傲慢与偏见的女性主义视角.docx

Feminist Consciousness in Pride and Prejudice
《傲慢与偏见》的女性主义视角

系别：外国语学院
姓名：王佳慧
班级：11级8班
学号：18

Abstract

In the 18, 19 century of England, a critical realist female writer, Jane Austen, appeared in the literature. Austen used female angle to create novels. Her Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous novels. Austen paid attention to female inner world with woman exquisite writing style to describe a small quiet town three or four families’ stories. Austen broke man’s dominant position in the literature for a long time.
This paper will begin from the feminism theory angle to analyze main characters in the novel and the influence of Austen’s works. Meanwhile, this paper studies feminist consciousness in the novel by analyzing Austen and the environment of her time.

Key words:   Austen   feminism   Elizabeth   character

摘要

18,19世纪的英国出现了一位以女性视角创作小说的批判现实主义女作家简˙奥斯汀。《傲慢与偏见》是其最著名的小说之一。奥斯汀关注女性内在世界并以女性细腻的文笔描绘了安静平和的小镇上三四户人家发生的故事。打破了长久以来男性在文学领域的统治地位。
本文将着手从女性主义理论的角度分析小说中主要人物形象以探究奥斯汀作品的文学风格。同时通过对奥斯汀本人和当时环境的分析，来研究小说中体现的女性意识觉醒。

关键词： 奥斯汀   女性主义   伊丽莎白   人物

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Contents
Abstract ……………………………………………………………… 1
摘要 ………………………………………………………………… 2
Introduction ………………………………………………………… 1
1. Feminism Theory ………………………………………………… 1
1.1The Development of Feminism in Literature ………………… 1
1.2 Feminism in Austen’s Works ……………………………… 3
2. Feminist Images in Pride and Prejudice ………………………… 4
2.1 The Image of Elizabeth ……………………………………… 4
2.2 The Image of Darcy …………………………………………… 6
2.3 The Images of the Couple of Collins ………………………… 6
Conclusion …………………………………………………………… 8
Bibliography ………………………………………………………… 9

