荆棘鸟 英文学年论文Word文档下载推荐.docx

荆棘鸟 英文学年论文Word文档下载推荐.docx

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althoughtheWesternwomengoalloutfortheirfaith,theyarealwaysdeeplyhurtbythecostofgreatpain.Therefore,thistopicsubtlydelineatesthefactthatthewomen’svoiceforloveisstilltoofaint.Nomatterhowwonderfulvoicetheycreate,theyarestillincapableofchangingmen’snon-lovefaithandovercomingtheunequalvaluesoftraditionalsociety.ThisisanunavoidabletragedynotonlytoMeggieandtheWesternwomen,butalsotoallwomenintheworldfromancienttimes.Theygettemporaryhappinessfromlove,butwithinfinitemisery.Theirvoiceistoofainttoresisttragedyinlove.However,women’sloftyfaithbringsthemameaningfulandsignificantlife,justlikethevoiceofthethornbirds.

[KeyWords]women;

love;

faith;

voice;

TheThornBirds

微弱的呼喊

─浅谈《荆棘鸟》中西方女性对爱情的信仰

【摘要】本文通过对长篇小说《荆棘鸟》的分析，分别描述了以克利里家族为中心的女性与男性不同的爱情价值观,体现了女性视爱情为终生信仰，而男性却常常选择非爱情的信仰，从而衬托出女主人公梅吉对爱情执着的高贵情操。

梅吉始终忠诚于她的爱情，甘愿像荆棘鸟那样成为信仰的献祭，谱写了一曲凄婉动人而又崇高、悲壮的爱情主旋律。

本文从《荆棘鸟》追溯到其西方女性信仰的源头，通过分析早期西方杰出女作家主要作品中女主人公追寻荆棘的历程，展示了西方女性对爱情的信仰，同时更加突出了梅吉集勇气、高洁、坚强、博爱于一身的完美形象。

但是，纵然梅吉为了爱而奉献一生，纵然西方女性为了爱而殚精竭虑，她们最终得到的总是悲剧性的爱情结局；

即使最终能够如愿以偿，可在追寻的过程中也付出了沉重的代价。

从中揭示了一个道理：

即使女性对信仰的呼喊动听而绝美，她们的声音始终是微弱的：

她们改变不了男性的爱情观，也战胜不了社会的传统观念。

她们得到了短暂的幸福，却承受了一生的痛苦。

这不仅仅是梅吉和西方女性的悲剧，也是从古到今全人类女性所无法阻挡的悲剧。

但是不管怎样，梅吉她们这种崇高的信仰让她们作为女性的一生熠熠生辉，就像荆棘鸟的歌声永远震撼人心。

【关键词】女性；

爱情；

信仰；

呼喊；

《荆棘鸟》

1.Introduction

Thereisasayingthatliteraturesomehowaimsatstudyinghuman,whichgivesafaithfulrepresentationofthelifeandthethoughtofmankind.What’smore,eachworksofliteraturehasitsowntheme，emblemandfascination,whichbringsthereadersendlessaftertasteandconsideration,includingtheTheThornBirds,writtenbyColleenMccullough.Theenchantmentofthisbookfirstliesinitssubject─loveanddestiny,anditssymbol—thethornbird.

Thereisalegendaboutabird,whichsingsjustonceinitslife,moresweetlythananyothercreatureontheearth.

“Fromthemomentitleavesthenestitsearchesforathorntree,anddoesnotrestuntilithasfoundone.Thensingingamongthesavagebranches,itimpalesitselfuponthelongest,sharpestspine.And,dying,itrisesaboveitsownagonytoout-carolthelarkandthenightingale.Onesuperlativesong,existencetheprice.Butthewholeworldstillstolisten,andGodinHisheavensmiles.Forthebestisonlyboughtatthecostofgreatpain….”[1]

Thebird,calledthethornbird,followsanimmutablelaw,namelylove,filledwithsolemnandstirringvoice.

Thebooktellsreadersastory,beginningin1915andendingmorethanhalfacenturylater,“ofasingularfamily,theClearys,wholeaveNewZealandtoliveonvastAustraliansheepstation,wheretheirtriumphsandtragediesareinterwovenwiththewonderandterrorofalandravagedbycyclesofdrought,fireandtorrentialflood.Butmostofall,itisthestoryofMeggie,whofallsmadlyinlovewithamanshecannevermarry,andofRalph,atrulybeautifulman,whoseambitiontakeshimfromoutbackparishpriesttotheinnercirclesoftheVatican—butwhoseloveforMeggieClearywillleadtoapassionhecannotcontrol.”[2]

Itisconsideredthatthewriter,ColleenMccullough,condenseseveryaspectoflifeintoabrilliantbook.BydescribingtheClearys’frustrationsofemotionalexperiences,shetriestoshowatruththatit’snecessarytopayanunimaginablecostforthetrueloveandanyothermagnificentthings.Undoubtedly,inthestory,Meggieisthemostconspicuousthornbird,whoselongest,sharpestspineisRalph.Nomatterhowdifficultandmournfultheexperienceis,andhowslimthehopeis,shenevergivesupherfaith—beingloyaltoloveandmakingherlovesignificant.Sheknowsshehaschosenatortuousroad,butshewouldratherdevoteallherefforttosearchingforherthorntree—Ralph,andhavingherfaithglitter.

