商务英语论文 爱与荆棘.docx

商务英语论文 爱与荆棘.docx

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商务英语论文爱与荆棘

LoveAndThorn

---AnAnalysisoftheFemaleCharactersinTheThornBirds

Abstract:

TheThornBirdsisviewedasGonewiththeWindofAustraliabyliterarycritics.Thisnovelisasagawhichgivesthereadersavividdescriptionaboutwomen’spersistentpursuitofloveandrebellionagainsttheirfates.ThisthesisfocusesonthreefemalegenerationsoftheClearys,tryingtodiscovertheirvaluesaboutloveandlifeduringtheprocessofpursuinglove.Itmakesadeepanalysisoftherelationshipbetweenthreefemalecharacters---Fiona,MeggieandJustine,andthosemenwhohaveexertedgreatinfluenceontheirlives.FionaisthefirstfemalegenerationoftheClearys.Shefallsinlovewithamanwhowillnevergetmarriedwithher,butshecannotforgethimallherlife,soshedecidestouseindifferenceandsilencetofightagainstthereality.Asaresult,shelosesallchancestoenjoythelovegivenbyherhusbandandchildren.MeggieisFiona’sdaughter.ShedevotesallherlifetofightagainstGodforgainingFatherRalph’slove.Shemakesgreatsacrifice,butsheneverregretsanymomentofit.Justin,Meggie’sdaughter,isrepresentativeofmodernwomen.Shealsoexperiencesgreatagony.However,sheisbraveenoughtopursueloveandherowndream,finallysheharvestsahappyending.InthenovelMcCulloughconveystothereaderstheimportantmessagethatgreatjoycanbegainedontheconditionthatgreatpainshouldbepaid.

Keywords:

love;thorn;femalecharacter;femaleself-consciousness

I.Introduction

Thereisasayingthatliteraturesomehowaimsatstudyinghuman,whichgivesafaithfulrepresentationofthelifeandthethoughtofmankind.What’smore,eachworkofliteraturehasitsowntheme，emblemandfascination,whichbringsthereadersendlessaftertasteandconsideration,includingTheThornBirds,averyfascinatingnovelwithanintricateplotandfinestyleofwriting,writtenbyColleenMcCullough.Theenchantmentofthisbookfirstliesinitssubject---loveanddestiny,anditssymbol---thethornbird.

“Thereisalegendaboutabirdwhichsingsjustonceinitslife,moresweetlythananyothercreatureonthefaceoftheearth.Fromthemomentitleavesthenestitsearchesforathorntree,anddoesnotrestuntilithasfoundone.Then,singingamongthesavagebranches,itimpalesitselfuponthelongest,sharpestspine.And,dying,itrisesaboveitsownagonytoout-carolthelarkandthenightingale.Onesuperlativesong,existencetheprice.ButthewholeworldstillstolistenandGodinHisheavensmiles.Forthebestisonlyboughtatthecostofgreatpain.”（McCullough,1992,1）

Theauthor,ColleenMcCullough,triestojustifyherbeliefinhappinessandmiserythatthebestisonlyboughtwithgreatpain.Thisnoveltellsusamelodramaticstorywhichbeginsin1915andendsmorethanhalfacenturylater,witnessingtheWWⅡ,GreatDepressionandtheVaticanconflictbehindthecurtain,“ofasingularfamily,theClearys,wholeaveNewZealandtoliveonvastAustraliansheepstation,wheretheirtriumphsandtragediesareinterwovenwiththewonderandterrorofalandravagedbycyclesofdrought,fireandtorrentialflood.”Butmostofall,itcomposesagreatsongoffemalecharacters---Fiona,Meggie,andJustinewhopursuelovewithallstrengththroughtheirlives.

ThenovelbeginswithMaryCarson,whosendsforherbrotherPaddyClearytobringhisfamilytocomefromNewZealandtoAustraliatoliveandworkforheronDrogheda,hervastsheepstation.Paddyhasalarge,poorandthrivingfamilyofsons,andacceptstheinvitationwithdelight.

RalphdeBricassart,whoisayoungpriestandgoodfriendwithMaryCarson,goestopickuptheClearysfromthestation.Thenheandthefamilybecomegoodfriends,whileheandtheten-year-oldClearydaughterMeggiebecomeveryclose.RalphtakesMeggietoschooltobeeducated,comfortsherwhensheisupsetandhopeless,andexplainstheconfusingproblemstothelittlegirl.MeggiereliesonRalphheavilyandfallsinlovewiththisyoungandhandsomepriestunconsciouslywhenshebecomesabeautifulyounglady.FatherRalphlovesMeggiewithheartandsoul,too.Yearslater,MaryCarsongivesasplendidpartyforher72ndbirthdayandendsherlifeherselfduringthepartyleavingawillthatshewillendowallherfortune13,000,000poundstotheChurchincareofRalph.AlthoughRalphcanchoosetorefusethemoneyandgiveittoMary’brotherPaddy,heistooself-absorbedandambitioustoshowsomehumanity,hefinallyreceivesthemoneyandfleesawayfromDrogheda,mainlyfromMeggie,knowingthechurchwillrewardhimgreatlyandsubsequentlyadvancehispositionintheChurch.HesoonfindshimselfattheVatican.AsherisesquicklythroughthehierarchyoftheCatholicChurch（eventuallybecomingaCardinal）,desperateMeggiemarriesashearernamedLukeO’Neil,justbecausehelooksmuchlikeRalph.LuketakesMeggietoQueenslandwhereMeggieisforcedtoliveandworkfortheMullersasamaidwhileLukeroamsaboutworkingasacanecutter.Lukedoesn’tloveMeggieatall,hegetsmarriedtohermainlyforherrichmarriageportion---alargesumofmoney.HewillnevergiveMeggiewhatshewants---awarmfamilyandhappylife.IntheMullers’houseMeggiegivesbirthtoababy,agirlnamedJustine.

