英文论文正文文献示范.docx

英文论文正文文献示范.docx

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英文论文正文文献示范

FromDegradationtoDignity:

AnalysisofCelieinTheColorPurple

1.Introduction

TheColorPurple（1982）,writtenbythefamousAfro-AmericanfemalewriterAliceWalker（1944-）,wonthePulitzerPrizeforfictionin1983.SheisthefirstAfro-Americanwomanwhowinsthisaward.Thenovelwasadaptedforfilmin1984bySpielbergandthisadaptationbroughtheraworldwidefameandpopularity.

AliceWalkerwasbornonFebruary9,1944inthesmallruraltownofEatonton,Georgia.ShewastheeighthandlastchildofWillieLeeWalkerandMinnieTallulahGrant,twosharecroppers.Herparents’experienceswiththeoppressivesharecroppingsystemandtheracismoftheAmericanSouthhaddeeplyinfluencedherlife.Violentracismandfamilypovertyhadleftapermanentimpressiononherwriting.

In1965,WalkerwasinvolvedinCivilRightsMovementfollowinghergraduation,whichinfluencedherwritingofhernovels,suchasTheThirdLifeofGrangeCopeland（1970）,Meridian（1976）andTheColorPurple.SheevenmarriedaJewishCivilRightslawyer,MelLeventhal.AnothermovementthatinfluencedherdeeplywastheWomen’sLiberationMovementwhichsheregardedaswhitewomen’smovement.Shebecameinterestedintheconditionsofblackwomenwhosufferedthedoubleoppression---racismandsexism.Thelattercamefromwhitemen,evenfromblackmen.Sherealizedthenecessityforthemtoachievefreedom.SotheconcernofblackwomenandtheimpactofracismandsexismonthembecamethemajorthemesofWalker’snovels.Sheendeavoredtoexploreanidealwayforblackwomentofightagainstracialandsexualdiscriminationandtoestablishtheiridentity.Asaresult,shewroteherfamousnovelTheColorPurple,whichexposedblackmen’ssexualabuseandprejudiceagainstfemaleblacks.ItisthestoryofCelie,apoorSouthernblackwomanwhostrugglestoescapethedegradationofthetreatmentbymen.

ManypeopleabroadareinterestedinAliceWalkerandhernovelTheColorPurple.MelWatkinsregardsitas“strikingandconsummatelywell-written.”（7）DinitiaSmithsuggeststhatthenovelmarksamajoradvanceforWalker’sart:

“becausethebookissuperb,itplacesherinthecompanyofFaulkner,fromwhomsheappearstohavelearnedagreatdeal:

theuseofashiftingfirstpersonnarrator,forinstance,andthepresentationofacomplexstoryfromanaivepointofview.”（183）ThesepositiveremarksrevealthatTheColorPurpleisprobablyWalker’smostartisticallymatureworkwhichtranscendstheboundariesofthefemalegendertoembracemoreuniversalconcernsaboutindividualautonomyandself-reliance.

SimilartotheforeignscholarsandwiththepassionforAmericanminorityliterature,moreandmoreChinesecriticsandscholarsshowgreatinterestinAliceWalkerandherworks.LiuYuanassertsin“TheColorPurpleandAliceWalker’sWomannism”（2006）thatthenovelgivesafullexpressionoftheideologicalemotionofwomannismandavividdescriptionofblackwomen’sstruggleforliberationandequality.In“ThePatternofChanginAliceWalker”（2000）,LiuYingarguesthatthepatternchangeinAliceWalker’sheroinesshowsherunderstandingoftheprocessthatblackwomanmustundergotoachievetheirvision.ZuoYaqinsaysin“TheNarrativeTechniqueofTheColorPurple”（2005）thatthenovel’snarrativetechniquesarehelpfultoexpresstheauthor’sideasuccessfully.

BasedonthepresentknowledgeofforeignanddomesticresearchonAliceWalkerandhernovelTheColorPurple,thisthesisaimstoanalyzethegradualprocessoftheprotagonistCelie’sself-consciousnessfrom apathytoawaking.Itisdividedintofiveparts.PartOnebrieflyintroducesAliceWalker,TheColorPurpleandtheliteraturereviewonthenovel.PartTwofocusesonthepatriarchaldominationoverCelie,includingthatfromherstepfatherandhusband.PartThreedealswithhowCelie’sself-consciousnessbeginstobearoused,withtheencouragement,helpandlovefromShug,SofiaandNettie.Sheescapesthedegradationofthetreatmentbymenandwinsdignityatlast.PartFourdiscussesthechangeoftherelationshipbetweenCelieandherhusbandAlbertfrominequalitytoharmony.PartFive,bysummarizingthecontentsmentionedabove,concludesthatCelieliberatesherselffromthepatriarchaldominationandobtainsfreedomandindependence.AliceWalker’strueintentionofwritingthisnovelistopointoutabrightwayforthefreedomandliberationofblackwomenaswellastheotheroppressedwomenallovertheworld.

