AnalysisofJaneAustensFemaleConsciousnessinPrideandPrejudice

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1、论简.奥斯丁的女性意识在傲慢与偏见中的体现Analysis of Jane Austens Female Consciousness in Pride and PrejudiceCONTENTSAbstract in Chinese.Abstract in English.1. Introduction12. Elizabeths Feminist Consciousness.42.1 Elizabeths Attitude toward Love and Marriage42.2 Comparison between Elizabeth and Charlotte52.3 Elizabeth

2、s Negative Attitudes to Her Parents63. Austens Challenge to the Patriarchy.7 3.1 Patriarchal Convention to Womens Education and Marriage7 3.2 Austens Interpretation of Womens Education and Marital Happiness. 4. The Limitation of Feminist Consciousness in Pride and Prejudice.9 4.1 Social Background a

3、nd Womens Situation at Austens Time94.2 Austens Personal Background.10 4.3 Reflections of the Feminist Awareness Limitation in Pride and Prejudice . Conclusion. .13Bibliography 14Acknowledgements 15 摘 要简奥斯丁是文学史上一位出色的女作家，她对当时社会普遍存在的对女性的不平等待遇相当关注，这从她的作品傲慢与偏见中可以得到充分的引证。从女性主义者的角度来看，奥斯汀的女性主义意识是不成熟的。本文第一部

4、分是关于简奥斯汀，傲慢与偏见，女性主义以及与之相关的文学评论。 第二部分重在分析女主人公伊丽莎白不同于她的朋友夏洛特的智慧，她的爱情观和婚姻观，以及她对她父母的失望。 第三部分主要阐述了奥斯汀反对父权向往自由快乐的婚姻。 第四部分探讨了奥斯汀女性意识的局限性。总之，奥斯汀可以被认为是一位早期女性主义者，她的作品对当时女性意识觉醒起到了促进作用。关键词： 女性主义；女性意识；傲慢与偏见ABSTRACTJane Austen is a distinguished writer in literary history. She shows much concern about the unfair

5、treatment towards women in her times, which are implied in Pride and Prejudice.From the viewpoint of feminism, this paper investigates and concludes that Austens feminist awareness is still underdeveloped. Part 1 is a brief introduction of Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, feminism and literature re

6、view. Part 2 analyzes the heroine-Elizabeths intelligence which is different from Charlottes, her attitude toward love and marriage, and her disappointment about her parents. Part 3 demonstrates Austens ideal of felicitous marriage opposite to patriarchal attitude. Part 4 discusses the limitation of

7、 Austens feminist consciousness. All in all, Jane Austen can be regarded as an early feminist; her writing exerts positive influence on the development of feminism in her times.Key words: Feminism; Female consciousness; Pride and Prejudice 1. Introduction Jane Austen is a distinguished writer in lit

8、erary history. In spite of her limited creations, her works are recognized as having high values. As a female writer, she shows much concern about the unfair treatment towards women in her times, and formed a systematic theory of her own. This point has been verified in many of her works. Pride and

9、Prejudice is her representative work. In this story, Jane Austen portrays different characters and different destinations of the gentlewomen at that time. Elizabeth married Mr. Darcy, the man with great property and self-integrity. This novel deeply attached to nearly all readers and occupied an imp

10、ortant place in the world literature. The creation of the character is a proof of Janes affirmative attitude towards female and the rebellious spirit of her own.1.1 Literature ReviewIn the later decades of the twentieth century and the early years of the twenty-first century, the most prominent tren

11、ds in criticism of Pride and Prejudice have derived from the perspectives of literary feminism, including analysis of the novels view of female oppression, its portrayal of the patriarchal society of the time, and its treatment of the possibility, fantasy, and reality of female power. There are a gr

12、eat number of critical essays and books on Austens works, for example, Jane Austen (2001) by Helen Lefroy, Studies of Austen (1985) edited by Zhu Hong, etc. Moreover, Chen Huis “Jane Austen and Feminist Consciousness”, Huang Rongs “A Feminist View of Pride and Prejudice”, “Challenge to the Patriarch

13、y: A Feminist Critique of Jane Austens Novels” by Luo Zhuolin provide us with the valuable evidence of womens struggle. In addition, Monaghan makes a unique and penetrating analysis of the reason of the restriction of womens social functions in Austens works. Ma Xuelins “The Difference and Origin of

