Knowledge Changes Female’s Fate Through Jane Eyre 从《简爱》看知识改变女性命运

Knowledge Changes Females Fate Through Jane Eyre从简爱看知识改变女性命运AbstractJane Eyre is an excellent autobiographical works. The heroine Jane had not beautiful appearance or a supple, graceful carriage, but she still attracted us deeply like the beauties of other works; Jane was born into an impoverished family and became an orphan, and then she was sent to Lowood Institution, living hard, but finally, she became a versatile Miss, having extraordinary temperament and getting Mr. Rochesters deep love. How could common Jane become an uncommon female? One of the reasons is: Jane loved reading and learning and eagerly sought knowledge from them, finally she obtained the momentum of survival, growth and struggling for happiness and freedom. The females today go out of home, competing with males to display their wonderful life, and showing the complete and true ego. So the females today need more knowledge to improve and enrich ego. This paper will explain that knowledge is very important to females, especially to the females today. It will deal with the effects of knowledge on Jane, and then make further analysis on the significance which knowledge brings to the females today.Key Words: Knowledge; Females Fate; Jane Eyre摘要简爱是一部出色的自传小说。女主人公简没有娇好的面容，婀娜的身姿，却和其它著作中的美人一样，深深地吸引着我们；简出生贫寒，是一个可怜的孤儿，随后又被送进寄宿学校，过者艰苦的生活，但最终她成为了一位多才多艺的女子，拥有非凡的气质，并得到罗切斯特先生的深爱。平凡的简是怎样变成一个不平凡的女性的？原因之一是：简爱读书和学习，她渴望从中得到知识，并从中汲取到生存，成长和争取幸福、自由的力量。今天的女人走出了家门，和男人们比拼着生命的精彩，向世界展示着完整真实的自我，今天的她们需要更多的知识来提升和充实自己。本文将由知识对简一生的影响谈起，说明知识对女性，尤其对当今女性的重要性，并进一步分析知识给当今女性带来的益处。关键词: 知识;；女性命运；简.爱Introduction“Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and fill as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave youand we stood at Gods feet, equal, - as we are!” When you read this paragraph of classical dialogue, you will think of “the Cinderella- Jane” who is the leading character in the novel Jane Eyre of Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre has already come out for one and a half century. But up to now, readers still remember the works, because its heroine Jane is distinctive-She has normal appearance and unfortunate experiences, but has internal temperament and happy marriage. Why could the unfortunate heroines life change? This paper will analyze the reason-Knowledge changes Janes destiny. And then can the knowledge change the fate of females today? The answer is certain. Knowledge can make homely females become good-looking, and make beauty become more beautiful; Knowledge can bring the capital of modern females to the females today; Knowledge can make women mentally healthy; Knowledge can change females future and make them win the world.I. The Brief Introduction of the Novel and Its AuthorA. Introduction of the Novel Jane Eyre is an important works in the history of British literature. Jane Eyre is such a great novel that it holds an important position in the history of British literature. It has been translated into various languages and adapted for movie, dazzling generations of readers all through the world.The period when Jane (the heroine in the novel Jane Eyre) lived roughly corresponds with the time of queen Victorias ruling. Victoria who ruled over the British Empire for over 60 years was a well known queen in English history. She mounted the throne in 1837 when British literature reached a prosperous period. In the 1940s, British literature reached its peak. The realists were one of the main groups at that time, and the author of Jane Eyre belonged to this group.This novel begins with little Jane as a despised orphan in the house of her uncles widow. Being rebellious, she is packed off to a charitable boarding school, which administers harsh discipline with especial vigor. Jane sets herself to learn, qualifies herself as a teacher, advertises for a post, and is employed as governess of the illegitimate French daughter of Rochester in his country mansion, Thornfield. A love relationship develops between Jane and Rochester. Janes resolute free spirit, her soul of fire, brings from the dominant Rochester a proposal of marriage. But at the very moment, the wedding ceremony was interrupted, for Rochester is discovered to have a mad wife who is hidden in that house. Jane doesnt want to be Rochesters mistress and subsequently leaves Thornfield, wandering far away. She is rescued by the Rivers family and urged to marry John Rivers in order to undertake missionary work at his side. Almost she consents, but as she ponders, Rochesters voice crying her name resounds in her ears. Then Jane gains a large amount of inheritance from her uncle whom she has never known before. She returns to Thornfield, but the mansion has been destroyed by a fire started by the mad wife. In a scheduled country house nearby, she finds Rochester, blind and alone; they marry and find happiness together./PB. Introduction of the AuthorCharlotte Bronte was born in a Priests family in York shire in 1816. She had two elder sisters, two younger sisters and one younger brother. Her mother died when she was five years old, leaving six children. Fortunately, her father was an intellect, so he often taught his children to read books and magazines and told stories to them. It influenced Charlotte in developing her interest in literature. When she was very young, she was sent to a boarding school with her three sisters. In 1825, her two elder sisters died of infectious disease in that school. Then, her younger sister Emily and she were forced to go back home and compile a journal named “Youth”, which laid a solid foundation for their later creation of literature. When she was 15, she went to another school to study. And in order to support her family, she became a teacher in this school after her graduation. After she left this school, she went to a rich family to be a tutor for twice, during which she declined to men who wanted to marry her. In order to teach French, Charlotte and Emily went to a French school to learn French. In that school, Charlotte fell in love with her French teacher deeply, yet she didnt tell him. In 1847, under the name of Currer Bell, she published her first novel Jane Eyre which was a great shock at that time and made her successful. Her two younger sisters also published their novels and succeeded at that time. The great success of