英语论文夏洛蒂勃朗特的女权主义.docx

英语论文夏洛蒂勃朗特的女权主义.docx

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英语论文夏洛蒂勃朗特的女权主义

Charlotte’sFeministDeclaration

-OnJaneEyre’sFemaleConsciousness

　[Abstract]　TheVictorianAgewasmencenteredandmencontrolledtimes.Womenwerediscriminatedagainstbymenatthattime.However,theaheadofagefemaleconsciousnessofJaneEyre,themaincharacterofJaneEyrewrittenbyCharlotteBronte,challengedmen’sauthority.InthisnoveloftheVictorianAge,Charlotteexposedanddenouncedmen’soppressionofanddiscriminationagainstwomen.Ontheotherhand,CharlotteisremarkableinportrayingJaneEyreasaselfrespectingandrebelliousgirl,desiringequality,bravelyshowingherloveanddecidingonherownmarriage.Throughtheportrayal,CharlottesetsanewrotemodelforwomenofVictoriantimesaswellasmodernage.

　[Keywords]　femaleconsciousness;self-respect;equality

　　WhenG.K.Chestertonsaid,“Thenovelofthe19thcenturywasfemale”hemusthavebeenreferringtotheemergenceofanumberofbrilliantwomanwriterswhoseworksgavevoicetothefeelingsandaspirationsoftheeducatedwomenoftheirage.CharlotteBronteisoneofthegreatestwomenwriters,andherJaneEyreisundoubtedlyanoutstandingwomen’sdeclarationofindependenceandlove.ItisJaneEyre’sfemaleconsciousnessthatawakenswomenandvoiceswomen’saspirationforliberation.JaneEyre’sfemaleconsciousnessisfarbeyond.Victoriantimes.In19thcentury,womendidnothaveanystatus.Theywerediscriminatedagainstandconceivedofaspeopleinferiortomen.Althoughwomen’scollegeswereestablishedatCambridgein1869andatOxfordin1879,womencouldnottakedegreesatthe

universityuntil1920-1921.Atthattime,almosttheonlyoccupationopentowomenofgoodfamilieswasteachingasschoolmistressormorelikelyservingasgovernessinaprivatefamily.TheVictorianmoralcodeforwomenwasthattheyshouldremainignorantand

uneducated.So,novelsaboutyounggirlswhowentoutaloneintotheworld,sufferedvarioustrials,miseriesandtemptation,andemergedchasteandtriumphanthadbeenpopularinEnglandforoveracentury.CharlotteBronteandherJaneEyrechallengedtheoldcommandmentandtraditionaldiscriminationtowomen.ThatiswhyJaneEyrewascriticizedbysomepeople.LionelStevensonsaid,“JaneEyrewasanintolerablerenegadefromallthestandardsofbehaviorexpectedofrespectablegirls.”W.A.Craikthought,“TheBrontebiographydoesthemadisservicewiththereader,maypreventhimfromseeingproperlyareairindividualmeritsorindeedwhatisherpurposeinwritingit.”However,thepraiseofJaneEyrebyfaroutweighscriticism.Mostpeopleregardedthisbookasoneofthegreatestnovelsofthattime.ItwasJane’srebelliousness,herdislikeofservility,herinsistenceonequalitywithhermasterandherclaimthatshehadarighttofeelingsandpassionsthatgavethebookit’suniquenessandforce,shockedmanyofitsearlyreadersandearnedpopularityamongmostwomen.Thebookalsoencouragedwomentobeindependentandfightfortheirownrights.LuoJingguosaid,“JaneEyreisthefirstEnglishnoveleventhemostpowerfulandpopularnovel,whichpresentsthemodernviewofwomen’spositioninsociety.”

JaneEyre’sfemaleconsciousness,whichrunsthroughthewholestory,canbeviewedintwoaspects.Oneistheexposureanddenunciationofman’soppression.TheotheristheportrayalofJaneEyre’soutstandingcharacter.JaneEyre’sstoriestakingplaceindifferentstagesofherlifecanbeseenasconnectedbymen’soppressiontoher.

ThefirstoppressorisJaneEyre’scousin,JohnReed.John,attheageof14,hasbecomeparticularlyobnoxious,afat,greedy,unwholesomebully.Heregardshimselfasthefutureownerofthehouse.HebeatsandinsultsJaneatwill.GoadedbyJohnReed’s

bullying,shehitsbackontwooccasions,fightinglikeamadcatuntilsheisoverpowered.Then,sheislockedupaloneintheredroom.Terroraswellasangerisalwayswithherwhensheisintheredroomwhereherownvividimaginationfrightensherintoafranticfit.Janeexperiencesthefirstcrisisinlifeandnearlydies.IntheclashbetweenJaneandhercousin,thewriteremphasizesJane’sfeelingsofdread,loathinganddespairastheweakwhenfacingunreasonable,illmanneredmercilessevenbrutishthreat.Thisdescriptionshowsexactlysmallandweakfemale’sgeneralsentimentundermale’smaltreatment.WhenwereadthepartfromChapterItoChapterIV,wewillsympathizewithJane’smiserableexperience.

ThesecondoppressorisMr.Brocklehurst,theheadmasterofLowoodorphanage.ThefirstimpressionhegivesJaneis“Whatagreatnose!

Andwhatamouth!

