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GreatExpectations
Abstract:
CharlesDickens,oneofthegreatest19thcriticalrealisticwriters,isarenownedEnglishwriterallaroundtheworld.Heandhisworkshavegreatimpactontheentireliteraryworld.GreatExpectationsishispost-stagework,whichisanovelofeducationanddescribesthegrowthandpersonaldevelopment.ItshowsDickens’sharpcriticismtotheupper-classsocietyofEngland.ThefemalecharacterMissHavishaminGreatExpectationsisoneofthemostimpressivecreationsofCharlesDickens,andthedescriptionofthistragiccharacterMissHavishamdisplaysthecorruptionofmoneytohuman’srelationship.MissHavishamlivesadarklifebecauseofherjiltingbyherfianc.Sheisanexampleofsingle-mindedvengeancepursueddestructively.TetragicfateofmissHavishamisanalyzedfromtheaspectsofthesociety,familyandherself,aimingatrevealingthetragicstatusandendingsoffemalesintheVictorianEnglandunderthemale-centeredsociety.
Keywords:
tragicfate;
made-centeredsociety;
femaleposition
1.Introduction
ThefemalecharacterMissHavishaminGreatExpectationsisthemostmemorableandvividcreation.ThroughtheportrayalofMissHavisham,Dickensshowsusthefemales’positionandfateintheVictorianEnglandunderthemale-centeredsociety.InVictorianAge,themostagreeablefemaleimageshouldbethe“Angelinthehouse”,whichmeanswomenshouldbefeminine,loyal,virtuousandpure.Theyweresubjecttomanandneededtheprotectionofman.Forwomen,theirhusbandsandfamilymeanthewholethingintheirlifeandtheyhadnovoiceinthefamily.AlthoughMissHavishaminGreatExpectationshassomedifferencesonthispoint,sheisstillaffectedbythetraditionalimage.InGreatExpectations,MissHavishamandherstrangedress,lifestyleandbehaviorattractthereadersgreatly.Mostpeopleregardherasahatefulperson.However,sheisatragicpersonworthyofsympathy.Inthispaper,thereasonsofthistragiccharacterwillbeanalyzedthroughstudyingthesociety,familyandMissHavishamherself.Inthisway,wecanhaveanobjectiveandall-roundunderstandingofthisimage.
2.LiteratureReview
2.1InternationalStudies
GreatExpectationsisDickens’slaterandmaturework.ItwasforalongtimeclassifiedasabookabouttheVictorianAge,andDickens,thespokespersonfortheage,attractingmanycriticsandreviewers.
InGreatExpectations,thedistinctivecharacterMissHavishamattractscrities’andresearchers’attention,thearticlesathomereferredtotheanalysesonthecharacterandimageofGreatExpectationsarenumerous.Inatypicalstudyofthistype,(Li,2007)suggestedthatMissHavishamisavictimofcomplexforceswhichfromherfamilyandthebourgeoissociety.WhereassomecriticsfeelthatMissHavishamhasherownlimitations,as(Cai,2006)claimedthatherinsaneactionsdon’tstartfromherabnormalpsychologybutherdoublepersonality.
“ThewesterncriticsforalongtimefocustheircommentonthethemeandcharactersofDickens’snovels.”Mostcriticismsaretraditionalcriticism,whichhighlightthefactorsoutsidetheliterarytext.PuttingMissHavishaminpsychologicalandsociologicalcircumstancesforanalysis,PsychoanalyticcriticismconcentratesontherelationshipbetweenthedevelopmentofMissHavishamandsocialcircumstances.
GreatExpectations“attractstheattentionofscholarscomingfromawidevarietyofcriticalapproaches:
feminist,newhistoricist,psychoanalytic.Anddeconstructionist,aswellasfrommoretraditionalhistoricalandformalistperspectives.”Withthedevelopmentoffeministmovementandfeministliterarycriticism,critiesandresearchers,nationallyandinternationally,havepaidmuchattentiontostudyingthewomencharactersinGreatExpectations.ButthestudiesonfemalecharacterMissHavishamofGreatExpectationsarestillnotenough.ThusthepaperwillanalyzethemostmemorableheroineMissHavishamfromthefeministpointofviewinGreatExpectations.
ThemadvengefulMissHavishamisawealthy,eccentricolddowagerwholivesinarottingmansioncalledSatisHouse.Sheismanicandoftenseemsinsane,flittingaroundherhouseinafadedweddingdress,keepingadecayingfeastonhertable.andsurroundingherselfwithclocksstoppedattwentyminutestonine.MissHavishamisnotexactlyabelievablecharacter,butsheiscertainlyoneofthemostmemorablecreationsinthebook.MissHavisham’slifeisdefinedbyasingletragicevent:
herjiltingbyCompeysononwhatwastohavebeentheirweddingday.Fromthatmomentforth.MissHavishamisdeterminednevertomovebeyondherheartbreak.ShestopsalltheclocksinSatisHouseattwentyminutestonine,themomentwhenshefirstlearnedthatCompeysonwasgone,andshewearsonlyoneshoebecausewhenshelearnedofhisbetrayed,shehadnotyetputontheothershoe.Withakindofmanicandobsessivecruelty,MissHavishamadoptsEstellaandraisesherasaweapontoachieveherownrevengeonmen.MissHavishamisanexampleofsingle-mindedvengeancepursueddestructively;
bothherselfandthepeopleinherlifesuffergreatlybecauseofherquestforrevenge.MissHavishamiscompletelyunabletoseethatheractionsarehurtfultoPipandEstella.SheisredeemedattheendofthenovelwhensherealizesthatshehascausedPip’shearttobebrokeninthesamemannerasherown;
ratherthanachievinganykindofpersonalrevenge,shehasonlycausedmorepain.