2.Women’sfaithinloveinTheThornBirds

“Ifloveistheeverlastingthemeofliterature,thenfemaleisalsoanunfailingtopic,forlovestorycan’tlieintheworldwithoutwomen.”[3]TheThornBirdstellsapenetrativelovestorybetweenMeggieandRalph.ItalsoshowstheparticularlovestoryabouttheClearys’threefemalegenerations,fromwhichthewriterportraysfourcharacteristicwomenwhoarebravetofightagainsttheirfateandsocialcustomfortheirfaith.

2.1Meggie’slovestory

ThestorybeginswiththedayofMeggie’sfour-yearbirthday,onwhichshereceivesanunexpectedpresent─aprettydoll,fromhermother.She,bornpoor,isanattractiveandlovelygirlwithvividhair,butshealsohasastrongpersonality.Whenherdeardollisspoiltbyherelderbrothers,itdoesnotoccurtohertoseekhelp;

whensheisstrictlybutunequallypunishedbySisterAgathaintheschool,shedoesnotsurrender;

whenherdearbrotherFrankleavesher,shedoesn’tweep,for“Somethinginherlittlesoulwasoldenoughandwomanenoughtofeeltheirresistible,stingingjoyofbeingneeded”[4].Herself-controlisphenomenalandherprideformidable.Besides,sheisaquaintmixtureofignoranceandmorality.Sheisworthmore,butsheisnotborntobemore.Nobodyknowswhatwillhappentoher,whatkindoflifeshewillhave,andwhatsortoffateshewillencounter.

Whensheisnineyearsold,shemovestothevastAustraliansheepstation─DroghedafromNewZealandwithherfamily,whichreallychangesherfateandbringsheranewlife.ThefirsttimeRalphmeetsher,shebeginstotugathisnonexistentheart,thoughsheisonlynineyearsoldwhileheisalreadytwenty-eightyearsold.Maybeatthebeginning,Meggiejustviewshimasacherishedelderbrother,forheisgladtodoeverythingthathermother,herfatherandherbrotherscan’tdoforher,andshedependsonhimsomuch.Asshegrowsup,heradorationofFatherRalphhasturnedintoanardent,verygirlishcrush.ButafterMary’sdeath,hechoosestoobeyMary’sarrangementtorealizehisdreamandgiveupMeggiebymarryingtotheChurch.Sheknowsitisforbiddentohaveapriestashusbandorlover,andRalphcan’tloveherasahusbandandwillneverabandonhisjobasapriest,butshestilldreamsofhim,yearnsforhimandwantshim.However,besideslove,shethinksshealsoneedsahusbandandbabies,andsheconsidersthatthoughshemeanslittletoRalph,thereisstillsomemanwholovesherbeforeallelse.Shebelievesthatnotallmenlovesomeinanimatethingmorethantheycanloveawoman.Therefore,shemarriesLuke,mostlybecauseLukelookslikeRalphsomuch,whichcanremindherofRalph,andwillgiveherchildrensimilarintypetothoseshemayhavehadwithRalph.ButshedoesnotloveLukeatall,andsheisnotabletofallinlovewithhim,assheneverweakensherdeeploveforRalph.Becauseofthecelibacyofpriests,shehastogoawayfromRalph,makeherhomeandherlifewithanotherman,andhavesomeoneelse’sbaby.SoshebecomestohatetheChurch’simplicationthatherlovingRalphorhislovingheriswrong.Whatisworse,toherdisappointment,Lukedoesnotneedher,either.Heneverrespectsherfeelings.However,afterhavingthedaughterofLuke─Justine,shewantstogiveherdaughterarealfamily.AssumingthatthelovetoRalphcan’toccur,shewillhavetoloveherchildren,andtheloveshereceiveswillhavetocomefromthosechildren,soshetriesforgettingRalphandpersuadingherselfthatRalphisthepast.

Butwhenshedecidesnottowastetimedreamingofthemanandchildrenshecanneverhave,RalphcomestofindheronMatlockIsland,whichkindlesherhopeagain,andmakesherdecidetochallengeGodforherfaith.ShecanneverhaveRalph,butthereshedoesgetthepartofRalphtheChurchcanneverhave─shehasRalph’ssonDane,whoisasperfectasRalph.ThenshechoosestoleaveLuketogobacktoDrogheda,inordertoguardherson.ShethinksthatshehasbeatenGod.Buttohersadness,shehastoadmitthatthereisneverawomanbornwhocanbeatGod.ThatdaywhenDanetellsherthatheisgoingtobeapriest,whichisasifherdeathsentence,shehastocompromise,cryingtoherson,

“‘TotheChurchthoubelongest,totheChurchthoushaltbegiven.Oh,it’sbeautiful,beautiful.GodrotGod,Isay!

Godthesod!

TheutmostEnemyofwomen,that’swhatGodis!

Everythingweseektodo,Heseekstoundo!

’”[5]

ShesendshersontoRalph,butshedoesn’ttellhimthatDaneishissonuntilDane’sdeath.AsAnne,Meggie’sgoodfriendandformermaster,worries,thegodshavenotdonewithheryet.Afterheisordainedwithouthermother’spresenceinRome,DanedecidestocomedowntothePeloponnese,gettinguphiscouragetomeethismother.Yetbeforeseeinghismotherforthelasttime,heisdrownedin