《荆棘鸟》论文正文文档格式.docx
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ThispartincludesabriefintroductionoftheauthorandthenovelTheThornBirds,ageneraldescriptionofthenovel’screationbackground,areviewofthenovel’sstatusandinfluence,apresentationofthedevelopmentofthefemales’self-consciousness,andadepictionofthemainstructureofthisthesis.
1.1Theauthor
ThefamousAustraliawriterColleenMcCulloughbornon1937,inWellingtonofNewSouthWales,shewasbornandgrownupinthere,andshehadn’tleftituntiltwelves.Shehasshownhergreattalentinscienceandarts.Shemademanypoemsandstoriesandpictures.Allthispushhertosuccess.
Ontheoneside,shestudiedneurologyabroadandtaughtthesubjectatYaleMedicalSchool.AndthenshemovedtoAmericantobeaneurophysiologistafterworkingfortenyearsatYaleMedicalSchoolinNewHaven,Connecticut.Now,McCulloughisamemberoftheNewYorkAcademyofSciencesandtheAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience.
Ontheotherside,McCulloughhasalsobeenverysuccessfulinwriting.Herwritingcareerhaslastedforfourdecades,andshehascoveredawidevarietyoftopicssuchastheRomanEmpireandmedicalcrimes.However,TheThornBirdsismostarguablyherbestandmostpowerfulnovelofalltime.
1.2AboutTheThornBirds
Thebooktellreadersastorybeginin1915andendinmorethanhalfacenturylater,theClearyfamily,whichleaveNewZealandtovastAustraliansheepstation,inwheretheirhappinessandtragediesaredevelopedwiththewonderandterrorofalanddestroyedbyroughtandtorrentialflood.
In1977,ThenovelTheThornBirdsimmediatelycausedastirafteritpublishedintheworld.SomepeopleevenputitastheGoneWithTheWindofAustralia,andTheTimemagazinehaslisteditasthetop10modernclassicworks.Thebeautifullovestoryscenesandtwistsimpressedthewholeworldreaders.ThestorytakestheDroghedapastureasthebackgroundandthehot,contradictiondeep-rootedlovebetweenfatherRalphwholongsfortheVaticanpowerfulandthekind,beautiful
womanMeggieasthefocus,andthendevelopedthesorrowandhappinessofmorethantenpeopleoftheclearyfamily.Itstopedtheoppressionandbondageforhumanityofwhatreligiongives,andpraisedthesublimeandbeautyofthehumannatureandlove.ThenovelespeciallydepictsfourfemaleimagesofMary,Fiona,Meggie,andJustin,theydaretobreakthetraditionalandreligiousrulesandstillsticktothepursuitoflove.Theirperseveranceforthetwistoffate,forthelovetheypursuit,evenforthepaththeygonethroughwhichfullofthorns.Butfinallybroughtaboutthehappinessofloveforthemafterthehugepainandchangesinlife,likethethornbirdsfinallysingoutthelifesongthatbelongstoitself.
1.3Female’sself-consciousness
1.3.1Theexplanationoffemaleself-consciousness
Self-consciousnessisanacutesenseofself-awareness.Itisapreoccupationwithoneself,asopposedtothephilosophicalstateofself-awareness,whichistheawarenessthatoneexistsasanindividualbeing;
althoughsomewritersusebothtermsinterchangeablyorsynonymously.[1]
Thesixtiesandseventiesofthefeministmovementbelongstothesecondphaseofthewesternfeministmovement.Themovementofthisphaseischaracterizedbythecriticismtomalechauvinismandtheawakeningoffemaleconsciousness.Withthedevelopmentoftime,womenstartstoawakeafterthousandyearsmentalbondage,theirindependentconsciousnessbecomesmoreandmorestrong,theybegantopursuetheirownindependentpersonality,affirmtheirvalueanddignity,andexpresstheirownfeelings.Thiskindofcultureconflictbetweenfemaleconsciousnessandmalechauvinismhasbecomeanimportantsubjectofwesternfeminineliteratureinthe20thcentury.
1.3.2Thedevelopmentoffemaleself-consciousness
Withthedevelopmentofdifferentperiodsofsocialtransformationandideas,thedevelopmentoffemaleself-consciousnesshasexperiencedthreeperiods,eachperiodhasdifferentconcernsofdifferentlevel,theyaretherightconsciousness,genderconsciousnessandidentityconsciousness.Everydevelopmentperiodalwayshavecloserelationswithwoman'
srealitystatusandtheurgentneedofthepresent,thereforethethemestheyfocusonaredifferent,andthespecificmanifestationtheyemphasizeonarealsodifferent.Thatistosay,indifferenthistoricalstages,thedevelopmentoffemaleself-consciousnessalwayshavedifferenttasks.
2.Female’sself-consciousnessinTheThornBirds
2.1Mary,thedistortionofself-consciousness
Meggie'
saunt,MaryCarson,isawomanwhohaveacalculatingmind,shechangedtheirowndestinybymarryingwitharichman.Helivedasawidowforthirtyyears,heronlysonhaddiedininfancy.Tokeepalltheinheritancetoherselfexclusively,insteadofsharingwithanyoneelse,shepreferstoabandonherstrongdesireformanandwieldpoweralone.Butlovehaven’tagelimit,whenawomanofsixty-fivemetahandsomemanwhoaretwentysevenyearsyoungerthanherandhavetheheight,thefinearistocraticfeaturesandtheperfectproportionsofbody,shetotallylostinalovethatdestinedtonoresults.
