Female Consciousness of Jane Eyre and Villette.docx
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FemaleConsciousnessofJaneEyreandVillette
FemaleConsciousnessofJaneEyreandVillette
1.Introduction
Charlotte·Bronteisoneofthefemalewritersin19thcentury.JaneEyreisherrepresentativework,butmanyforeignscholarspraisedVilletteismorematurethanJaneEyre.OneoftheBronteresearchersMargerateLainesaidthatVilletteistheonlynoveltomanifestCharlotte’sbestcreativeperiod.ScholarinShanDongShiFanUniversityHuaiBaozhenwrotethat:
“everyheroineinCharlotte’sworkshasastrikingpersonalitywithstrongself-consciousness,whichisaliento‘familyangels’atthattime,italsorepresentedwriter’sstrongfemaleconsciousness.Charlotteisaspecialwomanwholivedinherlonesomemoorallthetime.Herlifewasaccompaniedwithsadnessandloneliness,herfemaleconsciousnessisaninspirationtoherlife.”(怀宝珍,2004).JaneandLucyarepoorwithoutbeautifulappearances,buttheybothhaveastrongfemaleconsciousness,thespiritsinthemseemsstillpreciousforustoday.
Femaleconsciousnessiswoman’sself-consciousnessofstatus,influenceandvalueasthesubjectintheobjectiveworld(Net.3).Itisapersonalmotivetostimulatewomen’spursuitforindependence,freedom,initiative,creativity.Concretelyspeaking,femaleconsciousnessmeanswomenwakeupandfulfillherhistoricalmission,socialresponsibility,personalobligation,meanwhiletheyknowtheirself-featurewellandtakepartinsocialactivitiesintheirownways.
Theestablishmentanddevelopmentoffemaleconsciousnessisaprocessofchangingandenrichmentwiththechangeanddevelopmentofthesociety.Thestandardsoffemaleconsciousness’statusarestillinresearch.PekingUniversityscholarsFuXinandWangSufangclaimedthatthewakeningandimprovementoffemaleconsciousness’smanifestinfourmainaspects:
Womenrealizethemselvesasthesubjectsinthesociety,thisrealizationisoneoftheuniversalattributesofhumanbeings,accordingtohumanbeings’overallnecessitiestoestablishtheirlivesspontaneously;theyrealizewomen’sspecialqualitiesandportrayarealfemalequalityinharmonywiththeirphysiologyandpsychology;theyunderstandandplayavarietyofrolesinbalance;theyregardsmanproperlyandcanworkwithmaninharmony(Net.4).Ithinkthestandardsofwakeningshouldincludethesexconsciousness,whichrequireswomentobeself-respective、self-confidentbutnotself-abased、self-flabby;theycantakeacorrectjudgmentonthetwosexes,insistingonsexualequality,butnotmalesuperioritynorfemaleinferiorityorwomansupremacists;thefemalegroupsconsciousness’awakeningbeginwithself-respect,self-confidence,independence,andtowardstofemalegroups’self-reliance.
JaneEyreandLucySnowaretheheroinesinJaneEyreandVillette,theyhavestrongwomenawareness.Theycamethroughlotsofsufferings,buttheyarewithindependenceandself-respect.Theyareinpursuitoftheircareersoastobeeconomicallyindependenceandmadegreateffortstoachievetheirdreams;theyarerighteousandgofortheirlovebravely.Allthesepreciousspiritsseemstillvaluabletillnow.ThisthesisfocusesonanalyzingJaneandLucy’sfemaleconsciousness,andcontactingwithCharlotteBronte’sworkscreatedlife,integratingwiththetwoheroinesthenwecanfindoutwriter’sfemaleconsciousnessfromJaneandLucyinherworks.
Fromthebriefintroductionofthetwoheroines,wecanfindthattheyhavesufferedmanydifficultiesandlivesarenoteasyforthem,buttheynevergiveuptheirhopeofpursuingtheirideallives.
2.Theauthor’sideasandherworks
2.1DevelopmentofCharlotteBronte’sfemaleconsciousness
TheIndustrialRevolutionmodifiedthewholestructureofEnglishsocietyin19centuryinBritain.Thetideofdemocracyandsciencemakesagreatimpactoneveryaspectofthesociety.Therearealotoffemalewriterscomingforthinliteraryatthattime;theywereinfectedbythehistoricalwordsinthateraandtheydescribedtheworldinfemaleperspective,beginningfromRomanticismthenchangedtoRealism.Theycreatedmanyfavoriteworkswhichweremainlyaboutgettingridofmalesupremacyandpraisinghighlyofwomen’sindependentconsciousness.