14、 Feminist Consciousness between Elizabeth and Jane Eyre” reveals the limitation in Elizabeths feminist view.With the above essays and other relevant sources, Austen manifested her early feminist consciousness, while because of the influence of the periods restriction , her feminist consciousness was

15、 still limited. This paper studies Jane Austens feminist view in Pride and Prejudice by Mary Wollstonecrafts feminism, and concludes the feminist awareness limitation in this novel. Most critics didnt perceive Austen and her works from dialectic perspective, some strongly appreciated Austens feminis

16、t view, but the others denied that Austen was a feminist. This paper indicates the limitation in her feminist consciousness as well as regards Austen as a feminist writer. In that way, it will mild the argument on whether Austen is a feminist writer or not. Part One is the introduction to the paper.

17、 In the next part, the paper describes Elizabeths feminist awareness through analyzing Elizabeths attitude toward love and marriage, and her disappointment to her parents. Then the paper analyzes Austens feminist consciousness through her challenge of patriarchal society in Part Three. In Part Four,

18、 the paper analyzes the feminist consciousness limitation in Pride and Prejudice. The last part concludes Jane Austens feminist awareness is still underdeveloped and indicates the significance of this paper. 1.2A Review to FeminismIn 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft published A Vindication of the Rights of

19、 Women，an early work on feminism, which sparked the first women liberation movement. The first wave of feminism was from the emergence of the womens movement in the Enlightenment at the end of the Second World War. It aimed at fighting for the womens rights and interests. The second wave began in th

20、e late 1960s and lasted through the late 1970s. The feminists in the second wave challenged bias towards women; they believed that women could achieve more in social life than only a housewife. The third wave was from 1970s to the present. A post-structuralist interpretation of gender and sexuality

21、is central to the third wave ideology. More and more professional women struggled against all kinds of prejudice and oppression. Jane Austens novels were highly reviewed in the first feminist wave; Virginia Woolf regarded Austen as a feminist writer. In A Vindication of the Rights of Women, Mary Wol

22、lstonecraft argued that the difference between the man and the woman is not caused by the nature but by the unfair education system (Net.2. Mary Wollstonecraft and Other Contemporaries of Jane Austenhttp:/mural.uv.es/madelro/mary.html ). Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft, living in the same period

23、, had some in common on womens problems. Warren Roberts argues that Austen took a feminist position in her works by criticizing female gentility from a perspective similar with Wollstonecrafts. They both paid more attention to the middle-class women and criticized the negative influence of fortune o

24、n women. “Mary Wollstonecraft understood that some women are, indeed, victimsJane Austen understood all this as well and” (Net.2. Mary WollstonecraftandOtherContemporariesofJaneAustenhttp:/mural.uv.es/madelro/mary.html) Both of them agreed that women had the right to receive education due to their i

25、ntellectual abilities. Austens irony of the gentlemen in her works intensified her ideas that women were not inferior to any men and her strong claim of education for women. Her sense of feminism penetrates all her works and many characters she created. All those indicate that Jane Austen had femini

26、st consciousness.During the transition from the first to the third wave, the feminists penetrated their ideology into the every aspect of the society, covering cultural roles, social and political rights as well as ranging from physical to moral equality. In Austens time, the feminism movement was i

27、n its infant period; therefore, Austens feminist thought didnt develop completely. Her novels manifested that Austen compromised to the patriarchal society. Heroines of Austen “are not self-conscious feminist”; they still restrict by the moral roles in their period (Kirkham, 1983: 84). All above sho

28、ws the feminist thought limitation of Jane Austen. 2. Elizabeths Feminist ConsciousnessIn Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen created a smart woman - Elizabeth Bennet , whose intelligence fully shows Jane Austens feminist consciousness. Elizabeth has different interpretation of love and marriage -pursu

29、it of equality in love and marriage which is distinct from Charlottes understanding. Her disappointment about her parents reveals Elizabeths spirit of independence and her feminist image.2.1 Elizabeths Attitude toward Love and MarriageElizabeth believes in the true love and pursues the felicity of m

30、arriage which is against traditional conventions in patriarchal society. It represents her feminism.Elizabeths father has five daughters; after he dies, his estate would go to his cousin - Mr. Collins. It means that his five daughters will get nothing. Therefore, their mother cares about their marri

31、age greatly, hoping they will marry rich men. Mr. Collins, the inheritor, wants to atone, so he decides to marry one of the daughters. Elizabeth is very attractive to him, and then he proposes to her one morning. She refuses him because she thinks he is a pompous, generally idiotic clergyman. She re

