论《法国中尉的女人》中萨拉的女性主义的显现-文学学士毕业论文.doc

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Abstract

John Fowles who has been regarded as a "postmodernist" writer is not only an important but also influential novelist in contemporary Britain. His masterpiece The French Lieutenant's Woman, a classical novel that shed light on the women's discovery of self-hood and seeking of freedom, has been acclaimed by the critics after its publication. Fowles's fascinating delineation of the heroine, has been studied from different perspectives by many critics.
This dissertation attempts to make a in-depth analysis of the heroine in The French Lieutenant's woman, from the perspective of feminism, combining with historical background. How Sarah struggles for her self-hood and freedom, and how she fights against the restricted values as well as the rigid moralities in the historical context of the Victorian era. This thesis mainly focuses on the analysis of the awakening and embodiment of her feminist consciousness.
After a detailed analysis, we can figure out that what leads to the awakening of Sarah's feminist conscious, and how she transforms into a "new woman"successfully. What's more, readers could have a more in-depth understanding on the women in Victorian era, who had encountered many difficulties in the persuit of self-hood and freedom. After the interpretation, it can cause some social concerns over the feminine consciousness. Women's voice can be heard by more people, so women don't have to keep silent any more, instead, they could have more courage to fight for their rights.
Key Words: The French Lieutenant's Woman；Sarah Woodruff；Feminist Consciousness

摘要

约翰·福尔斯是英国当代文坛最重要的小说家之一。 他的代表作《法国中尉的女人》是以女性的自我发现和追求为主题的经典文学著作。《法国中尉的女人》一问世，就获得了广大读者和文学评论界的好评。围绕着作者对作品中女主人公萨拉这一形象的精心塑造，不少评论家从不同的角度进行了探讨。
本文在原有研究女性主义视角的基础上，结合小说当时的历史背景，深入分析《法国中尉的女人》中女主人萨拉在当时的文化背景下，如何在追求自我和自由的过程中，与维多利亚道德观进行抗争，着重于分析萨拉的女性主义的觉醒过程，和其觉醒过程中女性主义的显现。
经过详细的分析研究，可以得出，是什么唤醒了萨拉的女性意识，使她最终成功转变成一位“新女性”。通过对《法国中尉的女人》女性主义的解读，希望读者能对维多利亚时代的英国女性在追求自我和自由的过程中所遭遇到的困难和挫折有一个较为深入的了解。更重要的是，引起社会对女性意识问题的关注，使女性不再沉默，勇于争取自身的权利，她们的呼声能被更多的人所听见。
关键词：法国中尉的女人；萨拉伍德拉夫；女性意识

Contents

ABSTRACT I
摘要 II
1.INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 STUDY BACKGROUND 1
1.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY 1
1.3 THE ARRANGEMENT OF THIS STUDY 1
2. LITERATURE REVIEW 3
2.1 PREVIOUS STUDIES ON THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN 3
2.1.1 Foreign studies 3
2.1.2 Domestic studies 5
3. SARAH'S FEMINIST CONSCIOUSNESS AWAKENING IN VICTORIA ERA 6
3. 1 VICTORIAN ERA BACKGROUND 6
3.1.1 Woman in Victorian Era 6
3.1.2 The Second feminist movement 7
3.2 Awakening of Sarah's feminist consciousness 7
3.2.1 Sarah's Self-denial 8
3.2.2 Sarah's Self-discovery 9
3.3 Embodiment of Sarah's Feminist Consciousness 10
3.3.1 The Pursuit of true love 10
3.3.2 The Pursuit of selfhood and freedom 11
4.CONCLUSION 13
REFERENCES 14
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 16