CharlotteBronteisoneoftheEnglishrealisticfemalewritersinmid19thcentury.IntheVictoriaera,Englishwomenstillstayedintheinteriorstatus.Nomatterinfamilyorinsociety,theyhavenorightandatadisadvantageposition.Mostofthewomendidnothaveacareer,thoughafewofthemwereforcedtoworkbecauseoflivingpressure,andwhattheycanonlychoosewereteaching,sewingorwashing.Charlottewasborninapoorfamilyandshecamethroughlotsofhardships.Hermotherdiedwhenshewasalittlechild,andtwoeldersisterspassedawayyearslater.Herfatherwasapriestinthecountrysideandhecouldnotgetmuchpayment.Shehadtoworkhardtogettheminimumlivingguarantee.Inspiteofprejudiceanddiscrimination,sheworkedasagovernesstwice.Beingagovernessseemstoberespectableandtheonlywayout,butthereisnodifferencebetweenagovernessandamaidservant.Charlottehassaidthatapersonalgovernesswasn’tregardedasaperson,arationalperson;shemustfinishboringwork…(Elizabeth,1975:
3).Thereforesheknewbyheartthementalsufferingandphysicalhardshipofthisprofession.Therewereallkindsofpsychologicalpressure:
separationfromherhome,beingastrangerinanotherfamily,theindifferenceorthecontemptfromtheemployers,hostilityfromtheservants,anxietyanddiffidenceduetolackofexperienceandsoon.Governesswasoftengiventasksthatbelongedtoalady’smaidornurse.Charlottehadaplantoestablishaschoolwithhersister,butitfailedfinally.
Throughthosehardships,herfemaleconsciousnessdevelopedinhermindgradually.Whenshebeganworking,sherealizedtheclassgap,especiallythesexdiscrimination,whichdroveCharlottetohaveadeepthoughtonwomen’sstatus,powerandlife.Thethemesinherworksaremainlyaboutadvocatingwomen’sindependenceandequalitybetweenmenandwomen.WhenCharlottepublishedherJaneEyre,sheusedamalename“CurrerBell”,hopingtogettherespectfromthesocietyandavoidcritics’ridicule.
Shethoughtmuchofherduty,andhadloftierandclearernotionsofitthanmostpeople,andheldfasttothemwithmoresuccess.Itwasdone;withmuchmoredifficultythanpeoplewithstrongernerves,andbetterfortunes.Allherlifewaslaborandpain;andsheneverthrewdowntheburdenforthesakeofpresentpleasure(Elizabeth,1975:
188).ItisthathardshipwhichprovidesCharlottewithwritingmaterials.InCharlotte’sworks,herheroine,breakingthroughtheboundaryofdescribingfemalesasafeeblefemale,avictimandalamiathatwaswrittenaccordingtomen’slevelandprejudice,wasdescribedasafigureofself-respect,self-struggleandfightingagainstpatriarchalsociety.Therefore,shewastreatedandattackedunjustly.Bydisclosingpovertyandcontradictionbetweenlaborsandcapital,Charlotterevealedwomen’sperplexitiesandpoorstatus,andshowedherstrongfemaleconsciousness.Charlotte’sfemaleconsciousnessmainlymanifestsintworespects:
onereflectsfemale’sdisillusionmentofself—consciousnessandindependentconsciousnessfromwomen’seducationandeconomicindependence;theotherreflectsatticfaithonmarriagewhichisbasedonlove.Aperson,especiallyawomanwhohasstrongself—consciousnesscanrealizethatpeopleareequal,andawomanisn’taman’splaything,andisn’tan“angelathome”nolonger.
2.2AbriefintroductionofJaneEyreandVillette
WhenCharlotteBrontesetouttowritethenovelJaneEyre,shewasdeterminedtocreateamaincharacterwhochallengedthenotionoftheidealVictorianwomen,orasBrontewasoncequoted:
“aheroineasplainandsmallasmyself”(Gaskell,ChapterXV).Bronte’sdeterminationtoportrayaplainyetpassionateyoungwomanwhodefiedthestereotypeofthedocileanddomesticVictorianfeminineidealmostlikelydevelopedfromherowndissatisfactionwithdomesticdutiesandaVictorianculturethatdiscouragedwomenfromhavingliteraryaspirations.Atthebeginningofthenovel,Janeisanisolated,powerlessten-year-oldgirllivingwithanauntandcousinswhodislikeher.Asthenovelprogresses,shegrowsinstrength.ShedistinguishesherselfatLowoodSchoolbecauseofherhardworkandstrongintellectualabilities.AsagovernessatThornfield,shelearnsofthepleasuresandpainsoflovethroughherrelationshipwithEdwardRochester.Afterbeingdeceivedbyhim,shegoestoMarshEnd,wheresheregainsherspiritualfocusanddiscoversherownstrengthwhensherejectsSt.JohnRiver’smarriageproposal.Bytheendofthestoryshehasbecomeapowerful,independentwoman,blissfullymarriedtothemansheloves,Rochester.
JaneEyremadeanameforCharlotte,butthereisanotherimportantandthelastworkofherswhichisnamedVillette.ThebookgotmorepraisefromthecriticsthanJaneEyre.Thesetwoworksaresimilarwithwriter’sautobiography,butVilletteismorematurethanJaneEyreinthoughtorinartisticway.TheheroineinthestorynamedLucySnowisanorphanandlivedinhergodmother’shousewhenshewas14yearsold.ThefirstthreechaptersdescribeslittleLucy’sexperienceatBretons,whereshemetanotherlittleguestPollywhojustlosthermother.Pollywasabout6yearsold,butsheactedlikeanadult.SeveralstorieshappenedbetweenlittlePollyandJohnwhoisMrs.Breton’sson,andthestoryseemedfunnybutmeaningful.Itis8yearslaterwhenchapter4begins.AtthattimeLucycametoasmallcitynamedVillette.Shegotajobasatutorinafemaleschoolwhichismanaged