现代大学英语精读5Lesson4ProfessionsforWomen课件

ProfessionsforWomenVirginiaWoolfLOGOTheVictorianideologyofFemininityTheFrenchphilosopherJeanJacquesRousseau,whosedemandsforhumanlibertyhadbeeninfluentialuponanumberofmovementsforpoliticalreform,forcefullyarticulatedsomeofthemostrestrictivetenetsofwhatcanbecalledthenineteenthcentury’sideologyoffemininity.Thewholeeducationofwomenoughttoberelativetomen.Topleasethem,toconsolethem,andtomakelifesweetandagreeabletothem–thesearethedutiesofwomenatalltimes,andwhatshouldbetaughtthemfromtheirinfancy.’

TheVictorianideologyofFemininity

Theidealwomenhethusenvisioned–apure,decorous,andevenangeliccreature–wasonlyoneparticularlynotablerepresentativeofastandardagainstwhicheverymiddle-andupper-classwoman’sconductwasmeasured,andotherwriters,femaleaswellasmale,elaborateduponthevirtuesofsuchanideal.In1854,inalongandverypopularpoem,‘TheAngleintheHouse’,CoventryPatmoredescribedsuchselflessnessmoreextravagantly,

Manmustbepleased,buthimtoplease Iswoman’spleasure;downthegulf Ofhiscondolednecessities Shecastsherbest,sheflingsherself….ThemodelwomanwasanangeloraqueenShemustappeardelicate,frail,ethereal.Shemustlookandactlikeafragilecreature.Agoodwomanwasessentiallypassionless:ifmenwerebeastsruledbysexualdesire,theirpurewivesanddaughtersknewnothingofsuchmatters.Itwasgenerallyagreedthatonherweddingnight,theangelicvirginshouldinonewayoranotherbehaveasQueenVictoriawassaidtohave:closehereyesandthinkofEngland.Otherwise,awomanwasindangerofbecominga‘fallenwoman’.At15,burnedearlywritingbecauseherstepmotherfeltthatareputationforscribblingwouldharmthegirl’smarriageprospectsandbecausesheherselfwasearlyimpressed‘withideasthatfasteneddegradationtothisclassofcomposition’then,asnow,calledthenovel.Evelina(1778)‘Exploredthesocialdevelopmentofaheroinewhoprovesherselfworthyofherwell-bornsuitor’.Cecilia;orMemoirsofanHeiress(1782)‘Analysizedthesocialandeconomicproblemsofwomen’Triedtoraisethestatusofthenovelbycombiningverisimilitudewithinstructions.FannyBurney(1752–1840)

AphraBehn(1640–1689)Spyandplaywright,travelerandwit,AphraBehnwasEngland’sfirstprofessionalwomanwriter.Inaagewhenmanywomenofletterswereintellectualaristocratswhoclaimedtowriteonlyforpleasureand‘fame’amongtheirfriends,Behnwasamiddle-classwidowwhofranklywroteformoneyandpublicacclaim.In1666,sheenteredtheintelligenceserviceofKingCharlesII,whensuchpublictoilsofstateaffairswereunusualwithhersex.Shecarriedouthermissionremarkablywell,butwasneverpaidproperly.Sosheendedupspendingsometimein1668inaLondondebtors’prison,whichdecidedheruponwhatwas,forawoman,anunprecedentedstep:writingformoney.Shebecameaprofessionalandhighlyproductiveplaywright.HarrietMartineau(1802-1876)

Shewasmorerigorouslyandformallyeducatedthanmostwomenofhertime.ShewasprecociouslyandindependentlyinterestedineconomictopicsHerfather'sdeathin1826forcedhertosupporthermotherandherselfbyneedleworkandwritingfortheGlobeoneconomictopicssuchasmachineryandlabor.

IllustrationsofPoliticalEconomy,1832-34IllustrationsofTaxation,1834. SocietyinAmerica,1837. RetrospectofWesternTravel.

Deerbrook,1839.JaneAusten(1775-1817)Shedefinedherselfasawriterbyself-consciouslysatirizingnotonlythefemaletraditioninliteraturebutalsoitseffectsonthegrowthanddevelopmentofthefemaleimagination.Shecomicallycriticizedtheovervaluationoflove,themiseducationofwomen,thesubterfugesofthemarriagemarket,therivalryamongwomenformaleapproval,thefemalecultofweaknessanddependency,thediscrepancybetweenwomen’sprivatesphereandpublic(male)history.GeorgeEliot(1819-1880)Eliotwasawarethatheridentificationwithmasculineachievementthreatenedtoundermineherconsciousnessofherselfasawoman.‘Youmaytry,butyoucannotimaginewhatitistohaveaman’sforceofgeniusinyou,yettosuffertheslaveryofbeingagirl.’,saidaheroininhernovel.QuestionsWhatproblemsdoestheauthordiscussthroughhertwoexperiences?Whatfigurativedeviceswereemployed?Whataretheadvantagesforusingmetaphors?Whatwouldleftliterallywithoutthemetaphors?AndwhileIwaswritingthisreview,IdiscoveredthatifIweregoingtoreviewbooksIshouldneedtodobattlewithacertainphantom.Andthephantomwasawoman,andwhenIcametoknowherbetterIcalledheraftertheheroineofafamouspoem,