Introduction
Austen was born in a country clergyman’s family in parish of Stevenson.She was brought up in an intelligent but restricted environment. Her father was a rector and a scholar with a good library. She was educated at home with her sister. She lived a quiet, retired, and uneventful life, and she never married.
Austen’s works concerned the common people and ordinary events, exploring the complicatedly social relationship .Although she lived in the Romantic period in the nineteenth century, she held the idea of writing of the 18th century, advocating the traditional ideas of orders, reason, proportion and gracefulness in novel writing. Though her works, the reader could have a vivid picture of the country life in England, such as the right to inherit the family’s property, family problems, education conditions, women’s position, morality, and customs.
1. Feminism Theory
1.1 The Development of Feminism in Literature
Feminist consciousness started at the enlightenment movement. It had three development parts. The first was from freedom and equal feminism to unique and superior radical feminism. They emphasized on women as rational as men and pointed out the inequality power between women and men due to social gender system form. They claimed not to break existing social structures and required the same rights with men about education, law and profession. Mary Wollstonecraft wrote the book that A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in 1792 regarded as the behalf of early feminism. Feminism gradually became organizational social movement in the 19th century because people thought that women were treated unfairly. Emmeline Pankhurst was one of the women suffrage founders who established Women’ s Social and Political Union aim to reveal the gender discrimination in British. Radical feminists thought that woman was more superior than man so that advocated revolution and no ways to negotiable. This theory got into essentialism quagmire and generalized women and ignored the difference between women and identity contradiction. But this not denied that the radical feminism contributed to development of feminism theory.
The second development process was black feminism and the third world feminism stressed on more colors and different situation. Black feminism continues criticized white middle feminists and they insisted on difference between race and class. This not only stroked the radical feminist class, but immediately opened the postmodern feminism movement in 90s.
The third world feminism began with struggle against the western colonialism and racial supremacy. They criticized multinational companies of developed countries which employed cheap labors of women in the third world countries. They suffered lots of gender discrimination, exploitation and oppression questions. But the most important was imperialism, colonial system and class oppression. The third part was from identity difference to politics difference which included postmodern feminism and psychoanalysis feminism. They required higher rights for women and treated women as men. Feminism theory through a long time development left many researches achievements for us to ponder.
1.2 Feminism in Austen’s Works
Jane Austen mainly wrote six novels in her whole life. Firstly, Sense and Sensibility was published in the year of 1811; Secondly, Pride and Prejudice; Thirdly, Mansfield Park was published in the year of 1814; Fourthly, Emma was published in the year of 1815; Fifthly, Northanger Abbey was published in the year of 1818 after her death; Sixthly, Persuasion was also published in the year of 1818. Jane Austen held the view that women had the equal intellect with men. Women should be provided the equal opportunities to improve their intellect abilities. She wrote the most famous and popularity novel Pride and Prejudice which embodied feminism to a large extent. From the novel, author appealed pay more attentions to women learned knowledge of society and people in that times. What’s more, the education system would be changed in Austen’s time. And the main reason caused gender difference that the education and the whole social context. Feminism had a deeply effect on Jane Austen’s work though there were not sufficient proofs. But we could deduce from some kinds of traces. Such as, Austen’s Pride and Prejudice reflected society rotten and dark at that times and women were difficulty to fight for their rights. Through the development process of several couples’ love and marriage have embodied that women lived rely on marriage or their male families. And author used all kinds of writing methods to reflect women status, liberal, property and intellect once inferior to men in her times. But Austen made heroine had the feminist characters. Austen’s novels from female angle and people don’t neglect her contributions to feminism development.
2. Feminist Images in Pride and Prejudice
2.1 The Image of Elizabeth
Firstly, Elizabeth has the superior wisdom. Due to her father’s knowledge and education, Elizabeth has well literature background. Her spiritual world is rich, which is full of wit and cleverness. She knows a thing or two. She doesn’t like and accepts those so-called educations which embody high society people’s vulgar conversations and gaffe behaviors. Reading and knowledge make her has an independent mind to think on her own. Although Elizabeth isn’t a perfect beauty, the independent thinking character and unique disposition attract others. On the contrary, her young sister Mary reads a lot only has bookish but not clever. And she is more or less tease by others. Elizabeth ignores the decorum and she crosses muddy roads on foot just to see her sick sister in Netherfield Park. And she refuses her father send for the horses.
“No, indeed. I do not wish to avoid the walk. The distance is nothing when one has a motive; only three miles. I shall be back by dinner” (Austen, 2009:26).
Secondly, Elizabeth has courage to protest against the conventions. Comparing with Austen times women, especially compare with Bennet family female members that Elizabeth has the most striking quality of independent rebellion Consciousness. No matter in society or family, she is not to rely on anyone. Her attitudes toward marriage are rational, independent and this can be reflected from refusing the Collins proposal. Although her mother once forced she married Mr. Collins. Elizabeth protests spirit also can be reflected from conversations between her and Darcy’s aunt Lady Catherine. When Lady Catherine asks her sisters and praises her that she has assertive at such little age.
“I think it would be very hard upon younger sisters that they should not have their share of society and amusement because the elder may not have the means or inclination to marry early. The last born has as good a right to the pleasures of youth, as the first. And to be kept back on such a motive!-I think it would not be very likely to promote sisterly affection or delicacy of mind” (Austen, 2009:131).
Those all embodies that Elizabeth’s personal independence and fight for freedom. In fact, because Elizabeth’s own unique opinion of life which conduct her action and win Darcy’s heart. Darcy treats Elizabeth with arrogant attitude which reflects the process of man and woman should communicate in an equal basis.
2.2 The Image of Darcy
Mr. Darcy is a wealthy aristocrat who has a large estate in Derbyshire as well as ten thousand pounds a year. He is a tall, handsome and noble man. At first, he attracts many women’s eyes. But he refuses to dance with many women at the first ball because he is arrogant and fastidious. Thus many people have disgusted him from that time. But the truth is that Darcy is a generous-hearted, liberal and sweetest-tempered person. His fastidious and pride character due to his families fault educate methods. Initially his strong pride prevents him from pursuing Elizabeth and looks down upon her families. However, he final gives in his love impulse so that he changes many and do many things for Elizabeth. Thanks to Elizabeth wisdom so that Darcy can change in many bad aspects. Such as, Darcy treats her families friendly without pride, helps Lydia flee the elope scandal and lets Bingley marry her sister Jane. The more important is that Darcy changes the concept of woman just for pleasing man. He makes equal status with Elizabeth in love and marriage.
2.3 The Images of the Couple of Collins
Mr. Collins is a comic and satirical figure who is not a sensible man in the novel. From childhood he is under his ignorant and stingy father’s indoctrination. He once went to a college, but knowledge didn’t change him into well character. His air is grave and stately, and his manners are very formal. He is a young man believes hierarchy and the most luckily to him are getting the favor of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. So he becomes a clergyman in the parish. He flatters all recognize aristocrats. When he flatters Darcy, he is treated with disgust and despite. But Collins thinks it is some kinds of approves. His shallow Christianity embodies that his criticizes to Lydia without compassion and forgiveness. The most stupid thing is that Collins changes his proposal target from Jane to Elizabeth and final to Charlotte. When he proposes to Elizabeth which presents a kind of material compromise that exchange all natural feelings for economic benefits.
Charlotte is the best friend of Elizabeth and the elder daughter of Sir William Lucas. Charlotte doesn’t love Mr. Collins very much, but they marry because Charlotte is at the age of 27 and will be an old maid. The reason also includes that Charlotte hasn’t a perfect face and body and the age is older. At those times, women do not marry means that they stay in a very bad situation. Although she not has a deeply affection with Mr. Collins, he maybe the best choice for her and her family. Because Collins would inherit all Mr. Bennet’ s property after Mr. Bennet death. But this thing also leads to some cracks between Elizabeth and Charlotte’s friendship. Finally, we can understand this inaptness match is reasonable.
Conclusion
Jane Austen’s feminist consciousness has been clearly analyzed in her masterpiece Pride and Prejudice. First of all, Austen uses woman’s unique observation to describe a small world around her, especially among the ladies marriages and love affairs. The heroine, Elizabeth is full of wisdom and independent of thinking that embodies feminist consciousness. Second, from this book people can find that author main uses female meticulous method to write stories. In Austen works, female always are the first protagonists. In the novel, Austen depicts several of ladies and some subordinate males. She bestows Elizabeth with intelligence, courage and many merit characters. Moreover, many characters are foolish, but that is not affected by gender. This novel presents both woman and man in pursue of happiness love and marriage may make mistakes, and the male and female possess equal amounts of absurdity. At last, Austen knows that reading is the most important standard to the perfect women. To some extent, she also protests the patriarchal system. All of those traces embody that the feminist consciousness in her Pride and Prejudice.

Bibliography
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