Meggieisverydisappointedanddesperateaboutherlife.ShegoestoMatlockIslandtohavearest,tryingtoforgetFatherRalph.However,Ralphcomestoherandtheyspendseveralhappyweekstogetherandrealizetheunionofthesoulandthebody,whichlightsthehopeinMeggie’sheartofrecapturingRalphfromGod.Afterwards,unbeknowntohim,shehasababywithRalphnamedDane,thinkingsheeventuallygetspartofherlover.ShegivesallherlovetoDane,butironicallyanddramatically,DaneadmiresRalphverymuchanddeterminestobeapriestlikeRalph.MeggierealizesatlastthatshecanneverbeatGod,especiallywhenDaneisdrownedforsavingtwopeopleinthesea.

AfterDanedies,JustinebecomestheonlypersonofthethirdgenerationoftheClearys.ShehasastrongaffectiontoDaneandstrugglesforseveralyearstorecoverherselffromDane’sdeath.AtlastshemarriesRainer,themanwhomshelovesandwholovesher.Sheistheonlywomenwhocanlivewithherloverandgainhappinessthroughself-liberation.

II.SymbolicMeaningsoftheThornandtheThornBirds

1.Symbolicmeaningofthethorn

Inthenovel,theauthorgivessymbolicmeaningtotheimageofthethorn.Inthedictionary,thornissharppointedgrowthonthestemofaplantanditalsohasawideningmeaningthatreferstosomethingcausingirrationalityandannoyance.Inaddition,thornsarewidelyusedintheBibleinwhichitisthecontrastofthegood,andakindofobstaclepreventingpeoplefromrealizingtheirbeautifuldreams.InChristianity,JesuscarriesaCrownofThornsonhisheadbeforehiscrucification.TheCrownofThornsiswovenofthornbranchesandisoneoftheinstrumentsofthePassion.However,ChristianwritersalwaysseethethornsasemblemsoftheFallofManwhichinChristiandoctrinereferstothetransitionofthefirsthumansfromastateofinnocentobediencetoGod,toastateofguiltydisobediencetoGod.（online）AdamandEvearedeceivedortemptedbytheserpenttoeatfruitfromtheTreeofKnowledgeofGoodandEvilwhichhadbeenforbiddenbyGod.AfterdoingsotheybecomeashamedoftheirnakednessandGodconsequentlyexpelsthemfromparadise.TheFallcorruptstheentirenaturalworld,includinghumannature,causingpeopletobebornintooriginalsin,astatefromwhichpeoplecannotattaineternallifewithoutthegraciousinterventionofGod.JesusdiesforfreeinghumanbeingsfromthesinandtheCrownofthethornsrepresentsthesinoftheworldthatJesushastobear.（ZhaoYanyan,ChenZhaorong,2005,86-89）

IntheBible,Jesusistheprophetandbirdsalsoaretheprophets.Thebirdputsthethorninitsbreastanditseemstofollowanimmutablelaw.Itfindsthesharpestthornandsingsamongthesavagebranchesonceinitslifesoastoleavethesweetestsongontheearth.Itisajoyatthecostoflife.Withdifferentpurposes,theygetwhattheyreallywant:

Jesuscleansoutthecrimesofhumanbeings;birdswiththornsintheirbreastsleavewonderfulsongsintheworld;

ThemaincharactersinTheThornBirdshavedifferentthornsintheirbreasts.Theypursuetheirthorns,suffergreatpainandthusattainblissfulness.Theycreatetheirownthorns,andneverstoptocountthecost.Alltheycandoistosufferthepain,andtellthemselvesitisworthit.

2.Symbolicmeaningofthethornbirds

Inthenovel,theauthorcitesanoldCelticlegendthatthethornbirdshavethesharpestthornintheirbreastsandsingoutthemostfair-soundingsongintheworldwhiledying.Thewholelifeofthethornbirdsissolemn,stirringandfullofmysterywithaprominentspiritofpursuing,persistenceandsacrifice.Theprocessoffindingtheidealthorn,penetratingitselfintothethornisallforthemomentofliftingupitsvoiceandsingingwithallstrength,toshowtheworldakindofextremelyunparalleledbeauty.Andthethornbirdfreesitselffromsufferingthroughdeath,andittellsusaphilosophythatgreathappinessisgainedontheconditionthatgreatpainshouldbepaid.

Theauthordescribesthreevividthornbirdsinthisnovel:

Fiona,MeggieandJustine.TheyarerespectivelytherepresentativewomenofthreegenerationsoftheClearys.Theyalllivethroughjoyandsadness,bitterdefeatandmagnificenttriumphdrivenbytheirdreams,sustainedbyremarkablestrengthofcharactersandtornbythepassionsandforbiddenlove.

Lifeisnotalwaysupliftin