《荆棘鸟》论文正文.docx

《荆棘鸟》论文正文.docx

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《荆棘鸟》论文正文

AnAnalysisofFemale'sSelf-consciousnessinTheThornBirds

1.Introduction

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