2.PatriarchalDominationoverCelie

Patriarchyinitswiderdefinitionmeansthemanifestationandinstitutionalizationofmaledominanceoverwomenandchildreninthefamilyandtheextensionofmaledominanceoverwomeninthesocietyingeneral.Itimpliesthatmenholdpowerinalltheimportantinstitutionsofsocietyandthatwomenaredeprivedofaccesstosuchpower.（Gerda,45）

AnotherdefinitionofpatriarchyisprovidedbyRobinsonVictoria:

“Patriarchyisthepowerofthefathers:

afamilial-social,ideological,politicalsysteminwhichmen---byforce,directpressure,orthroughritual,tradition,law,andlanguage,customs,etiquette,education,andthedivisionoflabor---determinewhatpartwomenshallorshallnotplay,andinwhichthefemaleiseverywheresubsumedunderthemale.”（57）

InTheColorPurple,patriarchaloppressionoverwomencanbeseenthroughthepatriarchaldominationofCelie’sbodyandmindbyherstepfatherandherhusband.

2.1PatriarchalDominationbyCelie’sStepfather

ThestorybeginswithCelie’slettertoGod:

“DearGod,Iamfourteenyearsold.Ihavealwaysbeenagoodgirl.Maybeyoucangivemeasignlettingmeknowwhatishappeningtome.”（3）

Fromthisletter,wecanseeCelieistroubledwithsomethingserious.Laterwelearnthatshehasbeenrapedbyhisstepfatherforyearsfrom14.Sheistoofrightenedtotellanybodyaboutheraffliction,forherstepfatherthreatens:

“YoubetternotnevertellnobodybutGod.It’dkillyourmammy.”（3）Whenshecannotstandthesexualabuseandcries,herstepfatherchokesherandgivesherathreateningcommand:

“Youbettershutupandgetgitusedtoit.”（3）Finally,theconstantsexualabusemakesCelielosechild-bearingability.What’sworse,itleavesanincurablescaronhermind.

Besidessexualabuse,Celiealsosuffersfromherstepfather’sphysicalviolence.Sheisalwaysbeatenbyhimwithafabricatedreason.“HebeatmetodaycausehesayIwinkedataboyinchurch.”（6）“Hebeatmefordressingtrampybuthedoittomeanyway.（9）What’more,herstepfather,withhispatriarchalsuperiorityandpower,forceshertodoallthehouseholdchores.

Underthepatriarchaldominationofherstepfather,Celiehasnosayinherownfate.Whenshefirstgetspregnant,herstepfatherforceshertoquitschool,neverconsideringhowshelovesschool.ThelittleeducationresultsinCelie’sslowself-unconsciousnessofheroppressedsituation.Hermarriageisalsodeterminedbyherstepfather.Whensheis20yearsold,heistiredofherandchoosesAlbert---awidowerwithfourchildren---asherhusband.Celiecallshim“Mr.__”insteadofhisnameAlbert,becauseshedoesn’tunderstandhimatallandisnotwillingtounderstandhim.HerstepfatherdescribeshertoAlbert,“sheugly.Butsheain’tnostrangertohardwork.Andsheclean.AndGoddonefixedher.Youcandoeverythingjustlikeyouwanttoandsheain’tgonnamakeyoufeeditorclotheit.”（10）HiscommentgivesCelie’swould-behusbandsuchanegativeimpressionofherthathewillnotrespectherandevenmaltreatherworsethanhisfather-in-law.

ForCelie,hermarriageisonlyadealbetweentwomen.Celie,likeaslave,ishandedoverfromonemaster（herstepfather）totheother（Albert）.Celiedescribeshermarriagedealinthisway:

“Hesay,Letmeseeheragain.Pacallme,Celie,hesayLikeitwasn’tnothing.Mr.___wantanotherlookatyou.

Igostandindoor.Thesunshineinmyeyes.He’sstilluponhishorse.

Helookatmeupanddown.

Parattlehisnewspaper.Moveup,hewon’tbite,besay

Igotclosertothesteps,butnotooclosecauseI’malittlescaredofhisGorse.

Turnround,Pasay.

Iturnround...

Mr._say,Thatcowstillcoming?

Hesay,Hercow.”（12）

Underthepatriarchaldominationofherstepfather,Celiesuffersfromhisphysicalandsexualviolence.Afterhistirednessofher,hearrangesamarriageforher,which,likeaslave-auctiondeal,isdestinedtobeanothershackleforCelie.

2.2PatriarchalDominationbyCelie’sHusband

Marriagedoesn’tmeanliberationforCeliefromthepatriarchaldomination,forthemasterofherlifetransfersfromherstepfathertoherhusband.Andthetwomenaresurprisinglythesameinthewayoftreatingwomen.

ForAlbert,Celieisjustanobjectforhissexualdesire.Asshesays:

“heneverastmenothingaboutmyself.Heclamontopofmeandfuckandfuck,evenwhenmyheadbandaged.”（97）“MosttimesIain’tthere.Heneverknowthedifference.NeverastmehowIfeel,nothing.Justdohisbusiness.”（68）Undoubtedly,Celieneverenjoyssexualorgasmanditisimpossibleforhertohaveinitiativeinsex.

Meanwhile,AlbertlikesbeatingCelie.Hetakesitforgrantedtobeatherwithoutfeelingguilty.Whenhisson,Harpo,askshimwhyhebeatsher,hesays:

“causeshemywife.Plus,shestubborn.”（22）HealsoeducatesHarpothat“wivesislikechildren.Youhavetolet’emknowwhogottheupperhand.Nothingcandothatbetterthanagoodsoundbeating.”（34）

AlbertalsoabusesCeliespiritually.Inhiseyes,Celieisofnobeauty,dignityorvalueatall.WhenhissistersuggestsbuyingsomeclothesforCelie,heanswers:

“sheneedclothes?

”and“helookatme.Itlikehelookingattheearth.”（20）Afterseein