern society are also demonstrated.– Deriving from the postmodernism literary feature of Fragmentation, Chapter Five tries to dig out the significance of fragmentation in realizing the author’s writing intention and subverting the creation of traditional novels. Meanwhile, the adoption of Fragmentation insinuates the chaotic and disordered state of postmodern society.– Chapter Six summarizes the main content of this thesis, indicating the importance of Vonnegut’s excellent writing skills in exposing social reality problems, and inspiring the public to think and act positively for the survival and development of postmodern society and human beings. >Cat’s Cradle< presents a moral tragedy in a comedy way. It is novel in plot, clever in conception and rich in theme, therefore, it is popular among readers and worthy of further study by scholars. In addition, Vonnegut’s profound reflection on history and serious concern for reality greatly inspire readers all over the world. Therefore, this book is not only a classic literary work worthy of study, but also a novel with paramount practical significance. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
The prominent modernist writer Katherine Mansfield exhibits her innovative modernity, mixture of complex sentiments and rational interior exploration most conspicuously in her short stories. Yet despite the modernity of her thought, spontaneity and extroversion, of her expression and her other pivotal contributions to modernist literature, she is marginalized in literary arena with some of her themes, such as escape, being neglected by her readership and scholarship. However, escape as a complex and action has actually been one of the most essential themes recurring in Mansfield’s short stories and her life when she has kept struggling between idealism and realism. And escape as a shared choice of her characters trapped in predicaments or psychological dilemmas is often formulated in the contradiction between the escapists and society as well as their own intrapsychic conflict. Therefore, the thesis will engage Erich Fromm’s theories of human nature and escape to offer a socio-psychological reading of Mansfield’s escape theme accordingly. The thesis discusses the escape theme of Mansfield’s 16 short stories in three aspects of manifestations, causes and final destinations of escape. Chapter one focuses on the two major patterns of escape in terms of its manifestation: retreat and camouflage, which are respectively defined by escapists’ receptive orientation or marketing orientation. Receptive oriented Rosabel and the old lady and marketing oriented Gregory and Duquette are among the train of escapists examined here.– Chapter two unrolls the causes of the escape. The external determinants include three kinds of social forces restraining various human needs and two kinds of alienated family relations caused by authority or immature love. Miss Brill’s escape posed by social ostracism, Linda’s escape stemming from social convention and Ma Parker’s escape due to social hierarchy demonstrate how these three social forces determine their escapes. Moreover, escapes of Kezia and Matilda as results of their alienated relations with parents and the escapists including Monica and Mr. Salesby formulated in their alienated relations with spouses highlight the causality between the alienated family relations and escape. And the internal determinant refers to the identity dilemma that stems from one’s doubt over either his real self or social self. Both Bertha’s escape from her real self and Millie’s from her social self are made in a common backdrop of their identity dilemma.– As for the two opposite destinations including the positive and the negative ones, chapter three elucidates them as respectively the results of positive freedom or negative freedom procured by escapists represented by Miss Moss. Briefly, either through retreat or camouflage, most escapists perpetuate or exacerbate their predicaments after transient alleviation brought by their escapes. Only a few productive oriented ones could escape from predicaments ultimately for their escapes underpinned by their productiveness are quintessentially spontaneous negotiations with the world rather than self-deluding compromises or evasions. Hence they could realize their inherent potentiality, remain self-consciousness and external connection in the midst of escape and extricate themselves from their predicaments afterwards.– Besides, the theme of escape illustrated in the thesis is actually imbued with Mansfield’s own life experience and philosophy. Through offering a socio-psychological interpretation of Mansfield’s escape theme, the thesis hence hopefully aims to enrich the understanding of Mansfield and her characters, draw more attention to Mansfield and invoke, in particular, more reflections on the escape of her short stories, especially in the contemporary context of human existence. [English: www.cnki.net, 4/2022]
As one of the most prestigious writers in contemporary British literary circles, Kazuo Ishiguro won the 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature owing to the fact that his novel with great emotional force, >has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world<. Kazuo Ishiguro’s works have received a high degree of attention as soon as they were published. His works emphasize self-salvation and cherish the warmth of the world, break through the limitations of the theme of immigrant writers and set his sights on the universal human nature of the world. >The Remains of the Day< is the third novel published by Kazuo Ishiguro. It is known for its simplicity, elegance and subtle narrative style and it is also his most prestigious work so far. Kazuo Ishiguro succeeded in portraying the role of Stevens, a high-level butler who dedicated his life to the career of butlers in >The Remains of the Day<. The novel unfolds with Stevens, an ordinary British butler, using a reminiscence narrative approach. Stevens, the protagonist in his twilight years, has a reputation, but he is lonely, self-abased and helpless, and his identity is severely alienated. With Miss Kenton’s letter and permission from his new employer, Stevens sets off on a six-day trip. Through the memories of the past, the people he meets and the things he sees during the journey, he explores the true meaning of life and rebuild the alienated identity. The novel leaves the reader with a hopeful open ending, which implies that Stevens will embrace a more real life on a positive way in the rest of the time.
