The Image ofLunatic Woman in the Novel of Jane EyreBertha Mason.docx

The Image ofLunatic Woman in the Novel of Jane EyreBertha Mason.docx

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TheImageofLunaticWomanintheNovelofJaneEyreBerthaMason

论文摘要

《简爱》是世界文坛上的不朽名著,但多数读者在理解《简爱》的同时对作品中的伯莎---住在阁楼上的疯女人的形象往往忽视和扭曲。

其实,伯莎是悲剧人物的代表。

她的存在,对于《简爱》反对男权主义的压迫主义以及对女性自由平等的呼吁主题的表达具有重要意义。

本文通过阐述这个边缘人物伯莎“疯”的原因，通过分析伯莎四次露面过程中行为的逻辑合理性，证明伯莎并不是真的疯；进而联系维多利亚时期女性所遭受的压迫以及社会种族歧视严重的历史情况，证明伯莎她是一位反对男权主义的战士，她将自己隐藏在“疯病”的面具之下，进行着反抗当时男权社会对妇女的压迫剥削的斗争，从而唤醒女性的自我意识。

关键词：

《简爱》；疯女人；反抗；女性主义

Abstract

JaneEyreisafamousnovelintheworldliterature.However,wheneverreadersreadit,theyusuallyignoreBerthaMason---thelunaticwomanintheattic.Infact,Berthaistwisted,oppressed,sympathizedandmisunderstood.Asoneofthemostimportantpartsofthenovel,thelunaticwomanhasangreatpositionintheresistancetomen’soppressionandtheexpressionofnovel’stheme.

ThispaperdescribesthereasonofBerthaMasonbecoming“Lunatic”,andanalyzesthelogicalactionsofBerthaMasonfromherfourtimesappearancestoprovethelunaticwomanisnotamadness.Then,contactingwiththesocialrealitythatwomenwereoppressedbymenandthepopularideaofracialdiscriminationintheVictoriantime,thepapercomestoconcludethat“Lunatic”womanisarealsoliderwhohidesherselfinthemaskof“Lunatic”torebelagainstmale-dominatedsociety,andexposeslunatic’sindignantlyprotestsagainstmale’soppressionswithheroutcryforequalitywithmen.

Keywords:

JaneEyre;lunaticwoman;resistance;feminism

.Introduction

CharlotteBrontehasbeenconsideredasanoutstandingwomanliteraryfigureintheVictoriantime.Despiteofthelargelyautobiographicalcontentofhernovels，CharlotteBrontebreakstheconventionalfictionalstereotypeofawomanassubmissive，dependent，andignorantinthenineteenthcentury．Hersevereexperiencesmoldherindomitablecharactersandherworksarefullofspiritofresistance,exposingtheevilphenomenonofthesociety.Herbooksareregardedastheclassicsintheareaoffeministliterarycriticism.Shewaspassionateandrebellious.SomeexpertscommentedthatCharlotteBronte’sworkshadrevealedthetruthofcontemporarypoliticsandsocietyintheworld,whichwasmorethanwhatstatesmen,politicalcommentatorsandmoralistshadcontributed.

HermasterpieceJaneEyredescribestheheroinesearchesforanidentityasanewwomansupportedbyeconomicandemotionalindependenceinaworld,whichisnotexpectedsuchambitionsinwomenatthattime.ThehighlyacclaimedJaneEyrebestdemonstratesthebreakthrough:

ontheonehand,Jane,awomanhasheruniquethoughtandpersonality,darestostrugglewiththefateandseeksforindependenceandequalrights.Ontheotherhand,thisworkhasdeeplyexposedtheharshrealityofBritainandpraisedthestruggleofthosewomenwhostoodupforequality.JaneEyreisanovelwhichiswell-knownintheworld.Assoonasitwaspublished,almosteveryreaderwasgreatlymoved.Thismostacclaimedofnovels—“English”,“Gothic”,“romantic”,“female”—isalwaysasurprise,intheveryauthority,resonance,andinimitablevoiceofitsheroine.

Withthedevelopmentoffeminismintwentiethcentury,anothercharacter---BerthaMasonhasbeguntoattractmoreattentionandstartanewpageoffeministresearch.SandraGilbertandSusanGubarpublishedTheMadwomanintheAttic,anowclassictextofearlyfeministliterarycriticism（1978）.GeneralSpeaking,BerthaMason,whoistheinsanewifeofMr.Rochester,thecounterpartofJane,isnothingmorethanoneofseveraltrialsthatJanemustfaceandovercome;thefinaltestfollowingstruggleswithhervindictiveAuntReedandthehypocriticalheadmasterofLowoodboardingschool,Mr.Brocklehurst.Infact,CharlotteBronteputherinanimportantpositionwhereasaresistantsoliderhideherselfinthemadness.ForinstanceBerthaMasonusesfiretoinjureRochester,whichisasymbolismofherfeminineconsciousnessinvolvedwithrebelliousspiritandhatredoftheoppressionfrommale.Inaword,BerthaMasonandJanearesistersfromdifferentaspectstoprotestagainstthemaleoppressionandseekforfemininefreedomandequality.

Inpreviousstudies,thedescriptionoflunaticjustservesasafoiltoexpressheroine’skindnessandself-esteem,meanwhile,asaevidencetoembodyfemale’scriticismofthepatriarchalsocietyatthattime.TherearefewresearchesofwhetherBerthaisareallunaticornot.InJaneEyre,asamarginalperson,BerthaMasonuttersnowordsandallherinformationcomesfromadoublesubjectivenarration,anditisriddlethatMason’sstoryistrueornot.ThispaperaimstoprovethelunaticwomanisnotamadnessmainlyfromanalyzingthelogicalactionsofBerthaMasonfromherfourtimesappearancesandconcludesthat“lunatic”womanisarealfighterwhohidesherselfinthemaskof“Lunatic”torebelagainstthemale-dominatedsocietyandexposeslunatic’sindignantlyprotestsagainstmale’soppressionswithheroutcryforequalitywithmen.

