英语论文夏洛蒂勃朗特的女权主义宣言评简爱的女性意识文档格式.docx
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-OnJaneEyre’sFemaleConsciousness
[Abstract] TheVictorianAgewasmencenteredandmencontrolledtimes.Womenwerediscriminatedagainstbymenatthattime.However,theaheadofagefemaleconsciousnessofJaneEyre,themaincharacterofJaneEyrewrittenbyCharlotteBronte,challengedmen’sauthority.InthisnoveloftheVictorianAge,Charlotteexposedanddenouncedmen’soppressionofanddiscriminationagainstwomen.Ontheotherhand,CharlotteisremarkableinportrayingJaneEyreasaselfrespectingandrebelliousgirl,desiringequality,bravelyshowingherloveanddecidingonherownmarriage.Throughtheportrayal,CharlottesetsanewrotemodelforwomenofVictoriantimesaswellasmodernage.
[Keywords] femaleconsciousness;
self-respect;
equality
WhenG.K.Chestertonsaid,“Thenovelofthe19thcenturywasfemale”hemusthavebeenreferringtotheemergenceofanumberofbrilliantwomanwriterswhoseworksgavevoicetothefeelingsandaspirationsoftheeducatedwomenoftheirage.CharlotteBronteisoneofthegreatestwomenwriters,andherJaneEyreisundoubtedlyanoutstandingwomen’sdeclarationofindependenceandlove.ItisJaneEyre’sfemaleconsciousnessthatawakenswomenandvoiceswomen’saspirationforliberation.JaneEyre’sfemaleconsciousnessisfarbeyondVictoriantimes.In19thcentury,womendidnothaveanystatus.Theywerediscriminatedagainstandconceivedofaspeopleinferiortomen.Althoughwomen’scollegeswereestablishedatCambridgein1869andatOxfordin1879,womencouldnottakedegreesatthe
universityuntil1920-1921.Atthattime,almosttheonlyoccupationopentowomenofgoodfamilieswasteachingasschoolmistressormorelikelyservingasgovernessinaprivatefamily.TheVictorianmoralcodeforwomenwasthattheyshouldremainignorantand
uneducated.So,novelsaboutyounggirlswhowentoutaloneintotheworld,sufferedvarioustrials,miseriesandtemptation,andemergedchasteandtriumphanthadbeenpopularinEnglandforoveracentury.CharlotteBronteandherJaneEyrechallengedtheoldcommandmentandtraditionaldiscriminationtowomen.ThatiswhyJaneEyrewascriticizedbysomepeople.LionelStevensonsaid,“JaneEyrewasanintolerablerenegadefromallthestandardsofbehaviorexpectedofrespectablegirls.”W.A.Craikthought,“TheBrontebiographydoesthemadisservicewiththereader,maypreventhimfromseeingproperlyareairindividualmeritsorindeedwhatisherpurposeinwritingit.”However,thepraiseofJaneEyrebyfaroutweighscriticism.Mostpeopleregardedthisbookasoneofthegreatestnovelsofthattime.ItwasJane’srebelliousness,herdislikeofservility,herinsistenceonequalitywithhermasterandherclaimthatshehadarighttofeelingsandpassionsthatgavethebookit’suniquenessandforce,shockedmanyofitsearlyreadersandearnedpopularityamongmostwomen.Thebookalsoencouragedwomentobeindependentandfightfortheirownrights.LuoJingguosaid,“JaneEyreisthefirstEnglishnoveleventhemostpowerfulandpopularnovel,whichpresentsthemodernviewofwomen’spositioninsociety.”
JaneEyre’sfemaleconsciousness,whichrunsthroughthewholestory,canbeviewedintwoaspects.Oneistheexposureanddenunciationofman’soppression.TheotheristheportrayalofJaneEyre’soutstandingcharacter.JaneEyre’sstoriestakingplaceindifferentstagesofherlifecanbeseenasconnectedbymen’soppressiontoher.
ThefirstoppressorisJaneEyre’scousin,JohnReed.John,attheageof14,hasbecomeparticularlyobnoxious,afat,greedy,unwholesomebully.Heregardshimselfasthefutureownerofthehouse.HebeatsandinsultsJaneatwill.GoadedbyJohnReed’s
Bullying,shehitsbackontwooccasions,fightinglikeamadcatuntilsheisoverpowered.Then,sheislockedupaloneintheredroom.Terroraswellasangerisalwayswithherwhensheisintheredroomwhereherownvividimaginationfrightensherintoafranticfit.Janeexperiencesthefirstcrisisinlifeandnearlydies.IntheclashbetweenJaneandhercousin,thewriteremphasizesJane’sfeelingsofdread,loathinganddespairastheweakwhenfacingunreasonable,illmanneredmercilessevenbrutishthreat.Thisdescriptionshowsexactlysmallandweakfemale’sgeneralsentimentundermale’smaltreatment.WhenwereadthepartfromChapterItoChapterIV,wewillsympathizewithJane’smiserableexperience.
ThesecondoppressorisMr.Brocklehurst,theheadmasterofLowoodorphanage.ThefirstimpressionhegivesJaneis“Whatagreatnose!
Andwhatamouth!
