《荆棘鸟》中的女性形象

题目：_《荆棘鸟》中的女性形象摘要澳大利亚女作家考琳·麦卡洛的《荆棘鸟》以凝重的笔调为我们讲述了克利里家族传奇式的家世史。她通过克利里家的沧桑和感情里程为我们揭示了这样一个道理：真正的爱和一切美好的东西是需要以难以想象的代价去换取的。本文主要叙述了克利里家族三代人中三位女性的生活经历和情感经历，三位女性就像三只荆棘鸟，为了追求自己的幸福，她们踏上了一条布满荆棘的爱情之路，虽然他们最终失败了，但她们一生都在为寻找属于自己的那棵荆棘树而奋斗着。关键词：荆棘鸟女性爱情形象ContentsAbstract(inEnglish)…………………..…IAbstract(inChinese)...………………….III.Introduction..…………….……..……1A.IntroductionoftheAuthor................................................................1B.IntroductionoftheStroyandTheme...............................................1II.TheSilentThornBird--Fiona………2III.TheStrugglingThornBirds--Meggie…………...............................3IV.TheIndependentandGetvestedthornbirds--Justine……………4V.Conclusion...........................................................................................5VI.Bibliography.......................................................................................6VII.Acknowledgements...........................................................................7

TheImageofTheWomeninTheThornBirdsI.IntroductionAIntroductionoftheAuthorMcCulloughwasborninWellington,inoutbackcentralwestNewSouthWales,in1937toJamesandLaurieMcCullough.Duringherchildhood,herfamilymovedaroundagreatdeal,andshewasalso"avoraciousreader".HerfamilyeventuallysettledinSydney,andsheattendedHolyCrossCollege,havingastronginterestinthehumanities.Beforeenteringtertiaryeducation,shepreviouslyearnedalivingasateacher,librarian,andjournalist.InherfirstyearofmedicalstudiesattheUniversityofSydneyshesuffereddermatitisfromsurgicalsoapandwastoldtoabandonherdreamsofbecomingamedicaldoctor.Instead,sheswitchedtoneuroscienceandworkedinRoyalNorthShoreHospitalinSydney.In1963shemovedforfouryearstotheUnitedKingdom;attheGreatOrmondStreethospitalinLondon,shemetthechairmanoftheneurologydepartmentatYaleUniversitywhoofferedheraresearchassociatejobatYale.McCulloughspenttenyearsfromApril1967to1976researchingandteachingintheDepartmentofNeurologyattheYaleMedicalSchoolinNewHaven,Connecticut,UnitedStates.ItwaswhileatYalethatshewroteherfirsttwobooks.Thesuccessofthesebooksenabledhertogiveuphermedical-scientificcareerandtotryand"liveonherownterms"Inthelate1970s,afterstintsinLondonandConnecticut,USA,shefinallysettledontheisolationofNorfolkIslandinthePacific,whereshemetherhusband,RicRobinson(thenaged33),whomshemarriedon13April1983(shewasaged46).McCulloughisamemberoftheNewYorkAcademyofSciencesandisafellowoftheAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience.Shehasalotoffamousworks,suchas,TheThornBirds(1977),TheLadiesofMissalonghi(1987),TheIndependenceofMissMaryBennet(2008),andsoon.Besides,her2008novelTheIndependenceofMissMaryBennetengenderedcontroversywithherreworkingofcharactersinJaneAusten'sPrideandPrejudice.BintroductionofthestoryandthemeAustralianwomanwriterColleenMcCullough'smasterpieceTheThornBirdswaspublishedin1977,causedagreatsensationintheworldafterthepublication,knownasAustralia'sGonewiththeWind.Thenovelhasbeenabletocausesucharesponse,becausethenovelisnotonlyaboutthefrustratinglovestory,butalsotellsthestoryofthreegenerationsoftheClearyfamilylifeexperiencesandemotionalexperience.Inthenovel,theauthorportraysthreefemaleswhodaretoagainstfate,societyandMoralethics.Withthisimageofthreewomen,theauthorrevealstousatruth:trueloveandallthegoodstuffneedunthinkablethingstoexchangeit.ThenovelofTheThornBirdsislovedbymanyreadersintheworld,butinthefieldofliterarystudies,fewscholarswouldliketoresearchit,anddidn’tattractenoughattention.Inpreviousstudiesscholarsmostlypayattentiontoitsheroandheroine'simageandanalyzetheirlovestorycomments,theseareparsedfromatsomepoint,justaboutindividualcharactersormoralanalysis,itisdifficulttograspthethemeofworks.Thispaperattemptstothroughthreewomen'semotionalexperience,lifeexperience,personalityandotheraspectstoanalyzethreeuniquewomen,toshowthethreeindependentwomendaretoagainstthefateandsocialcustoms.II.Thesilentthornbird--FionaFionaisthefirstthornbirdwhostunthethornintoherchestinhertheClearyfamily.Duringinpursuitofthethornbirds,shealsostrivedandfoughtforherhappiness,butherthestruggleisshort,sheeventuallycompromisetothefateandbecameasilentthornbirds,andshethroughthewholelifesilently.Atayoungage,FionafellinlovewiththemarriedmanPakeha,thisisawrongchoicefromthebeginningforFiona.“Shewasasilentwoman,notgiventospontaneousconversation.Whatshethought,nooneeverknew,evenherhusband”[1]Sheisahardworkinghousewife,butwhocanimaginethatsheusedtobewell-bredgirlfromanhonorablefamily,andmarriesthepoorhiredherdsman─Paddy.Itgoeswithoutsayingthatshehascontractedashockingmesalliance.Whatisworse,shedoesn’tlovePaddy,butshedeeplylovesanotherhandsomemarriedman,namedPakeha,withwhomshehasthesonFrank.FionathinksthemaniseverythingPaddyisn’t─cultured,sophisticated,verycharming.Sheloveshimtothepointofmadness,andshethinksshewillneverloveanyoneelse.However,heisimpossibletomarryher,thoughtheyhaveason,sosheisforcedtomarryPaddybyherfamily.Itisalegalmarriagebutwithoutlove.AlthoughPaddyloveshersomuchandtrieshisbesttomakeherhappy,sheneverfeelshappy,andshealwayskeepssilent,whichmeanssheneverbelongstoPaddyuntilhisdeath.Amongthefamilymembers,sheonlylovesFrank,orlovesFrankmorethantherestofothersputtogether,becausesheloveshisfather.Inthefamily,Frankisheronlyspiritualmainstay,buthecannotgetalongwithPaddywell.