Firstly,thispaperanalysestheappearanceof“Lunatic”,andintroducesthetwomainreasonsofMasonbecoming“Lunatic”,soastorevealtheoppressionsufferedbyVictorianwomeninmarriage,andtheracialdiscriminationinsociety.Then,mainlyfromthreeaspectstointerpretfeminismimagefromMason’s“Lunatic”:

first,Mason’scharacterofself-esteemandrebelmakeshercan'tbeatraditionalwifeoftheVictorianera,andMason’sCreolemongrelmakeshersufferdiscriminationinsociety,whichdetermineMasontohavetheuniqueexperienceofbeingimprisonedintheattic;secondly,analyzesthelogicalactionsofBerthaMasonfromherfourtimesappearancestoprovethelunaticwomanisnotamadness;thirdly,concludesMason’suniqueimage,namelythefemalefighteragainstthemaleoppression;avictimofmarriage,fameandfortunetrading.Finally,concludesthatMasonisnotareally“Lunatic”,BerthaMasonisasoldierwhonevercompromise.Foilcharacterassheis,butBerthaMason’shighspiritofstruggleawakeningfemaletofightfortheirequal.

.TheReasonsforBerthaMasonSeemingtoBe“Lunatic”

2.1.TheBackgroundofBerthaMason

BerthaMason---MrsRochester,whohasbeenlockedawayintheatticofThornfieldHallfortenyearsbyherhusbandandthelunaticwomanwhotakesherlifeasaprice,burnsdownThornfieldatlast.Bertha’sstoryisrelatedthroughadoublenarration:

Jane’smemoriesasamaturenarrator,andRochester’saccountofapersonalstory.Personalstories,memoriesandtemporaldistanceentangletoprovideaportraitofBertha,whoseownvoiceisneverheardexceptthroughheroutrageouslaughter.Masonisexoticbeautyandcharmandsheownsawealthfamilyarrangedmarriage,butherhusbandRochesterstatesheneverlovedBerthabecausesheismad.Shealwaysgivesoffloudlyeerielaughatnight,shewillattackotherssuddenlyandsheburnstheThornfieldatlast.ItseemsthatBerthaMasonisanevillunatic.

However,whyBerthaMasonjustattachherhusbandandherbrother?

Allhermadnessaimsatthepeoplewhomakesherlifeinthegloomycorner.Fromheractions,itcanbeseenthatsheisjustahelplesswomanwhohasbeenabandonedbyherfamilyandhusband.ItmaybestrangethatBerthaMason’sfamilydoesnottorescuetheirfolk.Butinthatage,femaleisapriceformaletogainmoreinterest.BerthaMasonisnotworththepriceforherfamilytocutoffthecooperationwithMrRochester.Tenyearsofdarknesslifeislikeabesttormentingherandnobodycaresaboutheratall,asaconsequence,revengeisprobabletheonlymeaningforMasontosupportheralive.

2.2.TheControlofSomePeopleonBerthaMason 

2.2.1.BerthaMason’shusband---Mr.Rochester

Thelunaticwoman--- BerthaMasonisabandonedbyherrelativesandthesociety.InThornfield,sheisasecret.Nobodyknowssheisthemistressandevenregardsherasalunatic.Howamistressisreducedtosuchalowposition?

Herhusband---MrRochesterisblamed.

AccordingtoMrRochester,thereasonwhyhehasimprisonedhiswifeisthatsheismad,butitiseasytoimageanoppositerelationofcauseandeffort,inwhichyearsofenforcedimprisonedandisolationhavemadeherviolentlyinsaneor,atleastincreasedherinsanity.EvenMasonismadbecauseofherfamilyinheritance,sincehemarriesher,heshouldtaketheresponsibilityforhisownchoice.TheotherassumptionisthatMr.Rochestercandivorcethelunaticwomanassoonasherealizesthat.Buthegivesupthisplanbecauseofthefollowingloseofwealthywhenhedivorceswithhisrichwife.Therefore,hekeepstheirmarriageinsecret.InRochester’smind,hismadwifehasblemishedhis“honor”and“reputation”andblockedhiswaytonewhappiness.Sohetakescruelactions：

tolockherasawildbeastinthepermanentisolationfromtheoutsideworld.Hewantsnobodytoknowthetruthsothathecanwaitforachancethatonedayhecouldrealizehisplan：

bigotry．Thisisthetrickoftheslyfox.Hisactionhasotherpurposes:

tovindicatehis“honor”and“reputation”andtocontinuehisprofligatelife.Tohim,amadwifehasfarmoreinfamousthanhisowndegradationinmorality.Suchishisaristocraticbourgeoismoraloutlook!

ForBerthaMason,herhusbandisthemosthatedperson.Themanhasmarriedher,buthaslockedherasananimalintheatticandmakeshera“lunatic”.HehassecretlykeptmistressesoutsideandevenwantstomarryJane.ItistruththatMrsRochesterindeedlivesasinfullifebeforesheisinsane,butsinisitselfaspeciesofinsanity.Moreover,whenMrRochesterunfoldsthestoryofhismarriagetoBertha,hecloselyspecifieseachsymptomincludedinPrichard’sdescriptionofmoralinsanity.Rochesterreferstoawomanwhocarriesbothmentalandmoralcorruptioninherblood:

akindofmadness.Itisimportanttonoticethatt