简爱中的女权主义探析.docx

简爱中的女权主义探析.docx

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简爱中的女权主义探析

FeminismasDemonstratedinJaneEyre

现代文学批评概论作业

FeminismasDemonstratedinJaneEyre

Abstract:

TheVictorianAgewasmen-centeredandmen-controlledtimes.Womenwerediscriminatedagainstbymenatthattime.However,theahead-of-agefemaleconsciousnessofJaneEyre,themaincharacterofJaneEyrewrittenbyCharlotteBronte,challengedmen’sauthority.InthisnoveloftheVictorianAge,Charlotteexposedanddenouncedmen’soppressionofanddiscriminationagainstwomen.Ontheotherhand,CharlotteisremarkableinportrayingJaneEyreasaself-respectingandrebelliousgirl,desiringequalityandindependence,bravelyshowingherloveanddecidingonherownmarriage.Throughtheportrayal,CharlottesetsanewrolemodelforwomenofVictoriantimesaswellasmodernage.

Keywords:

feminism;JaneEyre;rebellion;equality;independence

1.Backgroundintroduction

Jane’scharacteristicsoffeminismshouldascribetoboththeepochandherownexperience.InordertomakeadeeperunderstandingofJane’sfeminism,thebackgroundofJanemustbeintroduced:

the19thcentury,thefeministmovement,andtheformationofJane’sfeminism.

In19thcentury,womendidnothaveanystatus.Theywerediscriminatedagainstandconceivedofaspeopleinferiortomen.Althoughwomen’scollegeswereestablishedatCambridgein1869andatOxfordin1879,womencouldnottakedegreesattheuniversityuntil1920-1921.Atthattime,almosttheonlyoccupationopentowomenofgoodfamilieswasteachingasschoolmistressormorelikelyservingasgovernessinaprivatefamily.TheVictorianmoralcodeforwomenwasthattheyshouldremainignorantanduneducated.So,novelsaboutyounggirlswhowentoutaloneintotheworld,sufferedvarioustrials,miseriesandtemptation,andemergedchasteandtriumphanthadbeenpopularinEnglandforoveracentury.CharlotteBronteandherJaneEyrechallengedtheoldcommandmentandtraditionaldiscriminationtowomen.ThatiswhyJaneEyrewascriticizedbysomepeople.LionelStevensonsaid,“JaneEyrewasanintolerablerenegadefromallthestandardsofbehaviorexpectedofrespectablegirls.”（LuoI:

103）W.A.Craikthought,“TheBrontebiographydoesthemadisservicewiththereader,maypreventhimfromseeingproperlyareairindividualmeritsorindeedwhatisherpurposeinwritingit.”（LuoII:

109）However,thepraiseofJaneEyrebyfaroutweighscriticism.Mostpeopleregardedthisbookasoneofthegreatestnovelsofthattime.ItwasJane’srebelliousness,herdislikeofservility,herinsistenceonequalitywithhermasterandherclaimthatshehadarighttofeelingsandpassionsthatgavethebookitsuniquenessandforce,shockedmanyofitsearlyreadersandearnedpopularityamongmostwomen.Thebookalsoencouragedwomentobeindependentandfightfortheirownrights.LuoJingguosaid,“JaneEyreisthefirstEnglishnoveleventhemostpowerfulandpopularnovel,whichpresentsthemodernviewofwomen’spositioninsociety.”（LuoIII:

176）

1.1Thefeministmovement

The19thcenturywastheVictorianageinhistory,whentheIndustrialRevolutionwasalreadysuccessful,butthesocietywasstillcontrolledbymen.Womenhadnotanyrights,theywerejustappendantsofmen.Atthattime,womenhadnotequalchancewithmentogeteducation,theireducationwerejusttolearnhowtobeagoodwife,andifanyonewanttobelearned,therewouldbenoonewanttomarryher.Andwomenhadnochancetohaveanidealjob,thebestjobforthemweregoverness.Theyevencouldn’tpossesstheirpropertiesatwill,alltheirpropertieswereentitledtoandcontrolledbytheirhusband.Womenatthattimecouldn’tcontroltheirownlife,theyallsufferedalotfromthesocietyandconvention.Sotheonlywayforthemwastomarryahusbandwithgoodfortune,sothattheycouldliveawealthylife.

TheFeministMovementfirstaroseinFrenchinthemid19thcentury,andthenspreadtoEnglandandAmerica.Themovementcanbedividedintothreephases:

thefirstphasewasfromthemid19thcenturyto1920s,thesecondphasewasfrom1920sto1970s,andthethirdwasafter1980s.InJane’stime,itwasattheverybeginningofthefirstphaseoftheFeministMovement.Whenfeminismhadnotasystematictheory,theaimofthemovementwastogetlegalrightsforwomen.Theearlyfeministholdthat,womenshouldhaveequalrightswithmenineducation,election,work,andpropertypossession.Theyfoughthardagainstpatriarchy,andsetasolidfoundationforfeminism.Fromthenon,systematictheoriesoffeminismcameintobeing,andbecamediversified.

1.2TheformationofJane’sfeminism

AtJane’stimetheconventionmadewomensufferalotfrommen’soppression,andJanesufferedevenmorebecauseofherownexperience.Shecoulddependonnoone,andshemustobtaineverythingshewantthroughherowneffortandstruggle.