AsMissHavishamisacomplexcharacterwitharichsoul,throughtheinterpretationofMissHavisham’ssoul,wecanhaveabetterunderstandingofDickens’lifeandwhat’smoreimportant,wecanobtainknowledgeofsocialconflictandwomen’sheartin19thVictorianera.
2.2DomesticStudies
AlthoughtheVictorianAgemeetsamaterialprosperity,thepolarizationofwealthiswideningandtheclasscontradictionisbecomingmoreserous,andthisresultinthecorruptionofmoneytohuman’srelationship.Andthemarriage,love,courts,jailsetcarebased0nthis.MissHavishamisjustthevictimofthissociety.Livedintheupperclass,thesimpleandproudMissHavishamfellinlovewithCompeysonmadly,buthowshecouldknowCompeysonjustlovehermoney.Sowhenshewasjiltedbyherfiancminutesbeforeherwedding,shecouldn’tfacethefactbutlivedagloomylifefromthenon.Andshesufferedgreatlyfromthepainofloveandherquestforrevenge.TheVictorianAgeisamale-centeredsociety,theideathatwomenshouldbesubjectivetomenrootsinwomen’smind.Theconceptofmaledominatesforalongtime,whichcauseswomenacceptthestereotypesubconsciously.Andinordertorealizewomen’svirtueandmoralitytofitforthestandardofmale-centeredsociety,womenshoulddevoteeverythingeventheirlives.Insuchasociety,womencan’tbeindependentfrommen;
theirfragilesoulsmakethemunabletofacethelife’ssufferingstaunchly.ThusthetragedyofMissHavishamisinevitable.
During1940sinEngland,thereappearedalargenumbersofbooksonwomen’srole,whichclaimthatthewoman’sdutyistobeagoodwifeandagoodmother,andfamilyisthebestplaceforawomantodisplay.Virtuouswomenshouldbesubmissiveandimpeccable;
theirtaskistopleasetheirhusband,toleranttheirwarmthandviolenceelegantly,understandandaccepttheirtastes.Theconceptonfamilyandwomenofmiddle-classiswidespreadinthesocietythroughnewspapersandbooks.ThegenderperspectiveandfamilyconceptoccupyadominantpositioninVictorianera,whichhasdifferentdegreesofimpactonthevarioussocialclasses.Undertheinfluenceofsuchsocialtrends,marriagehasbecomewomen’slifecoordinate.Tothevastmajorityofmiddle-classwomen,theirfatescompletelydependonthemarriage,whichistheironlywayout.Besides,thepuritanicaltraditionalconceptshaveforcedwomentoaccepttheviewonthesenseofnurturingwomen.Theydevotethemselvestothepursuitofdevoutnessandpurity;
totheself-moldingofelegant,pure,gentleandobedientwomen.Infamily,womenplayanactiveroleofvirtuouswifeandgoodmothertakingcareoftheirfamilyandrearingchildren.However,thisVictoriaspirithasitsduality.AlthoughinVictorianagewomenhavebeenrespectedinthefamily,itisvoid.Instead,itislimitedupbythesaying“Angelinthehouse”.Inmarriage,thedominantpositionofhusbandisstillsupportedbythelawandwomenhavenomoneyandonpower.
FamilyalsoplaysapivotalroleinGreatExpectations,BiddyandJoe’swarmandharmonyfamily,Wemmick’scastleawayfromthenoiseofsecularandMatthew’sfamily.ComparedwiththedarkanddesertedSatisHouseofMissHavisham,thishashighlightedMissHavisham’ssadfate.Borninanaristocraticfamily,MissHavishamshouldbeaprettyproudyounglady,butherfailedmarriagemadeherlosethehopeofsurvivalandcourage.Thereforeoneprosperedmanorhasbecomeintoadrab,1ifeless1andofdecadence.Thatshecouldnotbeartheblowiscloselyconnectedtoherfamilybackground.Forsuchaprettyyoungladywithhighstatus,herjiltingbyCompeysonwasadishonored,disgracefulthingandalsoallunprecedentedsetback.Thereforetheinfluenceoffamilyenvironment,thesocialnormshavemadeherunabletobearthelover’sbetrayal.Inordertoavoidsecularperspective,andalsobecausealltheillusionsthathasshattered,shechosetobeself-enclosedandisolated.Thisisatragedycausedbysocietyandfamilyaswell.
3TheoreticalframeworkandCriticalApproach
Feministliterarycriticismcanbetracedbacktothewomen’sliberationmovementduringthelate1960s.Generally,itexiststocounter,resist,andeventuallyeliminatethetraditionsandconvenlionsofpatriarchy-theideologyorbeliefsystemwhichseesas“natural”thedominanceandsup