TheAngelintheHouse.Inthosedays–thelastofQueenVictoria–everyhousehaditsAngel.Sheslippedbehindmeandwhispered…Andshemadeasiftoguidemypen.Iturneduponherandcaughtherby

thethroat.Ididmybesttokillher.Myexcuse,…wouldbethatIactedinself-defence.HadInotkilledhershewouldhavekilledme.Shewouldhavepluckedtheheartoutofmywriting.Thus,wheneverIfelttheshadowofherwingortheradianceofherhalouponmypage,Itookuptheinkpotandflungitather.Shediedhard.KillingtheAngelintheHouseI,awomanwriterwhowantstoreviewaman’snovel.Ihaveamindofmyown.IhavefivehundredpoundsayearsothatIdon’thavetodependsolelyoncharmformyliving.IwanttoexpresswhatIthinktobethetruthabouthumanrelations,morality,sex.TheAngelintheHouse,aModelwomanrepresentingtheVictorianideologyoffemininity.‘Besympathetic;betender;flatter;deceive;usealltheartsandwilesofoursex.Aboveall,bepure.’Sheneverhasamindorwishofherown.Thesequestionscannotbedealtwithfreelyandopenlybywoman.KillingtheAngelintheHouseCamebetweenmeandmypaper.BotheredmeandwastedmytimeandtormentedmeShadowofherwingsfellonmypage;therustlingofherskirtsintheroomSlippedbehindmeandwhisperedWouldhavekilledme;wouldhavepluckedtheheartoutofmywriting.Diedhard.Herfictitiousnaturewasofgreatassistancetoher.Shealwayscreptback.Iturneduponherandcaughtherbythethroat.Ididmybesttokillher.Iactedinself-defence.Itookuptheinkpotandflungitather.Idispatchedher.It’sfarhardertokillaphantomthanareality.IflattermyselfthatIkilledherinthe

end.Doabattlewithaphantom.Thephantomwasawoman….theAngelintheHouseWiththismetaphor,theauthorinvitesustolookatherstruggletofreeherselffromtheVictorianideologyoffemininityasaseverebattlebetweenenemies.Andtheenemyhascomplicatednatures.Describingtheenemyasaphantom,sheallowsthereadertoimaginethegreatdifficultyinfightinganintangibleenemy.BypersonifyingthetraditionalideologyoffemininityastheAngelinthehouse,theauthorleftapowerfulimpressionuponthereader,fortheycanfeelitsexistenceanditseachandeverymovement.Meaningof‘ArtsandCats’Arts: 1.Sheexcelledinthedifficultartsoflife. 2. Usealltheartsandwilesofoursex. 3. Idonotbelievethatanybodycanknowuntilshehasexpressed herselfinalltheartsandprofessionsopentohumanskill.Cat: 1. ButtoshowyouhowlittleIdeservetobecalledaprofessional woman,…Iwentoutandboughtacat–abeautifulcat,a

Persiancat. 2. WhatcouldbeeasierthantowritearticlesandtobuyPersiancatswiththeprofits? 3. Imadeonepoundtenandsixbymyfirstreview;andIboughta Persiancatwiththeproceeds.ThenIgrewambitious.APersian catisallverywell,Isaid;butaPersiancatisnotenough.I musthaveamotorcar.questionsWhatisanovelist’sstateofmind?Whydoestheauthorusethemetaphoroffishingtodescribeherstateofmind?Inwhatwaydoestheimageofafishermanatadeeplakefitthesituationofawomanwriter?Whatwastheproblemdiscussedinthesecondexperience?Thefishermanatadeeplakeperfectlyfitsthesituationtheauthoristryingtodescribe.Outwardly,thelakeappearsdeadlycalm,andthefishermansunkindreams–calm,too.Beneaththesurfaceofthewater,therearebigfishaswellashardstones,hiddenindarkness.Thelinemaygodeepintothewatertocatchthebiggestfishor,tocrashonahardrock.Insidethefisherman/writer,thereareconflictingthoughts.Thatis,thefreestimaginationthat,accordingtotraditionalthinking,shouldbeheldprivatelyandnotdealtwithinpublic,aswellastheawarenessoftheconsequencesofrevealingtheimaginationtothepublic.Throughthismetaphorthereaderperceivesthatthetruthaboutbodyandpassionandsexisforcedintodarknes