One’sexperienceisveryimportanttotheformationofhischaracteristics.Jane’sfeminismwasformedfromherchildhoodon.Janewasanorphan,andwasadoptedbyothers.Shelivedwithherauntandcousins,buttheywerenotgoodtoher,shewasunwantedinthefamily.Shemustsuffertheinsultfromhercousin,thepunishmentofherauntandeventheblamefromthemaids.Shewasisolated,andnoonecansheseekhelpfrom,theonlyonetobedependedonwasherself,sosheformedtheindependentandrebelliouscharacteristics.Thereweresomanyunjustthingsabouther,andshesufferedalotfromthem,soshewassensitivetoinjusticeandwasearnesttopursueequalityinherlife.SoJane’sfeminismthoughtwasformedduringherchildhoodinGateshead.

Jane’scharacteristicsoffeminismdevelopedinLowoodInstitution.InLowoodInstitutiontheconditiondidnotgetbetter,theteachersbeatandpunishthegirlsatwill,andMr.Brocklehurstoppressedthegirlsbothinbodyandspirit,thelivingconditionswereawfulalso.Underthesecircumstances,Janecouldnotgivein,shewasobligedtorebelalltheinjusticeabouther.“Whenwearestruckatwithoutareason,weshouldstrikeagainveryhard;Iamsureweshould–sohardastoteachthepersonwhostruckusneverdoitagain.”（Bronte68）

Herexperiencemadeherknowthatshemustdependonherself,andthemostimportantthingistogetindependenceineconomy,sosheworkedallthetimetosupportherself.

2.ThefeministcharacteristicsofJane

Janeshowedhercharacteristicsoffeminisminthreeaspects:

rebellion,equality,andindependence.

2.1Rebelliouscharacteristic

WomeninJane’stimewereoppressedbymen,butJanerebelledtheoppressionsalltheway.Sheshowedherrebelliouscharacteristicateverystageofherlife,andgainedopportunitiesshewantthroughherrebellionandstruggle.

ThefirstoppressorisJaneEyre’scousin,JohnReed.John,attheageof14,hasbecomeparticularlyobnoxious,afat,greedy,unwholesomebully.Heregardshimselfasthefutureownerofthehouse.HebeatsandinsultsJaneatwill.GoadedbyJohnReed’sbullying,shehitsbackontwooccasions,fightinglikeamadcatuntilsheisoverpowered.Then,sheislockedupaloneintheredroom.Terroraswellasangerisalwayswithherwhensheisintheredroomwhereherownvividimaginationfrightensherintoafranticfit.Janeexperiencesthefirstcrisisinlifeandnearlydies.IntheclashbetweenJaneandhercousin,thewriteremphasizesJane’sfeelingsofdread,loathinganddespairastheweakwhenfacingunreasonable,ill-manneredmercilessevenbrutishthreat.Thisdescriptionshowsexactlysmallandweakfemale’sgeneralsentimentundermale’smaltreatment.WhenwereadthepartfromChapterItoChapterIV,wewillsympathizewithJane’smiserableexperience.

ThesecondoppressorisMr.Brocklehurst,theheadmasterofLowoodorphanage.ThefirstimpressionhegivesJaneis“Whatagreatnose!

Andwhatamouth!

”,（LuoIII:

32）justlikeabrutalbloodsuckinganimal.Here,Brocklehurstisportrayedasaverysevereandhard-heartedpersonwhonotonlykeepsthechildrenhalf-starvedbutpreventsthemfromhavingnormalmentalgrowth.Heismeddling,lovelessandhypocritical.Brocklehurstthinksitishisdutytopunishtheeightygirls’bodiesinordertosavetheirimmortalsouls.Hedoesnotletthemhaveenoughrest.Heforcesthemtocuttheirlonghairandmakesthemweartheworstquality,theugliestclothes.Heattemptstokillthesepoorgirlsnatureofpursuingbeauty.Heishostiletowomen.Hecallsthesegirls’bodies“vilebodies”（LuoIII:

63）andtheirnaturalcurledhair“excrescence”（LuoIII:

63）.Hestranglesthesegirls’vigorandvitality.ThesegirlsalmostbecomemachineswhichcanonlyworkandreadBible.Brocklehurst’sdevastationtothesegirlsisfarbeyondpeople’stoleration.Brocklehurstmakesthelifeconditionmuchworse,whichcausesalotofdeathsincludingthatofJane’sbestfriend,HelenBurns.LifeinLowoodOrphanagemaybethemostagonizingmemorytoJane,butthemiserablelifegivesJanemuchmorecourageanddeterminationtostruggleforherright.

ThethirdoppressorJanehasmetisMr.Rochester.MostwritersagreethatthethemeofJaneEyreisthesearchforlove.Lawrencehassaid,“Thenovelisrevolutionaryinitstreatmentoflove.”（LuoII:

101）Rochester’soppressiondoesnotcomefromthefactthatRochesterwantstomarryJanewithouttellingherhismadwife’sstory.HerethepointisthatRochester’sloveoppressesJaneandjeopardizesherindependence.Whentheypreparethingsformarriage,Rochestersayshewillputthediamondchain“roundJane’sneck,andcircletonherforehead,claspedthebraceletsonthesefinewrists,andloadherfingerswithrings”（LuoIII:

270）.HeusesvisiblejewelrytolimitJaneinvisibly.Janefeelsthatsheisoppressed.ShefeelsRochester’s