the Bronte sisters brought great happiness to their family. But in the following years, Charlotte suffered from great sorrow: her younger brother and two younger sisters died one by one in two years. But she persisted in writing and published another three fictions. She got married with a priest when she was 38 years old. After she enjoyed happiness for six months, she died in the next year.II.The Influence of Knowledge upon Jane in Her Different Periods of LifeA. The Early Childhood Life of JaneWhen little Jane as a despised orphan lived in the house of Aunt Reed who is her uncles widow, she was abused very much. But why could she live down bravely and keep mentally healthy? That is because she could get conciliation from the knowledge of books.During the period when Jane lived with her Aunt Reed, she had not a good-looking and no one loved her, her life was even worse than the servants of Aunt Reed. When Aunt Reeds children Ehza, John, and Georgiana were clustered round their mama in the drawing-room, Jane had dispensed from joining the group. John Reed called Jane “Madam Mope! Bad animal!”, and bullied and punished Jane-not two or three times in the week, nor once or twice in the day, but continually. At that time, she had no appeal whatever against those. Finally, Jane had turned against John to avert his irrational violence, so that she was loaded with general opprobrium and locked in the red-room. She was frightened badly, and then lost her consciousness.Speaking generally, a good family environment is very important to the growth and the future of a child. For example, most of young criminals today are living in such kind of broken families; much less one child can undergo a family situation like Jane s. So we can say that one bad family environment will produce an unhealthy child easily, but Jane lived down strongly and had so healthy mentality. Why? Because of books knowledge, when she read books, she would be understood, be comforted and be told by books there was a beautiful world and she would be given survival hopeness. So when Aunt Reed kept her at a distance, she did not cry, but slipped into a small breakfast-roan which contained a bookcase to read book-Bewicks History of British Birds. At that time, she was deeply attracted by the books pictures and stories, forgetting the injustice. The next day of the incident of the red-room, Jane felt physically weak and inexpressibly sad, which made her almost lose any interest towards any thing. But when Bessie, a servant in Gateshead, asked Jane if she would have a book, the word “book” acted as a transient stimulus, and she begged Bessie to fetch Gulliver s Travels from the library.B. The Educational Life of JaneBeing rebellious, Jane was packed off to Lowood Institution, which was a charitable boardiny, literature, biology, ancient mythology and cultural customs. If Simone de Beauvoir had not profound knowledge and had an empty head, she could not write this works which shocked the mens world. Virginia Woolf is also a typical knowledge female, she was one of the most great novelists in 20th century. Feminism has a deep influence on modern females, so modern females should learn from the founders of feminism to gain rich knowledge.The modern females should promote feminism through the power of knowledge. The development history of feminism is a history of knowledge increase of females. And the influence of feminism becomes wider and wider with the increasing of females knowledge. Feminism is a result of the awakening of females ideology, when females have a fair knowledge level with males, their eyes are extended and they begin to use their knowledge to improve their ability and pursue rights for themselves. So you must read and learn extensively, and improve all the parts of your knowledge. Nowadays, womens status has been improved a lot, but sometimes the equality is in vacuum. Females should use sharp argument and good working ability which are all turned by rich knowledge to defend themselves. There is an article about feminism. One man talked widely: “Feminism is only a right which males give females. It is an unearthly dream.” One woman who likes reading books, especially the books about feminism opposed the statement: “One man can have idea and ambition, why can not a woman have them? There is no difference between men and women in essential aspect. We have the same blood, the same flesh, the same soul. Since ancient times, people have had different theories about the origin of the humankind. Some thought man was created by God, later people were convinced that man was descended from apes. No matter how many versions there were, there is always a version: Women are the ribs of men. It means that a man and a woman can make a complete human together; women need the protection of men, and men need the sanctuary of women; so the world will be conquered when men and women go forward hand in hand.” What an excellent explanation! If she had less talent and knowledge, she would not utter well. On the other hand, since women are equal with men, women have the same right to receive influence of knowledge. So females should grasp and cherish the chance, learn more and more.C. Females Mental Health Coming from Knowledge Knowledge can tidy up females psychology. One persons psychology is more important than physiology, that is, soul is more important than body to a person. Just because of this, Lu Xun would give up being a doctor and engage in literature. So cosmetics can make women become beautiful, but only the decoration of mentality can make women tower above the ordinary. It is said that a beauty relies on 30% of dress-up and 70% of immanence. Healthy mentality is beautiful mentality. So we should put the mental health on the first place. There are two aspects in mental health which are the most important to the females today: self- confidence and independence.1. Females Confidence It is said that knowledge enriches the mind, so only when a female has a wide range of knowledge and has rich immanence can she own the capital of self- confidence.The self-confident females believe they are beautiful, and then the beauty will be given out from the inside to the outside. The females today should be rational, mature, bright and capable, and inspire noble temperament, elegant posture from immanence. The