THE DICHOTOMY OF FATE AND FREE WILL IN OATES’ TRAGIC VISION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17870709Abstract
This article examines the tension between fate and free will in Joyce Carol Oates’ tragic vision, focusing on how her characters navigate deterministic social forces while attempting to exercise agency. Oates’ fiction often portrays individuals trapped in cycles of violence, trauma, and socio-economic inequality forces that resemble classical notions of fate. Yet her protagonists frequently make choices that accelerate or complicate their downfall, suggesting an intricate interplay between external determinism and internal volition. Through close readings of We Were the Mulvaneys, Black Water, and them, the study argues that Oates constructs a modern tragedy in which fate and free will are mutually entangled. The resulting tragic aesthetic illuminates the psychological, cultural, and moral implications of human vulnerability in contemporary America.
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