英美文学笔记.docx

英美文学笔记.docx

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英美文学笔记

AnAnalysisofFemaleCharacterMissHavishamin

GreatExpectations

Abstract：

CharlesDickens，oneofthegreatest19thcriticalrealisticwriters，isarenownedEnglishwriterallaroundtheworld．Heandhisworkshavegreatimpactontheentireliteraryworld.GreatExpectationsishispost-stagework,whichisanovelofeducationanddescribesthegrowthandpersonaldevelopment.ItshowsDickens’sharpcriticismtotheupper-classsocietyofEngland.ThefemalecharacterMissHavishaminGreatExpectationsisoneofthemostimpressivecreationsofCharlesDickens,andthedescriptionofthistragiccharacterMissHavishamdisplaysthecorruptionofmoneytohuman’srelationship.MissHavishamlivesadarklifebecauseofherjiltingbyherfianc.Sheisanexampleofsingle-mindedvengeancepursueddestructively.TetragicfateofmissHavishamisanalyzedfromtheaspectsofthesociety,familyandherself,aimingatrevealingthetragicstatusandendingsoffemalesintheVictorianEnglandunderthemale-centeredsociety.

Keywords：

tragicfate;made-centeredsociety;femaleposition

1.Introduction

ThefemalecharacterMissHavishaminGreatExpectationsisthemostmemorableandvividcreation.ThroughtheportrayalofMissHavisham,Dickensshowsusthefemales’positionandfateintheVictorianEnglandunderthemale-centeredsociety.InVictorianAge,themostagreeablefemaleimageshouldbethe“Angelinthehouse”,whichmeanswomenshouldbefeminine,loyal,virtuousandpure.Theyweresubjecttomanandneededtheprotectionofman.Forwomen,theirhusbandsandfamilymeanthewholethingintheirlifeandtheyhadnovoiceinthefamily.AlthoughMissHavishaminGreatExpectationshassomedifferencesonthispoint,sheisstillaffectedbythetraditionalimage.InGreatExpectations,MissHavishamandherstrangedress,lifestyleandbehaviorattractthereadersgreatly.Mostpeopleregardherasahatefulperson.However,sheisatragicpersonworthyofsympathy.Inthispaper,thereasonsofthistragiccharacterwillbeanalyzedthroughstudyingthesociety,familyandMissHavishamherself.Inthisway,wecanhaveanobjectiveandall-roundunderstandingofthisimage.

2.LiteratureReview

2.1InternationalStudies

GreatExpectationsisDickens’slaterandmaturework.ItwasforalongtimeclassifiedasabookabouttheVictorianAge,andDickens,thespokespersonfortheage,attractingmanycriticsandreviewers.

InGreatExpectations,thedistinctivecharacterMissHavishamattractscrities’andresearchers’attention,thearticlesathomereferredtotheanalysesonthecharacterandimageofGreatExpectationsarenumerous.Inatypicalstudyofthistype,（Li,2007）suggestedthatMissHavishamisavictimofcomplexforceswhichfromherfamilyandthebourgeoissociety.WhereassomecriticsfeelthatMissHavishamhasherownlimitations,as（Cai,2006）claimedthatherinsaneactionsdon’tstartfromherabnormalpsychologybutherdoublepersonality.

“ThewesterncriticsforalongtimefocustheircommentonthethemeandcharactersofDickens’snovels.”Mostcriticismsaretraditionalcriticism,whichhighlightthefactorsoutsidetheliterarytext.PuttingMissHavishaminpsychologicalandsociologicalcircumstancesforanalysis,PsychoanalyticcriticismconcentratesontherelationshipbetweenthedevelopmentofMissHavishamandsocialcircumstances.

GreatExpectations“attractstheattentionofscholarscomingfromawidevarietyofcriticalapproaches：

feminist,newhistoricist,psychoanalytic.Anddeconstructionist,aswellasfrommoretraditionalhistoricalandformalistperspectives.”Withthedevelopmentoffeministmovementandfeministliterarycriticism,critiesandresearchers,nationallyandinternationally,havepaidmuchattentiontostudyingthewomencharactersinGreatExpectations.ButthestudiesonfemalecharacterMissHavishamofGreatExpectationsarestillnotenough.ThusthepaperwillanalyzethemostmemorableheroineMissHavishamfromthefeministpointofviewinGreatExpectations.

ThemadvengefulMissHavishamisawealthy，eccentricolddowagerwholivesinarottingmansioncalledSatisHouse．Sheismanicandoftenseemsinsane，flittingaroundherhouseinafadedweddingdress，keepingadecayingfeastonhertable．andsurroundingherselfwithclocksstoppedattwentyminutestonine．MissHavishamisnotexactlyabelievablecharacter，butsheiscertainlyoneofthemostmemorablecreationsinthebook．MissHavisham’slifeisdefinedbyasingletragicevent：

herjiltingbyCompeysononwhatwastohavebeentheirweddingday．Fromthatmomentforth．MissHavishamisdeterminednevertomovebeyondherheartbreak．ShestopsalltheclocksinSatisHouseattwentyminutestonine，themomentwhenshefirstlearnedthatCompeysonwasgone，andshewearsonlyoneshoebecausewhenshelearnedofhisbetrayed，shehadnotyetputontheothershoe．Withakindofmanicandobsessivecruelty，MissHavishamadoptsEstellaandraisesherasaweapontoachieveherownrevengeonmen．MissHavishamisanexampleofsingle-mindedvengeancepursueddestructively；bothherselfandthepeopleinherlifesuffergreatlybecauseofherquestforrevenge．MissHavishamiscompletelyunabletoseethatheractionsarehurtfultoPipandEstella．SheisredeemedattheendofthenovelwhensherealizesthatshehascausedPip’shearttobebrokeninthesamemannerasherown；ratherthanachievinganykindofpersonalrevenge，shehasonlycausedmorepain．