confidence follows around them at any time. A woman who has not good appearance but has confidence, she would still own a rosy cheek, bright eyes, a free and easy manner, and a generous bearing, because she believes that the most powerful arm of a female is not beauty but wisdom. A wise female is quite out of the ordinary in power of discrimination, she is sensible enough to make best use of the advantages and bypass the disadvantages, she is not short- sighted to only notice the weaknesses of appearance and is not afflicted with appearance day and night such as “my figure is not perfect”, “my eyes are too small”, “there are black spots in my nose”. And wise women usually want to increase their knowledge. While there are some females who indeed have some weaknesses of appearance (it is only common views), but because they have special skills or great learning; their any move and the way they talk always give others the feeling of beauty and comfort.Knowledge makes females become self-confident and modest. Knowledge can help females open eyes and notice others merits so they would not become self- willed but be modest enough to learn from those in a lower position and know knowledge is limitless.2. Females Independence Knowledge makes females own independent spirit state, because knowledge and ability are the basic of independence. Comparing to the independence of material, females independence of spirit is more important; because men live in substance, but women live in spirit. The females spiritual world is very mysterious and rich. The independence of females spirit is an affirmation to themselves. When a females spiritual world is dominated by others, she will live in sorrow.So Victor Hugo once said: “The books are the tools of remoulding soul, human beings need the nourishment of enlightening, and reading is just this nourishment.”D. The Changes of Females Fate Coming from ReadingKnowledge will bring permanent beauty, the capital of modern females and mental health to females today; And the most important is that knowledge can change females fate. Such as many outstanding figures. Rice: She is called the most powerful woman in the world. In her neighbours memory, when Rice was a kid, she always liked to read and study hard. Smiseman who lived on Rices block in fifties of the past: “Rice always studied first, and then went to play. At that time, we often went to play baseball or others in the afternoon, she sometimes would not come with us. When night drew on, we came back, we would also find she was reading a book in the yard.” Rices diligent studying made her succeed later. Now, Rice possesses a honourable title of “Assistant of State for Safe Affairs in USA”. And she as a black was described by medium of American like this: She is not only Bushs consultant, but also his pretty young lady bosom friend. Wherever Bush goes, we often see Rices figure. And Rice was once the Russian Affairs expert of old Bushs State Commission for Safe. Old Bush had introduced her to Boris Yeltsin: “What I know everything of Russia was told by her.” She is also the key person of White House. Committee of Foreign Affairs of the White House is spreading a view: The president would listen to the suggestions of Dick Cheney，and pay attention to the opinions of Colin Powell，but always make a last decision in consultation with Rice. Now Rice still yearns for knowledge, despite of her success. An investigation shows that the Americans purchase about 2.5 billion books, and per capita purchase is 9 books. It is also said that most of American adults do not read books, while Rice has an elegant name “the number one bookworm of White House”./PWuYi: a petite woman but has manliness. She also attaches great importance to knowledge. On Dec. 2006, when she visited GuangZhou University, XingHai Conservatory of music, GuangDong Foreign Language and Foreign Trade University and so on, she asked for summarizing the experience of Universities carefully and making contribution to the whole Countrys cultural and educational career; more over, she encouraged University students to study hard and read widely. Just because she had paid great attention to knowledge and had wide knowledge, she was transferred to Ministry of Foreign Economy and Trade as vice- minister, negotiating with Carpenter who is a world- famous master of negotiation about intellectual property right between China and America. After making frontal engagement many times with WuYi, Carpenter gave WuYi a title of “iron lady”, which washer own title. There are also many good examples such as Gloria Arroyo, Tarja Halonen. So if someone wants to succeed, first she should acquire more knowledge.ConclusionWhen Jane Eyre was published, it caused a sensation and the heroine Jane became famous overnight, even surpassed the author Charlotte Brontes fame. Because Jane was different from the heroines of Gone with the Wind, Pride and Prejudice and so on. Jane was only an ordinary woman who lived in the mid-19th century, She had an ordinary appearance and poor family, she had hard life and experiences; But she had unique character, noble nature, wisdom and charm. Besides, she won the love of Mr. Rochester and got the happy life. All of these are the result of the knowledge she got from the books and from Lowood Institution. Jane Eyre has already come out for one and a half century but has an enduring appeal to the readers today, because Jane influences many women deeply including the females today, she has become a good example of the females. So the females today should like reading and learning as Jane, then they can have a chance to gain extensive knowledge and succeed like Jane. In fact, knowledge is more important for females today. Jane was only a female, living the past. She had known the importance of knowledge. Females today should know that blue comes from the indigo plant but is bluer than the plant itself. So the females today should have more widely sphere and more progressive mind than Janes, they should read more and learn more to improve their own knowledge and change their own fate. In a word, reading has great meaning for Jane, and has greater immediate and far-reaching significance for the females today.Bibliography1 Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre M. 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