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Abstract In fiction, the concept of ”free will” has always been important. The question of: are human beings predestined, or are they free to choose to do things is at the core of the human quest of freedom, self-knowledge, authenticity and compatibility. John Robert Fowles is one of the contemporary novelists, who is concerned with the issue of free will in his fiction. Fowles entered New College, Oxford, where he was influenced by the French Existentialism_ the most fashionable philosophical movement at that time. Through the writings of Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and Heraclites and their philosophies about conformity and the will of the individual, Fowles developed his belief in existential free will, which he defines as ”the revolt of the individual against all those systems of thought, theories of psychology, and social and political pressures that attempt to rob him from his individuality.” (Aristos 122) The best-known fact about existentialism is that it is concerned with human freedom. According to its central doctrine, man has no essence which could determine what he shall do. He is free to choose to become anything, since it is only what he freely chooses to do which determines what he is. Considering Sartre’s version of the existentialist concept of freedom, there is no difference between the being of man and his being free and as freedom constitutes the very essence of man, he must be free. Being free fundamentally means having a choice of oneself, of becoming a certain kind of person rather than another. And how one’s act depends on an original project of what we have chosen to be as persons. But one can choose to be a different sort of person and herein lies man’s original freedom on which the capacity called free will depends. Fowles holds the positive trend of existentialism by concentrating on exploring and reexamining the concept of free will as a primary theme in his novels. Regardless man has limited freedom or unlimited freedom, Fowles believes that both choices leave one no choice for man but to act according to reason and to be responsible for his actions and decisions. Whether or not we have free will isn’t the question for Fowles’s fiction is meant to urge us to use our free will to become better individuals and to help others better themselves. The present study is divided into four chapters and a conclusion. In chapter one, the researcher defines the concept of free will from different points of view, and discusses the postmodern debate around existential freedom and authentic self. Existentialism, determinism, indeterminism and compatibilism are the most commonly prominent trends of thought that debate the free will philosophy. The concept of free will is also related with other corresponding values and beliefs like duty, moral responsibility, commitment, authenticity and self- conception. Chapter two illustrates Fowles’s views on captivity and freedom of will as presented in The Collector. It focuses on how Fowles explores the conflict between free will and captivity by juxtaposing the excesses and abuses of Clegg’s criminal behavior with Miranda’s transformed self- awareness. Fowles enacts a conflict between rational and non - traditional approaches to experience, which are implied in Clegg’s captivity of Miranda, and with her death as the limitations of consciousness alone can exercise freedom of will. Chapter three investigates how Fowles develops the conflict between rationality and informed consciousness by pitting Nicholas Urfe’s analytical powers against the fantasy and mystery of Conchis’s manipulations. Reality and fantasy are deliberately confused in The Magus, and the achievement of self-knowledge and freedom of will comes along with the ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Moreover, Fowles’s thematic concerns and narrative techniques are examined as contributing to the effectiveness of the novel. Chapter four studies the concept of free will in Fowles’s The French lieutenant’s Woman which is a portrayal of England in 1867 that accurately captures various facets of the time like social conventions and class struggles. Fowles meditates on the nature of individual free will and ultimately its price. The chapter focuses on how Fowles amplifies the conflict between free will and social obligations through a sexual contest that opposes charles Smithson’s conservative views of conformity with Sarah Woodruffs rebellious attitudes. charles’ relinquishment of his past ties, implies that freedom means neither consciousness nor action alone, but a capacity to rebel against all kinds of social conformity that deprive us from our humanity and authenticity |