1.Introduction
1.1 Study background
With its postmordernist structure, its existentialist elements and its characterization, in particular the mysterious character Sarah, who has drawn wide international critical attention, John Fowles's novel The French Lieutenant's Woman, becomes greatest popular success soon after its publication in 1969. It is because The French Lieutenant's Woman is a novel with complex style, dual endings, and postmodern openness that allow so much room for interpretation.
This thesis, based on the exsiting perspective of feminism, combining with the historical background, trys to make a in-depth analysis of Sarah, the heroine in The French Lieutenant's woman. How Sarah struggles for her self-hood and freedom, and how she fights against the restricted values as well as the rigid moralities in the historical context of the Victorian era. And this dissertation mainly focuses on the analysis of the awakening and embodiment of her feminist consciousness.
1.2 Significance of this study
After the interpretation of the feminism of Sarah in The French Lieutenant's Woman, we can figure out that what leads to the awakening of Sarah's feminist conscious, and how she transforms into a "new woman"successfully. What' s more, readers could have a more in-depth understanding on the women in Victorian era, who had encountered many difficulties in the persuit of self-hood and freedom. After the interpretation, it can cause some social concerns over the feminine consciousness. Women's voice can be heard by more people, so women don't have to keep silent any more, instead, they could have more courage to fight for their rights.
1.3 The arrangement of this study
The paper falls into five parts.
Chapter one:Introduction involves the study background and the significance of this study. It then involves the arrangement of this study.
Chapter two mainly involves the current criticsm of the novel both home and abroad on The French Lieutenant's Woman.
As this novel is under the significant influence of the Victorian Era, so Chapter three will explore into the Victorian Era. The social background and a brief discussion about the two waves of Feminism Movement and their relationships with this novel will be presented.
Chapter Three will explore the awakening of Sarah's feminist consciousness. Through her self-construction starts from her self-denial to self-discovery, Sarah has successfully established herself a "new woman".
Chapter Four will draw a conclusion, and try to answer the question: what makes Sarah a new woman?

