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.doc

Charlottes Feminist Declaration- On Jane Eyres Female Consciousness Abstract The Victorian Age was men centered and men cont rolled times. Women were discriminated against by men at that time. However , the ahead of age female consciousness of Jane Eyre , the main character of Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte ,challenged mens authority. In this novel of the Victorian Age, Charlotte exposed and denounced mens oppression of and discrimination against women. On the other hand, Charlotte is remarkable in port raying Jane Eyre as a self respecting and rebellious girl, desiring equality, bravely showing her love and deciding on her own marriage. Through the portrayal, Charlotte set s a new rote model for women of Victorian times as well as modern age. Key words female consciousness ; self-respect ; equalityWhen G. K. Chesterton said,“The novel of the 19th century was female” he must have been referring to the emergence of a number of brilliant woman writer s whose works gave voice to the feelings and aspirations of the educated women of their age. Charlotte Bronte is one of the greatest women writers ,and her Jane Eyre is undoubtedly an out standing womens declaration of independence and love. It is Jane Eyres female consciousness that awakens women and voices womens aspiration for liberation. Jane Eyres female consciousness is far beyond Victorian times. In 19th century, women did not have any status. They were discriminated against and conceived of as people inferior to men. Although womens colleges were established at Cambridge in 1869 and at Oxford in 1879 , women could not take degrees at theuniversity until 1920-1921. At that time , almost the only occupation open to women of good families was teaching as school mist ress or more likely serving as governess in a private family. The Victorian moral code for women was that they should remain ignorant anduneducated. So, novels about young girls who went out alone into the world, suffered various trials, miseries and temptation , and emerged chaste and triumphant had been popular in England for over a century. Charlotte Bronte and her Jane Eyre challenged the old commandment and traditional discrimination to women. That is why Jane Eyre was criticized by some people. Lionel Stevenson said ,“Jane Eyre was an intolerable renegade from all the standards of behavior expected of respectable girls. ”W. A. Craik thought, “The Bronte biography does them a disservice with the reader ,may prevent him from seeing properly are air individual merit s or indeed what is her purpose in writing it . ”However , the praise of Jane Eyre by far outweighs criticism. Most people regarded this book as one of the greatest novels of that time. It was Janes rebelliousness , her dislike of servility , her insistence on equality with her master and her claim that she had a right to feelings and passions that gave the book it s uniqueness and force , shocked many of its early readers and earned popularity among most women. The book also encouraged women to be independent and fight for their own right s. Luo Jing guo said,“Jane Eyre is the first English novel even the most powerful and popular novel , which present s the modern view of womens position in society. ”J ane Eyres female consciousness , which runs through the whole story , can be viewed in two aspect s. One is the exposure and denunciation of mans oppression. The other is the port rayal of J ane Eyres outstanding character .Jane Eyres stories taking place in different stages of her life can be seen as connected by mens oppression to her .The first oppressor is Jane Eyres cousin, John Reed. John, at the age of 14, has become particularly obnoxious , a fat , greedy , unwholesome bully. He regards himself as the future owner of the house. He beat s and insult s Jane at will. Goaded by John ReedsBullying, she hit s back on two occasions, fighting like a mad cat until she is overpowered. Then, she is locked up alone in the red room. Terror as well as anger is always with her when she is in the red room where her own vivid imagination frightens her into a frantic fit . J ane experiences the fir st crisis in life and nearly dies. In the clash between J ane and her cousin ,the writer emphasizes Janes feelings of dread , loathing and despair as the weak when facing unreasonable, illmannered merciless even brutish threat. This description shows exactly small and weak females general sentiment under males maltreatment . When we read the part from Chapter I to Chapter IV , we will sympathize with Janes miserable experience.The second oppressor is Mr . Brocklehurst , the headmaster of Lowood orphanage. The first impression he gives Jane is “What a great nose ! And what a mouth! Just like a brutal bloodsucking animal .Here, Brocklehurst is port rayed as a very severe and hard hearted person who not only keeps the children half starved but prevent s them f rom having normalmental growth. He is meddling , loveless and hypocritical . Brocklehur st thinks it is his duty to punish the eighty girlsbodies in order to save their immortal souls. He does not let them have enough rest . He forces them to cut their long hair and makes them wearthe worst quality , the most ugly clothes. He attempts to kill these poor girls nature of pursuing beauty. He is hostile to women. He calls these girlsbodies “vilebodies”and their natural curled hair “excrescence”. He st rangles these girlsvigor and vitality. These girls almost become machines which can only work and read Bible. Brocklehur sts devastation to these girls is far beyond peoples toleration. Brocklehur st makes the life condition much worse , which causes a lot of deaths