Shekeepsherselffoldedupwithquietness,andatotalundemonstrativeness.Infact,FionahasledanimpassiblelifesincesheleftFrank’sfatherandlostherlove.WhenshelosesFrank,itmeansthatshelosesallherhope.

ThereisnodoubtthatFrank’sfatherisherlongestspine,forherlifelosescolorswithouthim.Thelovebetweenherandhimissotransient,yetsheputsinallherlifeforit.SheknowsthatPaddyhasn’tbeenthemanofherchoice,butabettermanthanPaddyneverlives.ThemomentshehearsthatPaddydiedunexpectedlyinthefire,shesuddenlysensesthatsheloveshim,likeallofherlife.Butitistoolateforhim,andtoolateforher,asshehaswallowedintheformerdelusionsolongandleavesittoolate.Finally,shechoosestogetherselfunderthatironcontroloncemore,asifsheisdeterminedtoelongateherperiodsofdarknessuntilthelightshiresnomoreinherlifetime.Sheisreallyaveryunhappywomanwhocannotlivewiththemansheloves,andlosesthemanwholovesher.Sheisanunfortunatewomanbysheherselfwords.III.TheStrugglingThornBirds--MeggieBeingthecentralcharacterinthenovel,Meggie’slifeistheparttowhichtheauthorgivesmostofherdetaileddescription.MeggieisthesecondgenerationoftheClearyfamily.Shewasbornin1911andlivedmostofherlifeinAustralia.Atthattime,Australiawasanewcountrywithonlyabout120yearsofhistory.Inthisyoungcountry,asmostofitssettlerscamefromtheBritishmodel.So,Meggie’sfatewasnotbasicallychanged.Sheexperiencedlove,pain,despair,escapeandself-examination.Howeverharditis,shelivesherlifewithastrongwilltoexpressherwishesandtopursueherdreamoflife.Meggiewasabeautifulandpuregirlandwasfulloffemininity.InRalph--herlover’seyes,Meggiehadaperfectfemalecharacter.Whensheisnineyearsold,shemovestothevastAustraliansheepstation─DroghedafromNewZealandwithherfamily,whichreallychangesherfateandbringsheranewlife.ThefirsttimeRalphmeetsher,shebeginstotugathisnonexistentheart,thoughsheisonlynineyearsoldwhileheisalreadytwenty-eightyearsold.Maybeatthebeginning,Meggiejustviewshimasacherishedelderbrother,forheisgladtodoeverythingthathermother,herfatherandherbrotherscan’tdoforher,andshedependsonhimsomuch.Asshegrowsup,heradorationofFatherRalphhasturnedintoanardent,verygirlishcrush.ButafterMary’sdeath,hechoosestoobeyMary’sarrangementtorealizehisdreamandgiveupMeggiebymarryingtotheChurch.Sheknowsitisforbiddentohaveapriestashusbandorlover,andRalphcan’tloveherasahusbandandwillneverabandonhisjobasapriest,butshestilldreamsofhim,yearnsforhimandwantshim.However,besideslove,shethinksshealsoneedsahusbandandbabies,andsheconsidersthatthoughshemeanslittletoRalph,thereisstillsomemanwholovesherbeforeallelse.Shebelievesthatnotallmenlovesomeinanimatethingmorethantheycanloveawoman.Therefore,shemarriesLuke,mostlybecauseLukelookslikeRalphsomuch,whichcanremindherofRalph,andwillgiveherchildrensimilarintypetothoseshemayhavehadwithRalph.ButshedoesnotloveLukeatall,andsheisnotabletofallinlovewithhim,assheneverweakensherdeeploveforRalph.Becauseofthecelibacyofpriests,shehastogoawayfromRalph,makeherhomeandherlifewithanotherman,andhavesomeoneelse’sbaby.SoshebecomestohatetheChurch’simplicationthatherlovingRalphorhislovingheriswrong.Whatisworse,toherdisappointment,Lukedoesnotneedher,either.Heneverrespectsherfeelings.However,afterhavingthedaughterofLuke─Justine,shewantstogiveherdaughterarealfamily.AssumingthatthelovetoRalphcan’toccur,shewillhavetoloveherchildren,andtheloveshereceiveswillhavetocomefromthosechildren,soshetriesforgettingRalphandpersuadingherselfthatRalphisthepast.