32、plies: “You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world whom would make you so” (Austen, 2006: 93). The refusal of Collins proposal, Elizabeth shows her determination to pursue true love. Yang Lin (2006) comments on Elizabeths this action: her attitude to marria

33、ge shows her wisdom and independence. Elizabeth cant abandon her ideal of marriage for the sake of financial factor. Apart from her refusal of Collinss marriage offer, Elizabeth shows her female consciousness more obviously in her attitude toward Darcy. When Darcy proposes to her at the first time,

34、Elizabeth cant stand his arrogance and his thinking of her willingness to marry him, thus she refuses his proposal regardless of his noble status and large fortune. Refusal of Darcy comes from Elizabeths inborn confidence and self-respect, according to Yang Lin (2006). It is more of a persuasive pro

35、of of Elizabeths advanced view of the marriage, the marriage in which she requires an equal status. At that time, women were deprived of inheritance and discriminated against in employment. It seems that marriage is their only way to survive in the world. Under such circumstances, “most young women

36、pursued a match just for financial reasons or, for their pleasantest preservative from want” (Chen, 2007). Charlotte in Pride and Prejudice is a representative of this kind. Although she dislikes Collinss character, she makes efforts to attract Collins and finally is engages to Mr. Collins. She tell

37、s this engagement to Elizabeth: “I am not romantic.I ask only a comfortable home, and considering Mr. Collinss character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state” (Austen, 2006: 108). C

38、harlotte is more interested in having a comfortable life than mutual love, while Elizabeth pursues an ideal marriage based on love. Determined to her criterion of love and marriage, Elizabeth finds her true love, Darcy, who is also in love with her; two lovers combine together and have happy life in

39、 the end. 2.2 Comparison between Elizabeth and CharlotteOn the one hand, Jane Austen showed her affection of Elizabeth; on the other hand, she criticized Charlottes behavior. Elizabeth protests against the inequality to women, while Charlotte follows the culture roles, ignorant of the unfair treatme

40、nt in the society. Compared with Charlotte, Elizabeths peculiar view and intellect proves her strong female consciousness.Elizabeth and Charlotte are friends, living in similar families and on the same level of social status. But their attitudes are different. After the first meeting with Darcy, Eli

41、zabeth cant stand his pride. She thinks his arrogance hurt peoples self-respect. While Charlotte regards that as a normal occasion for such a rich man: “One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favor, should think highly of himself” (Austen, 2006: 18).

42、 Charlotte holds her conservative conceptions, gives in to the social roles and accepts the unfair treatment (see Du, 2007). Comparing with her, Elizabeth is the woman forerunner who fights bravely against the aristocracy in the history. If Elizabeths abhorrence of Darcy originates in her self-prote

43、ct and self-respect, then her contradiction to Lady Catherine implies her challenge to aristocracy (c.f. Cai, 2006). When Lady Catherine humiliates Elizabeths inferior status, Elizabeth condemns Catherine that she hasnt the right to interfere others issues (Austen, 2006: 298). Considering her husban

44、ds future, Charlotte behaves sycophantically to Lady Catherine and doesnt blame anything on her inurbane comportment. Austen created this pair of converse women: one has advanced thought, the other is ordinary woman restricted by convention. Elizabeth enjoys reading books and studying peoples charac

45、ter rather than singing, dancing and playing piano. When in the drawing-room other young men are playing cards, she prefers reading. Mr. Hurst feels astonished that a lady does “prefer reading to cards”, “that is rather singular” (Austen, 2006: 33). At that period, women are supposed to study piano

46、and singing to please men. Education and intelligence were forbidden. But Elizabeth refuses to spend more time in pleasing men; she thinks ladies must study more to widen their knowledge. Wollstonecraft also argued that “With respect to women, when they receive a careful education, theyhave a shrewd

47、 kind of good sense, joined with worldly prudence, that often render them more useful members of society than the fine sentimental lady” (Net.3.). On the contrary, Charlotte pays all her attention to find a rich husband. To Charlotte, Austen showed her sympathy in the novel, referring to Cai Lanlan

48、(2006). To Elizabeth, Austen said: “I think her as delightful a creature as ever appeared the print, how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least” (Lefroy, 2001: 122).2.3 Elizabeths Negative Attitudes to Her Parents In Pride and Prejudice, Charlottes behavior reflects Elizabeth