Justlikeabrutalbloodsuckinganimal.Here,Brocklehurstisportrayedasaverysevereandhardheartedpersonwhonotonlykeepsthechildrenhalfstarvedbutpreventsthemfromhavingnormalmentalgrowth.Heismeddling,lovelessandhypocritical.Brocklehurstthinksitishisdutytopunishtheeightygirls’bodiesinordertosavetheirimmortalsouls.Hedoesnotletthemhaveenoughrest.Heforcesthemtocuttheirlonghairandmakesthemwear

theworstquality,themostuglyclothes.Heattemptstokillthesepoorgirlsnatureofpursuingbeauty.Heishostiletowomen.Hecallsthesegirls’bodies“vilebodies”andtheirnaturalcurledhair“excrescence”.Hestranglesthesegirls’vigorandvitality.ThesegirlsalmostbecomemachineswhichcanonlyworkandreadBible.Brocklehurst’sdevastationtothesegirlsisfarbeyondpeople’stoleration.Brocklehurstmakesthelifeconditionmuchworse,whichcausesalotofdeathsincludingthatofJane’sbestfriend,HelenBurns.LifeinLowoodOrphanagemaybethemostagonizingmemorytoJane,butthemiserablelifegivesJanemuchmorecourageanddeterminationtostruggleforherright.ThethirdoppressorJanehasmetisMr.Rochester.MostwritersagreethatthethemeofJaneEyreisthesearchforlove.Lawrencehassaid,“Thenovelisrevolutionaryinitstreatmentoflove.”Rochester’soppressiondoesnotcomefromthefactthatRochesterwantstomarryJanewithouttellingherhismadwife’sstory.HerethepointisthatRochester’sloveoppressesJaneandjeopardizesherindependence.Whentheypreparethingsformarriage,Rochestersayshewillputthediamondchain“roundJaneneck,andcircletonherforehead,claspedthebraceletsonthesefinewrists,andloadherfingerswithrings”.HeusesvisiblejewelrytolimitJaneinvisibly.Janefeelsthatsheisoppressed.ShefeelsRochester’ssmilehas“suchasultanmight,bestowonaslavehisgoldandgemshadenriched”,andshe,herself,justliketheeastallusion,iswithoutfreedom.Janeknows,facingRochester,sheisnolongerasindependentasbefore.Jane’sheartisalwaysinastateofintensestruggle.ShewillinglydevotesherselftoRochester,butshestilltriestograspherownsoul.Whenthesecretisdiscovered,RochesterhopesthatJanecangowithherinthenameoflove.Janeisnearlyshaken.Afterall,shekeepsherindividualsoul.InJane’slife,sheneverstopsstrugglingagainstmiserablelifeandmisfortune.Shehasn’tanobleposition,anillustriousbackground,wealthorabeautifulappearance.Theonlyproudthingforherisherselfrespectwhichissupportedbyherself-confidenceandherstaunchindependence.SheneverexpectsthatRochestercanloveherbecauseshethinksthereisabiggapbetweenthemforever.Whentheyfallinlove,Janehastokeepherself-respectandindependenceincaseoflosingherself.WhatshecangivetoRochesterisonlyher

love,herinfatuation,herspiritualsupportandnothingelse.However,whatRochestergivesherismorethanhers.HecanalsoimproveJaneEyre’ssocialstatusandincreaseherwealth.ThisunequalexchangemakesJaneEyreuneasy.Thesituationmakesherfeelthattheyarenotquiteequalandherindependenceisalsothreatened.

ThefourthoppressorJanecomesacrossistheclergyman,St.JohnRivers.Heisidealistic,verygoodlooking,religiousandzealous.Heturnsegotismandambitiontotheserviceofreligion.HeusesthenameofobligationtooppressJaneandgivesJanespiritualsuffering.HedoesnottreatJaneasawomanorashisfuturewife,butaslave,aslaveofGodaswellashis.St.JohnsaystoJane,“Simplifyyourcomplicatedinterests,feelings,thoughts,wishes,aims;mergeallconsiderationinonepurposethatoffulfillingwitheffect--withpower--themissionofyourgreatMaster.”Here,“Master”iscapitalized.Itseemsthat“Master”istheGod.Infact,St.Johnusestheword“Master”torefertohisownmission.HeregardshimselfasJane’s“Master”.HedeprivesJaneofallherrights,especiallytherightsofawoman.Janeisnolongeranindependentwoman,butadoll,amachine.

Inhiseyes.Theword“Master”alsodelicatelydiscoversthemostimportantelementofman’sattitudetowardswoman.St.John’sproposalisevenmoreoutrageousthanRochester’s,foritinvolvesaspiritualprostitutioninsteadofaphysicalone.OnlywhenSt.JohninvolvesGod’snameinsupportofafalseideaofmarriagedoesJaneresist,“IfIweretomarryyou,youwouldkillme.Youarekillingmenow”.Jane’sfirst“killme”indicatesthatthemiserablelifeinIndiawoulddestroyherhealthandkillher.Jane’ssecond“killme”referstoStJohn’soppressiontoherspirit.

JaneEyrebravelyshowsherfeelings,butSt.JohndenouncesJaneasviolent,untrueandunfeminine.Butwhatisfeminine?

Shouldwomenalwaysregardmanandtheirhusbandsas“Master”?

Shouldn’twomenshowtheirtruefeelingsandberudependent?