2. Literature Review
2.1 Previous studies on The French Lieutenant's Woman
In 1969, John Robert Fowles had The French Lieutenant's Woman published. This novel turns out to be a huge success in both commercial as well as academic values. It remains on the bestseller list (America) for 157 weeks, and Karel Reize, the book's publication, made it a popular movie 12 years later. This novel is about a mysterious love story which happened in the Victorian Age of the mid 19th century. Sarah and Charles, the heroine and hero of this novel, who shake off social prejudice and restrictions, struggle to acquire their freedom and independence. This novel employs some postmodern narrative techniques, which not only reconstructs but also deconstructs the Victorian fiction. The French Lieutenant's Woman has drawn broad attention and acclaims from literary critics and readers because of its unique postmodernist narrative style, delicate image depiction and deep reflection of modern history of Britain．
2.1.1 Foreign studies
After the publication of The French Lieutenant's Woman, drawn nation-wide attention from British and American critics. Western academic's researches on thie novel is diversified, including Social historical criticism, psychoanalysis criticism, the Philosophical Investigations of existentialism and the narrative strategy of the meta-fiction.
Some critics also take it as a historical novel. For instance, Linda Hutcheon (1988) considers it as historical meta-fiction about Victorian socialism, because this novel has a clear and profound understanding of the history and fiction, which provides the foundation for the style and content.
In terms of narration, Mahmound Salami (1992)analyzes the novel's theme of freedom through the narrative structure of the novel, and concludes that the entire narrative structure of the novel is itself an act of freedom from illusion to all participants in fiction.
Richard P. Lynch (2002) points out that this is the best novel of Fowles in the inspection of human freedom, "individual freedom is under the control of social system ", this novel has illustrated three different kinds of freedom: society, existence and narration. Therefore, "The French Lieutenant's Woman, frees not only the main character but also the readers from the mandatory text ."
Literary critic Ifor Evans (1987) says " in my view, the most accomplished novel in this problematical vein is John Fowles's The French Lieutenant's Woman... He undertakes a recognizably modern questioning of the very nature of the fiction"
Some feminist critics interpret this novel from the perspective of feminism, they deem the emancipation of Sarah to be the theme of this novel.
Psychological critics are more concerned with the textual personalities of the fictional characters. Simon Loveday (1985)extends Rose's Freudian nsights about the composition of The French Lieutenant's Woman with some additional connection among Varguennes, Rossetti, and Charles.
The Formalists criticism are mainly concerned with examining meaningful patterns within the fictional text rather than its relation with the external context. For instance, Robert Huffaker(1980) offers perceptive observation about animal and imagery in the novel, and Peter Wolfe offers ingenious comment on the names of Fowles's character.
There are others who focus on the novel's existential theme. Critics held the view that Fowles was greatly influenced by existentialism. In his novels, Fowles illustrates his existentialist thought through his characters by setting them in different surroundings to examine how they make their choices. Fowles stresses free choice and in this novel, Sarah takes charge of her own life by her free choice. Mahmound Salami (1992) holds the view that Sarah is a typical existentialist character, who embodies all the elements of freedom in the novel. She also funtions as a force providing the exitential impetus to Charles and the age he lives in. Sarah sets up a seduction trap for Charles, manipulates Charles from their first meeting, and then makes Charles walking on her shoes. Sarah is a guide who leads Charles to his way of freedom.
The more traditional methods are found in studies focusing on the analysis of Sarah, the protagonist. Robert Huffaker (1980)points out that Sarah, like that ancestral seductress, tempts Charles to self-knowledge, then is cast out along with him when he accepts her temptation. He points out that Sarah plays one of the roles of the anima, a sensual seductress. "By maintaining a passive attitude with an invisible purpose in background, she aids a man toward his realization, and in that way holds him. At the same time she weaves a web of fate for herself", he explains.
As we can see that critics and reviews received the novel favorably. And critical approaches in overseas studies range from feminist criticism, psychological criticism, formalist criticism, deconstructive criticism, historical criticism, and so on. There are also many studies focusing on the analysis of Sarah, the protagonist and existential theme.
2.1.2 Domestic studies
Regarding to domestic studies, There are also fruitful research achievements on The French Lieutenant's Woman.
Interest in and attention to the novel could be found in the general introduction of it by Mr. Hou Weirui (1998), who interprets Fowles' novel in terms of postmodernism.
Ruan Wei (1998) , on the other hand, highlights the novel's social and historical significance with a discussion on the background of the novel, the Victorian Age.
Some critics have concentrated on its postmodernist narrative techniques, such as its narrative viewpoint, the intrusive author, and its multiple endings. Zhang Min(1994), who summarizes its postmodernist narrative techniques, and Wang Songlin(2000), who points out that as a typical postmodernist novel, it creates a imaginary world as well as a imaginative world through its experimental elements such as coincidence, parody and deconstruction.
After collation and analysis, we can find out that most domestic studies focus on its existentialism, the theme of freedom, the open ending, narrative skills, past-modernism , writing skills and so on. For example, "The Meaning of Existence and the Freedom of Choice---Analysis on The French Lieutenant's Woman"(Wang Qian, Wang Lili, 2009), "The Pursuit of Individual Freedom ---Analysis on the Construction of the Existentialism Theme in The French Lieutenant's Woman"(Liu Yan, 2010), "A Study on Fowles's purpose from the Triple ending of The French Lieutenant's Woman"(Gao Han, 2010), etc. Still, there are some articles interpret the heroine from the perspective of feminism, including: "The Paradox of Female Subjectivity/Objectivity in The French Lieutenant's Woman"(Qiao Xuedong, 2009), "The French Lieutenant's Woman: From a Perspective of Eco-feminism"(Wang Jing, Shi Yunlong, 2011), also, there are some articles analyse the heroine from the other perspectives, such as, "An Analysis on the Mystery of Sarah"(Fu Jing, Wang Lan, 2004), "Postmodern Text under Prototype Interpretation---An Analysis on Sarah" (Zeng Yanbing, 2006), "Trilogy of Freedom: Unloking Sarah's Mystery in the Light of Transcendentalism"(Shen Yuxia, 2010), etc.
As we can see, in the past 20 years, the domestic academic studies mostly focus on the arrative strategy of the meta-fiction and the postmodern narration strategy of writing. Until recent years, some papers start to apply some new research methods to analyze the image of several main characters in this novel, such as archetypal criticism, feminism criticism and psychoanalytic theory and so on. They try to explore the theme and the deep social historical connotation of this novel.
3. Sarah's Feminist Consciousness Awakening in Victoria Era
As we mentioned before, The French Lieutenant's Woman is a historical fiction, whose background was set in the middle of 20th century --- the Victorian era. So before a further analysis of the manifestation of feminism of Sarah, the heroine, it is quite necessary to learn the social context of this novel, which leads to the creation of Sarah as well as this classical fiction.
3. 1 Victorian Era background
Victorian Era, named after Queen Victoria, was an extreme diverse and complex period from 1837 to 1901. At that time, the social progress and class constraint, wealth and poverty, democracy and oppression, openness and rigidity were coexisted. The Victorian Era was not only a symbol of the beginning of the modern time, but also a transitional era with significant economic, social, scientific and political transformations.
During that time, science and technology developed rapidly, and means of communication had been enriched after the Industrial Revolution. People's horizon had been broadened due to the new gained astronomy knowledge of universe. The spread of Charles Darwin's "Theory of Evolution" greatly influenced people's world perspective. Charles, the hero in The French Lieutenant's Woman is also a follower of Darwin who believes the Evolution Theory and becomes an amateur archeologist.
As to the politic in Victorian era, First Reform Bill made the Britain gradually become a much more mature democratic country. It granted the right of voting to the middle class and extended it universal for"men" till 1887. However, women were still not in this range.