FacedwithRalph’scasualindifferenceeventhedisgustanddisdaintoher,shewasbothpainfulandunwilling.ShewasacutelyknowthelovebetweenRalphandMeggie,thusshehateherageButonlycanfollowRalphandMeggiewithanenviouseyes.However,agingandagecannotmakehergiveupthelovetoRalph,justaswhatshesaid,“InsidethisstupidbodyI’mstillyoung—Istillfeel,Istillwant,Istilldream,Istillkickupmyheelsandchafeatrestrictionslikemybody.Beingoldisthebitterestvengeanceourvengefulgodinflictsuponus.Whydoesn’theageourmindsaswell?
”.[2:
182]
MaryCarson’sattitudetoloveisaswellashercontroldesiretowealthandpower-destroyitorhaveitabsolutely.Therevengethattriggeredbythestrongloveislikepoisonshiddeninherheart:
Ralph,Iloveyou,somuchIwouldhavekilledyoufornotwantingme,exceptthatthisisafarbetterformofrevenge.I’mnotthenoblekindwoman;
IloveyoubutIwantyoutoscreamwithagony.Becauseyousee,Iknowwhatyourdecisionwillbe.IknowitassurelyasifIcouldbethere,watchingyouscream,Ralph,you’llknowwhatagonyis.Readmynote,anddecideyourfate.[2:
188]ThisisaparagraphinMaryCarson'
ssuicidenote,It’sobviousthattheloveMarytoRalphisaselfishandcrazylovewhichisbasedonpossession,shewilldestroyitifshecan’tgetit.SheknowwhatRalphweaknessis,sointhefinalmomentsofherlifeshemakeaelaboratetrap-13millionpoundsheritagetolureRalph,thismakeMeggieandRalphsufferedforever.Herrevengewascarriedonafterthedeathofher,andRalphandMeggie'
slifehaschangedsincethat.
MaryCarsonisunwillingtobethedependencyofman,shewantstheirdestinyisfirmlyincontrolofherhand.EventuallyshesucceededinrevengetoRalph,butatthesametimeshealsoletherselfbecamethedisgustingoldlady.Wecanknowfromherstorythatselfishlovecannotletapersongetanypleasureorhappiness,evenfinallythepersonsufferedfromgreatpainbecauseofyou,butyoualsocannotgetthepeaceformindandthecontentforlove,theonlyresultthatitwillresultinismakeyoubecomemorehatefulandregrettable.
2.2Fiona,thebudofself-consciousness
Fionawasborninanaristocraticfamilyandhaveagreatfamilyenvironment,shelooksgentleandsoft,butactuallysheisstubbornandstrong.Shefallinlovewithamarriedmanparker,andgivebirthtochildFrankforhim.Butasapolitician,ParkerabandonedFionafortheirownfutureandreputation.Tomaintainthehonorofherfamilyandprotectherson,shewasforcedtoMarytheshearerpaddy.Afterdecadesoflife,sheclosedherheartandtransferredtheloveforparkertohersonFrank.Fortheinjusticeoffateandthehardshipsoflife,shechoosetoresistitbysilenceorevenindifference.Butthisresistanceappearstosoweakandthin,itleadstohermiserablelife.OnFiona,wecanfeelthevulnerablesideofthewomaninthelove.Herwholelifeisfullofunfortune,shedidn'
tMarywithherlovedmanbutchoosetobeafarmer.HeryoungestsonHal,diedwhenwasyoung,herfavoritesonFrankhadbeentakentoprison,herhusbandPaddyandsonStewartalsodiedunexpectedlyonebyone.Howeverherlifeisalsocolorful,shedidnotMaryasuitablepersonthatinaccordancewiththeideaofparentsliketheothergirls,thelifethatlookafterthehusbandandeducatethechildren,buttopursuetheirownloveandhappiness.Forparker,herloveissohot,likeamothtothefirethoughheknowhewilldie.Shewouldrathergivebirthtothechildundertherevileofallpeople.ShesacrificeherselftoMaryParkerwhowasfarfromtheirstatusinordertokeeptheloveofthem.Thecostshepayedfortheloveishugeandpainful,butsheneverregrettedforit.
ThelovebetweenherandherhusbandPaddyisalsoapity,althoughsheisforcetoMaryPaddy,Paddyacceptherpastwithoutcomplaint.ForPaddy,shefeelguiltallthetime,butallshecandoisdothehouseworkandgivebirthtochildrenforhim,inadditiontothis,shecan'
tgivehimanythingelse.Paddyisarealgoodhusband,inhislifetime,helovethewifewhonotlovehimwiththefeelingsofinferiorityandadmire.Afterknowingthedeathofpaddy,Fiona’semotionwasbrokeoutunderthelongtimedepression,shecriedandsaidtoMeggie:
“IkepthangingontoFrank,ignoringtherestofyou.IgnoredPaddy,whowasthebestthingeverhappenedtome.Ididn’tseeit.Iw