49、s distinctive female image from other women; besides, Elizabeths attitudes toward her parents also show her individual consciousness. Elizabeths mother, Mrs. Bennet, is a woman of “mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper” (Austen, 2006: 7). The most important thing in her life i

50、s to get her five daughters well married. But her foolishness makes Elizabeth shameful. When Jane Bennet, Elizabeths elder sister receives an invitation from Miss Bingley for a dinner on a bad-weather day. Mrs. Bennet insists that her daughter ride a horse to Netherfield, scheming Jane will be caugh

51、t in hard rain on the way to Netherfield and fall sick so Jane can stay there longer. Her plan is fulfilled; Mrs. Bennet feels cheerful, while Elizabeth worries about her sister so much that she walks to Netherfield. Mrs. Bennet is so eager to marry her daughters that she makes lots of mistakes. Acc

52、ording to Tian Yuxia (2007), Mrs. Bennet tries hard to marry her daughters to rich and handsome men; the more hastily she acts, the farther she pushes the gentlemen away. Besides Mrs. Bennet doesnt fulfill a mothers duty, Mr. Bennet fails to shoulder the responsibility of a father. When Elizabeth pl

53、eads to him to forbid Lydias visit to Brighton, he only replies: “Lydia will never be easy until she was exposed herself in some public place or other, and we can never expect her to do so with so little expense or inconvenience to her family as under the present circumstance” (Austen, 2006: 193). I

54、f he foresees the consequence of Lydias headstrong visit, the elopement wouldnt happen. However, Mr. Bennet gives up his right of a father in urgency, and humiliation emergences. Furthermore, after Lydias elopement with Wickman, he proves his inability on the incident (see Tian, 2007). He feels angr

55、y and astonished but he doesnt know how to handle the incident. However, Elizabeth performs more like a master of the family, she and Jane ask their uncle to solve the problem and at the same time comfort their father so as to make a proper decision. “Woman is naturally weak or degraded by a concurr

56、ence of circumstances” by May Wollstonecraft (Net.3.), but under some situation, woman like Elizabeth can also perform strongly and intelligently. With the help of Darcy, who saved the fame of Lydia, his family is out of the great trouble. After the scandal, Mr. Bennet doesnt try to change himself.

57、Instead, he still fails to perform the responsibility of a husband and father (see Tian, 2007). The fathers image is likely to be an irony of patriarchy. Elizabeths intelligence and pursuit of ideal marriage are implicit criticism of the limitations of contemporary womens education. Her protesting s

58、pirit is vividly shown in her pursuit of equality. In Pride and Prejudice, it is always Elizabeth who stands on the center of the stage, which assumes that women were inherently as intelligent and rational as men. 3. Austens Challenge to the PatriarchyIn the patriarchal society and family, father wa

59、s always the master. However, in Pride and Prejudice, the father - Mr. Bennet, under Austens pen, loses his authority because of his failure and absurdity. Besides, through expressing her consideration of womens education and marriage, Austen showed her rebellion against patriarchy. 3.1 Patriarchal

60、Convention to Womens Education and MarriageJane Austen was a British realistic novelist. In her lifetime, the aristocratic families and feudal hierarchies are still privileged and powerful. It is very difficult for women of the day to get education and employment. Johnson argued (1988: 76) that youn

61、g women of the genteel classes could not get money except by marrying for it or inheriting it. In the patriarchal society, education on studying the classics was the property of men, while the girls education lay in how to please men. Their goal was to catch mens attention with clothes or cosmetics

62、and to please men, like drawing, singing and dancing. Women were regarded as injudicial and untalented to, so they werent encouraged to receive classic education. Wollstonecraft stated that currently many women are silly and superficial, but this is not because of an innate deficiency of mind but ra

63、ther because men have denied of their access to education (Net.3.).Under such awful circumstances, marriage turned out to be the chief justification of a womans existence. Few women could think deeply and seriously about the true meaning of marriage. Most young women pursued a match just for financi

64、al reason or, for their comfortable storage. Charlotte Lucas is a representative for this situation in Pride and Prejudice. Although she knows clearly that Mr. Collins wasnt agreeable and good, she accepts and even encourages his proposal. According to their engagement, the whole family feels overjoyed. Her parents consider that Mr. Collinss wealth and status match their daughter. Chen Huishan (2007) claims, this is the usual phenomenon of marriage in that time. 3.2 Austens Interpretation of Womens Education and M