Introduces Sally Rooney's "Beautiful World, Where Are You," noting its continuation of Rooney's panoramic depiction of the lives of Irish youth, exploring themes such as love, friendship, and religion. Despite receiving much acclaim, there are also critical voices arguing that the novel lacks profound social critique. However, this article posits that Rooney integrates private emotions with social critique, responding to contemporary social dilemmas through individual narratives. Using Mark Fisher's concept of "capitalist realism" as a theoretical foundation, it analyzes the novel's connection to the spiritual crisis of millennials, explores the roles of love, friendship, and religion in resolving this crisis, and demonstrates Rooney's profound insight into contemporary social life.

The Spiritual Crisis of Millennials: "Reflexive Impotence"

Delves into the spiritual crisis faced by millennials in "Beautiful World, Where Are You," namely "reflexive impotence." Through the love, friendships, and reflections on the contemporary world of the four Irish young characters—Alice, Eileen, Felix, and Simon—the novel portrays their spiritual predicament under the oppression of capitalist realism. These young people, while possessing a deep awareness of social issues, feel powerless to change the status quo, a sense of powerlessness that further exacerbates their spiritual crisis. Mark Fisher's concept of "reflexive impotence" and Byung-Chul Han's theory of the "burnout society" provide theoretical support for understanding this spiritual dilemma. Rooney vividly depicts this sense of powerlessness and despair through the characters' dialogues and email exchanges. However, Rooney does not merely present the problems; she attempts to find possibilities for breaking through the spiritual crisis via love and friendship, emphasizing the crucial role of intimate relationships in resisting spiritual predicaments within the framework of capitalist realism.

Embracing Intimate Relationships: Resisting the Neoliberal Discourse of "Individual Responsibility"

Explores in depth the resistant role of intimate relationships against the neoliberal discourse of "individual responsibility" in Sally Rooney's novel "Beautiful World, Where Are You." Through the love and friendship stories of Alice and Felix, and Eileen and Simon, the novel highlights the importance of intimate relationships in personal life. After experiencing a mental breakdown, Alice moves to a small town and meets Felix; their relationship evolves from conflict to mutual comfort, and in her letters to Eileen, Alice emphasizes the significance of love and friendship as spiritual pillars. The relationship between Eileen and Simon is more complex, as they eventually find a balance between friendship and love. In her letters, Eileen expresses profound insights into intimate relationships, believing that the meaning of life lies in being with others. Through these character relationships, Rooney reveals the harsh nature of the "individual responsibility" rhetoric under neoliberal discourse, which shifts social problems onto individuals and overlooks human cooperation and support. In contrast, love and friendship offer a force to resist this discourse, emphasizing connection and interdependence between people rather than individual independence and self-interest. This emotional bond not only fulfills personal emotional needs but also challenges capitalist realism, providing individuals with the possibility of resisting systemic oppression. Rooney's creative perspective is also reflected in her emphasis on intimate relationships; she believes that through these relationships, people can shape each other, thereby maintaining the self within the alienating reality of capitalism.

Returning to the Spiritual World: Spiritual Choices in the "Post-Catholic" Era

Examines how religion, in "Beautiful World, Where Are You," serves as spiritual solace and moral guidance, complementing love and friendship to address the spiritual crisis under capitalist realism. Through protagonist Simon's devout faith and the email exchanges between Alice and Eileen, the novel illustrates the manifestation and influence of religious belief in the characters' lives. Alice connects Jesus's teachings with selfless love for fictional characters, viewing such love as reflecting a profound understanding of the human condition. Against the backdrop of Irish society's transition from traditional religion to secularization and pluralism, young people like Alice and Eileen approach religion in "atypical" ways, seeking to draw strength from its spiritual core rather than fully returning to traditional dogma. This "philosophized" mode of faith serves as a supplement to and reconstruction of the missing ethics of care in capitalist society. By deconstructing religion, Rooney transforms it into a universal philosophy of life, offering new ideas for spiritual reconstruction in modern society and also outlining a future for the Irish Catholic Church as a source of solace and hope for the younger generation.