including that of Janes best f riend , Helen Burns. Life in Lowood Orphanage may be the most agonizing memory to J ane , but the miserable life gives J ane much more courage and determination to struggle for her right .The third oppressor J ane has met is Mr. Rochester . Most writer s agree that the theme of J ane Ey re isthe search for love. Lawrence has said ,“The novel is revolutionary in it s t reatment of love. ” Rochesters oppression does not come f rom the fact that Rochester want s to marry J ane without telling her his mad wifes story. Here the point is that Rochesters love oppresses J ane and jeopardizes her independence.When they prepare things for marriage , Rochester says he will put the diamond chain“round Jane neck , andcirclet on her forehead , clasped the bracelet s on these fine wrist s , and load her finger s with rings”. He uses visible jewelry to limit Jane invisibly. Jane feels that she is oppressed. She feels Rochesters smile has “such a sultan might , bestow on a slave his gold and gems had enriched ”, and she , herself , just like the east allusion , is without f reedom . J ane knows , facing Rochester , she is no longer as independent as before. J anes heart is always in a state of intense st ruggle . She willingly devotes herself to Rochester , but she still t ries to grasp her own soul . When the secret is discovered ,Rochester hopes that J ane can go with her in the name of love. J ane is nearly shaken. After all ,she keeps her individual soul .In Janes life , she never stops st ruggling against miserable life and misfortune. She hasnt a noble position , an illust rious background , wealth or a beautiful appearance. The only proud thing for her is her self respect which is supported by her self-confidence and her staunch independence. She never expect s that Rochester can love her because she thinks there is a big gapbetween them forever . When they fall in love , J ane has to keep her self-respect and independence in case of losing her self . What she can give to Rochester is only herlove , her infatuation , her spiritual support and nothing else. However , what Rochester gives her is more than her s. He can also improve J ane Eyres social status and increase her wealth. This unequal exchange makes Jane Eyre uneasy. The situation makes her feel that they are not quite equal and her independence is also threatened.The fourth oppressor J ane comes across is the clergyman , St . John Rivers. He is idealistic , very good looking , religious and zealous. He turns egotism and ambition to the service of religion. He uses the name of obligation to oppress J ane and gives J ane spiritual suffering. He does not t reat J ane as a woman or as his future wife , but a slave , a slave of God as well as his. St . John says to J ane ,“Simplify your complicated interest s , feelings , thought s , wishes , aims ;merge all consideration in one purpose that of fulfilling with effect - - with power - - the mission of your great Master . ”Here ,“Master”is capitalized. It seems that“Master”is the God. In fact , St . John uses the word“Master”to refer to his own mission. He regards himself as J anes“Master”. He deprives J ane of all her right s , especially the right s of a woman. J ane is no longer an independent woman , but a doll , a machine.In his eyes. The word“Master”also delicately discovers the most important element of mans attitude to wards woman. St . Johns proposal is even more out rageous than Rochesters , for it involves a spiritual prostitution instead of a physical one. Only when St . John involves Gods name in support of a false idea of marriage does J ane resist ,“If I were to marry you , you would kill me. You are killing me now”. J anes fir st“kill me”indicates that the miserable life in India would dest roy her health and kill her . J anes second“kill me”refer s to St Johns oppression to her spirit .J ane Eyre bravely shows her feelings , but St . John denounces J ane as violent , unt rue and unfeminine. But what is feminine ? Should women always regard man and their husbands as “Master ”? Shouldnt women show their t rue feelings and be rude pendent ?Man forces woman to live and behave as man want s , which really gives women a great oppression.For thousand of year s , women suffer f rom mans oppression and discrimination. John Reed , Brockcehur st Rochester and St John oppress J ane in different ways.They are only some typical examples. By them , Charlotte exposes and denounces mans oppression sharply.The agony women actually suffer may be much more than J anes. Should they always be silent or stand to fight ?J ane Eyre gives a definitely answer . Her stories awaken womens female consciousness. What is a woman like if she want s to fight for her proper right s ?Here , Charlotte answer s the question with the port rayal of J ane Eyres character .All in all , J ane is such a self2respecting , independent and decisive woman. Her female consciousness and her st ruggling experience set a brilliant example for the female worldwide. Her spirit encourages women tofight for liberation. J ane Eyre tells not only what an independent woman is like but also what a successful woman should do. In fact , Charlotte is presenting through the character of J ane some of her own most deeply felt convictions of permanent importance in human life such as the right of the humblest per son to affection ,self2realization , honesty and integrity , the right to speak out f rankly and the claims of morality and religion. J anes long st ruggle to attain these values to become a per son who is admired , respected and cared for without compromising any of her other principles leaves an indelible impression on us. As a great book , J ane Ey re not only awakens it s