AfterDane’sfuneral,Ralphconsequentlydiesinherarms.TheystealwhathehasvowedtoGod,andtheyhavetopay,whichisafatalattacktoMeggie.Shesufferssomuch,anditseemsthatshefailsandisunhappy,yetsheisreallyagreatandsuccessfulwoman.Inhereyes,thetragediesareacomfort,oncethepaindiesdown,“Ididitalltomyself,Ihavenooneelsetoblame.AndIcannotregretonesinglemomentofit.”[3]Sheknowswhatshewantsandtriesherbesttopursueit,inspiteofhighexpense,andherinimitablevoiceissoplaintiveandsacred.Meggie’slifeisalifefullofstruggle.Shefightsfortruelove.Shefightsforahappymarriage.Allthesearedoneconsciously.Thoughshefailstohaveasuccessfulmarriage,shehasneverregrettedforwhatshehasdone.Meggietakesthetruepathtotrueselfhood--“awayofactionandofself-expression”.Fromafeminist’sperspective,it’sasignificantthingforMeggietoconsciouslyfightagainstGodtheprincipleofapatriarchalsocietyaswomenareusually“blindandentertainingamorecalculatedbadfaith”.ThissymbolizesthevigorousdevelopmentofMeggie’sfemaleconsciousnessinthemale-centeredsociety.[4]IV.Theindependentandgetvestedthornbirds--JustineJustine,isMeggieandLuke’sdaughter.Comparedwithhermotherandhergrandmother,Justinelivesinanewage,andismoreenlightenedthanthem.What’smore,shehasherownlifestylethatshewillnotliketohavechangedbyothers,whichusuallycannotbeunderstoodbyherfamily.InDrogheda,Danegetsfarmoreemotionfromthefamily,especiallytheirmotherthanJustine,whothinksshewillneverloveanyoneandneedother’slove.Butactuallyshelongsforloveinherheartofhearts,andthereasonshepretendstobeindifferenttoloveisthatsheisterrifiedofcommittingherselftothekindoflovewhichmarriagewillentail.Sheonlychoosestostandonthestagetomakeherfullemotionsrelease.However,becauseofheryoungerbrotherDane’sdeath,sheplungesintoahelplessnessanddistress,whichurgeshertorecognizeherselfagainandtoreflecthowtotreatherlifeagain.Finally,shebecomesbravetoconfrontandacceptherloveandherloverRainer.It’sthesuccessofthefemale’sstruggleforafreelife.V.ConclusionFiona,MeggieandJustinearethreetypical