Academia usually studies and interprets >The Remains of the Day< from the perspectives of post-colonialism, cultural studies and narrative techniques. Some critics also analyze the power mechanism embodied in the novel from the perspective of the image of the other. However, the research on Stevens’ identity cognition is not enough. Therefore, from the perspective of social psychological analysis, this thesis finds that Stevens’ identity cognition is seriously alienated. The influence of social environment, the relationship between the dominant and the dominated, and the human nature that is the fear of loneliness are the most fundamental psychological factors of Stevens’ identity alienation. From the perspective of social psychological analysis, this thesis will reveal the lonely and helpless living state of Stevens, the root of Stevens’ identity alienation under the influence of the change of the times and the people around him, and the road of redemption to rebuild his identity recognition. In the meantime, the thesis aims to explore the intention that Ishiguro Kazuo tries to achieve in depicting the living conditions of the universal individual in modern society. First, in view of the theory of >abstract< social psychological analysis, the thesis discusses the social and environmental factors which contribute to the formation and alienation of Stevens’ identity under the imperialist consciousness. Next, with the help of Fromm’s authority theory, the deep psychological causes of Stevens’ identity alienation from his treatment of father-son affection, loyalty and love are investigated. Then, from the perspectives of history and memory, love and emotion, the thesis analyzes the significance and value of Stevens’ salvation of identity alienation. >The Remains of the Day< enlightens us that we should recognize our own identities and adapt to society correctly. Even if our identities are alienated, we can be redeemed and rebuilt through our own efforts, rekindling hope in life. [www.cnki.net, 1/2023]
[Chinese abstract not available] With the continuous development and progress of science and technology, consumption occupies an increasingly important position in People’s Daily life. The >productive society< of Marx’s era was gradually replaced by the >consumer society< whose main activity was consumption. When the West first entered the consumer society, the consumption problem was more prominent. In this regard, the Western Marxists gradually turned from abstract theoretical research to positive exploration of reality. Fromm, with his unique perspective, revealed the consumption problem from the perspectives of psychology, sociology, philosophy and so on. Fromm believes that modern society is an unsound >artificial world<, where everything created by human beings is high above him. Individuals are integrated into a cultural chain woven by science and technology, mass culture and bureaucratic state, forming a cultural object lacking in criticism and self-awareness, which also causes the alienation of human nature. This alienation of human nature is especially obvious in the field of consumption.– This paper mainly discusses the consumption alienation in the developed industrial society. First of all, it combs the conditions of Fromm’s theory of consumption alienation. Fromm’s theory of consumption alienation came into being under the influence of the cultural crisis of Western society in the 20th century and the social critical theory of Frankfurt School. Secondly, it traces the influence of Marx’s labor alienation theory, Freud’s psychoanalysis theory and Lukács’ materialization theory on Fromm’s consumption alienation theory. Then, it introduces the connotation, origin, harm and solution of Fromm’s theory of consumption alienation, and compares it with those of Marcuse, Baudrillard and Ben Agger. Finally, based on Fromm’s theory of consumption alienation to reflect on the development of today’s world. The limitation lies in the fact that Fromm’s humanistic tendency lacks materialist foundation, and the utopian revolutionary road of subbing consumption alienation proposed by Fromm is bound to be unworkable. However, it is undeniable that Fromm’s consumption alienation theory provides practical reference and reflection for China to avoid the phenomena caused by this theory in the new era. [Translation: www.cnki.net, 1/2024]