Justlikeabrutalbloodsuckinganimal.Here,Brocklehurstisportrayedasaverysevereandhardheartedpersonwhonotonlykeepsthechildrenhalfstarvedbutpreventsthemfromhavingnormalmentalgrowth.Heismeddling,lovelessandhypocritical.Brocklehurstthinksitishisdutytopunishtheeightygirls’bodiesinordertosavetheirimmortalsouls.Hedoesnotletthemhaveenoughrest.Heforcesthemtocuttheirlonghairandmakesthemwear
theworstquality,themostuglyclothes.Heattemptstokillthesepoorgirlsnatureofpursuingbeauty.Heishostiletowomen.Hecallsthesegirls’bodies“vilebodies”andtheirnaturalcurledhair“excrescence”.Hestranglesthesegirls’vigorandvitality.ThesegirlsalmostbecomemachineswhichcanonlyworkandreadBible.Brocklehurst’sdevastationtothesegirlsisfarbeyondpeople’stoleration.Brocklehurstmakesthelifeconditionmuchworse,whichcausesalotofdeathsincludingthatofJane’sbestfriend,HelenBurns.LifeinLowoodOrphanagemaybethemostagonizingmemorytoJane,butthemiserablelifegivesJanemuchmorecourageanddeterminationtostruggleforherright.ThethirdoppressorJanehasmetisMr.Rochester.MostwritersagreethatthethemeofJaneEyreisthesearchforlove.Lawrencehassaid,“Thenovelisrevolutionaryinitstreatmentoflove.”Rochester’soppressiondoesnotcomefromthefactthatRochesterwantstomarryJanewithouttellingherhismadwife’sstory.HerethepointisthatRochester’sloveoppressesJaneandjeopardizesherindependence.Whentheypreparethingsformarriage,Rochestersayshewillputthediamondchain“roundJaneneck,andcircletonherforehead,claspedthebraceletsonthesefinewrists,andloadherfingerswithrings”.HeusesvisiblejewelrytolimitJaneinvisibly.Janefeelsthatsheisoppressed.ShefeelsRochester’ssmilehas“suchasultanmight,bestowonaslavehisgoldandgemshadenriched”,andshe,herself,justliketheeastallusion,iswithoutfreedom.Janeknows,facingRochester,sheisnolongerasindependentasbefore.Jane’sheartisalwaysinastateofintensestruggle.ShewillinglydevotesherselftoRochester,butshestilltriestograspherownsoul.Whenthesecretisdiscovered,RochesterhopesthatJanecangowithherinthenameoflove.Janeisnearlyshaken.Afterall,shekeepsherindividualsoul.InJane’slife,sheneverstopsstrugglingagainstmiserablelifeandmisfortune.Shehasn’tanobleposition,anillustriousbackground,wealthorabeautifulappearance.Theonlyproudthingforherisherselfrespectwhichissupportedbyherself-confidenceandherstaunchindependence.SheneverexpectsthatRochestercanloveherbecauseshethinksthereisabiggapbetweenthemforever.Whentheyfallinlove,Janehastokeepherself-respectandindependenceincaseoflosingherself.WhatshecangivetoRochesterisonlyher
love,herinfatuation,herspiritualsupportandnothingelse.However,whatRochestergivesherismorethanhers.HecanalsoimproveJaneEyre’ssocialstatusandincreaseherwealth.ThisunequalexchangemakesJaneEyreuneasy.Thesituationmakesherfeelthattheyarenotquiteequalandherindependenceisalsothreatened.
ThefourthoppressorJanecomesacrossistheclergyman,St.JohnRivers.Heisidealistic,verygoodlooking,religiousandzealous.Heturnsegotismandambitiontotheserviceofreligion.HeusesthenameofobligationtooppressJaneandgivesJanespiritualsuffering.HedoesnottreatJaneasawomanorashisfuturewife,butaslave,aslaveofGodaswellashis.St.JohnsaystoJane,“Simplifyyourcomplicatedinterests,feelings,thoughts,wishes,aims;
mergeallconsiderationinonepurposethatoffulfillingwitheffect--withpower--themissionofyourgreatMaster.”Here,“Master”iscapitalized.Itseemsthat“Master”istheGod.Infact,St.Johnusestheword“Master”torefertohisownmission.HeregardshimselfasJane’s“Master”.HedeprivesJaneofallherrights,especiallytherightsofawoman.Janeisnolongeranindependentwoman,butadoll,amachine.
Inhiseyes.Theword“Master”alsodelicatelydiscoversthemostimportantelementofman’sattitudetowardswoman.St.John’sproposalisevenmoreoutrageousthanRochester’s,foritinvolvesaspiritualprostitutioninsteadofaphysicalone.OnlywhenSt.JohninvolvesGod’snameinsupportofafalseideaofmarriagedoesJaneresist,“IfIweretomarryyou,youwouldkillme.Youarekillingmenow”.Jane’sfirst“killme”indicatesthatthemiserablelifeinIndiawoulddestroyherhealthandkillher.Jane’ssecond“killme”referstoStJohn’soppressiontoherspirit.
JaneEyrebravelyshowsherfeelings,butSt.JohndenouncesJaneasviolent,untrueandunfeminine.Butwhatisfeminine?
Shouldwomenalwaysregardmanandtheirhusbandsas“Master”?
Shouldn’twomenshowtheirtruefeelingsandberudependent?
Manforceswomantoliveandbehaveasm