AsMissHavishamisacomplexcharacterwitharichsoul，throughtheinterpretationofMissHavisham’ssoul，wecanhaveabetterunderstandingofDickens’lifeandwhat’smoreimportant，wecanobtainknowledgeofsocialconflictandwomen’sheartin19thVictorianera．

2.2DomesticStudies

AlthoughtheVictorianAgemeetsamaterialprosperity，thepolarizationofwealthiswideningandtheclasscontradictionisbecomingmoreserous，andthisresultinthecorruptionofmoneytohuman’srelationship．Andthemarriage，love，courts，jailsetcarebased0nthis．MissHavishamisjustthevictimofthissociety．Livedintheupperclass，thesimpleandproudMissHavishamfellinlovewithCompeysonmadly，buthowshecouldknowCompeysonjustlovehermoney．Sowhenshewasjiltedbyherfiancminutesbeforeherwedding，shecouldn’tfacethefactbutlivedagloomylifefromthenon．Andshesufferedgreatlyfromthepainofloveandherquestforrevenge．TheVictorianAgeisamale-centeredsociety，theideathatwomenshouldbesubjectivetomenrootsinwomen’smind．Theconceptofmaledominatesforalongtime，whichcauseswomenacceptthestereotypesubconsciously.Andinordertorealizewomen’svirtueandmoralitytofitforthestandardofmale-centeredsociety,womenshoulddevoteeverythingeventheirlives．Insuchasociety，womencan’tbeindependentfrommen；theirfragilesoulsmakethemunabletofacethelife’ssufferingstaunchly．ThusthetragedyofMissHavishamisinevitable．

During1940sinEngland，thereappearedalargenumbersofbooksonwomen’srole，whichclaimthatthewoman’sdutyistobeagoodwifeandagoodmother，andfamilyisthebestplaceforawomantodisplay．Virtuouswomenshouldbesubmissiveandimpeccable；theirtaskistopleasetheirhusband，toleranttheirwarmthandviolenceelegantly，understandandaccepttheirtastes．Theconceptonfamilyandwomenofmiddle-classiswidespreadinthesocietythroughnewspapersandbooks．ThegenderperspectiveandfamilyconceptoccupyadominantpositioninVictorianera，whichhasdifferentdegreesofimpactonthevarioussocialclasses．Undertheinfluenceofsuchsocialtrends，marriagehasbecomewomen’slifecoordinate．Tothevastmajorityofmiddle-classwomen，theirfatescompletelydependonthemarriage，whichistheironlywayout．Besides，thepuritanicaltraditionalconceptshaveforcedwomentoaccepttheviewonthesenseofnurturingwomen．Theydevotethemselvestothepursuitofdevoutnessandpurity；totheself-moldingofelegant，pure，gentleandobedientwomen．Infamily，womenplayanactiveroleofvirtuouswifeandgoodmothertakingcareoftheirfamilyandrearingchildren．However，thisVictoriaspirithasitsduality．AlthoughinVictorianagewomenhavebeenrespectedinthefamily，itisvoid．Instead，itislimitedupbythesaying“Angelinthehouse”．Inmarriage，thedominantpositionofhusbandisstillsupportedbythelawandwomenhavenomoneyandonpower．

FamilyalsoplaysapivotalroleinGreatExpectations，BiddyandJoe’swarmandharmonyfamily，Wemmick’scastleawayfromthenoiseofsecularandMatthew’sfamily．ComparedwiththedarkanddesertedSatisHouseofMissHavisham，thishashighlightedMissHavisham’ssadfate．Borninanaristocraticfamily，MissHavishamshouldbeaprettyproudyounglady，butherfailedmarriagemadeherlosethehopeofsurvivalandcourage.Thereforeoneprosperedmanorhasbecomeintoadrab，1ifeless1andofdecadence．Thatshecouldnotbeartheblowiscloselyconnectedtoherfamilybackground．Forsuchaprettyyoungladywithhighstatus，herjiltingbyCompeysonwasadishonored，disgracefulthingandalsoallunprecedentedsetback．Thereforetheinfluenceoffamilyenvironment，thesocialnormshavemadeherunabletobearthelover’sbetrayal．Inordertoavoidsecularperspective，andalsobecausealltheillusionsthathasshattered，shechosetobeself-enclosedandisolated．Thisisatragedycausedbysocietyandfamilyaswell.

3TheoreticalframeworkandCriticalApproach

Feministliterarycriticismcanbetracedbacktothewomen’sliberationmovementduringthelate1960s.Generally,itexiststocounter,resist,andeventuallyeliminatethetraditionsandconvenlionsofpatriarchy-theideologyorbeliefsystemwhichseesas“natural”thedominanceandsup