【英语论文】汤姆琼斯和简爱中的女权主义(英文)

Feminism in Tom Jones and Jane Eyre汤姆琼斯和简爱中的女权主义I. IntroductionFeminism is both an intellectual commitment and a political movement that seeks justice for women and the end of sexism in all forms. However, there are many different kinds of feminism. Feminists disagree about what sexism consists in, and what exactly ought to be done about it; They disagree about what it means to be a woman or a man and what social and political implications gender has or should have. Nonetheless, motivated by the quest for social justice, feminist inquiry provides a wide rang of perspectives on social, cultural, and political phenomena. Important topics for feminist theory and politics include: the body, class and work, disability, the family, globalization, human rights, popular culture, race and racism, reproduction, science, the self, sex work, and sexuality.1.1 Feminism Beliefs and Feminist MovementsThe term feminism has many different uses and its meanings are often contested. For example, some writers use the term feminism to refer to a historically specific political movement in the US and Europe; Other writers use it to refer to the belief that is injustices against women, there is no consensus on the exact list of these injustices. Although the term feminism has a history in English linked with women s activism from the late 19th century to the present, it is useful to distinguish feminist ideas or beliefs from feminist political movements, for even in periods where there has been no significant political activism around womens subordination, individuals have been concerned with and theorized about justice for women. Although the term feminism in English is rooted in the mobilization for woman suffrage in Europe and the US during the late 19th and early 20th century, of course efforts to obtain justice for woman did not begin or end with this period of activism. Therefore some have found it useful to think of the womens movement in the US occurring in “waves”. On the wave model, the struggle to achieve basic political rights during the period from the mid-19th century until the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 counts as “First Wave” feminism. Feminism waned between the two world wars, to be “revived” in the late 1960s and 1970s as “Second Wave” feminism. In this second wave, feminists pushed beyond the early quest for political rights to fight for great equality across the board, for example, in education, the workplace, and at home. More recent transformations of feminism have resulted in a “Third Wave”. Third Wave feminists often critique Second Wave feminism for its lack of attention to the differences among women due to race, ethnicity, class, nationality, religion, and emphasize “identity” as a site of gender struggle.II. Feminism is shown in Tom Jones and Jane Eyre2.1 Feminism is shown in Tom JonesThe history of Tom Jones, a “Foundling” which tells the story of an illegitimate child, reared by a squire Mr.Allworthy, who lives on his estate together with his sister Miss Bridget, a prudish spinster. Tom Jones, the foundling, is a handsome young man. He is frank and open, kind, disinterested, and, though quick-tempered, devoid of malice. His outstanding quality is “good nature” and “goodness of heart”. He gets involved in several fleeting love affairs. But his lightness gives way to serious love when he meets Sophia, the daughter of a neighboring Squire Western. Young Blifil, contrary to Tom, is shy and faithless. Having an eye to his uncles money, he bears a secret hatred of Tom, fearing lest the legacy should fall into his hands. He blackens Tom in Mr. Allworthys eyes. Deceived by Blifils backbiting, Mr.Allworthy banishes Tom from his home. Sophias father, Squire Western, infuriated upon learning of his daughters attachment to the foundling, threatens to marry her off by force to the rich heir, young Blifil. Then Sophia flees to the capital fearing the very idea of marriage to hateful Blifil. When her father forces Sophia to marry the man who does not like for her, she ran away lonely in the dead of night and went to a completely strange cityLondon. Here manifested feminism to defend own dignity, blind made the filial sacrificial victim in no way, also was not self-deprecatory, the grievance sought perfection viewpoint. Simultaneously also manifested feminists dare to revolt, break traditional thought. On the other hand, Sophia first tells in love with Tom without saying it. But when she discovers that he is desperately in love with her, it takes some courage to love a man whom everyone around her speaks ill of. Here manifested feminism to dare to persue own love and happy viewpoint.2.2 Feminism is shown in Jane EyreJane Eyre is an orphan being raised by Mrs Reed, her cruel, rich aunt, she spends more years at Lowood, six as a student, and two as a teacher. After teaching for two years, Jane wants to get new experiences. She then accepts a family tutor job at a big house called Thornfield. There she teachers a lively French girl named Adele. Janes employer is an impassion man names Rochester. Jane find herself fall in love with him, she becomes depress when she see Rochester bring home a beautiful but bad woman. She believes that Rochester will propose to the woman, but to her surprised, Rochester propose to Jane, and she agrees. The wedding day arrives. When Jane and Rochester prepare to exchange their rings, a man comes and cried out that Rochester already has a wife. Rochester is very surprised, but he does not deny the mans claim. He explains that he does marry a woman named Bertha when he is young, but Bertha has gone mad. Knowing that it is impossible for her to stay with Rochester, Jane escaped from Thornfield. Jane Eyre, in the aunt family who resides temporarily, has conflict with her overbearing cruel cousin, though she is thin and small, Jane dare to wrestle with her cousin, and angrily rebukes him: “Your this boy really is virulent and also brutal, you look like a murderyou look like a man who maltreat the slave, you look like Rome emperor.” “She also dare to accuse her aunt who hides shortcomings callously: You thought you are a good person, but you are bad , you are cruel-hearted.” Here manifested feminisms self-respect and independent, and rebellion viewpoint. After Jane found she has fallen in love with the master deeply in the status so disparate situation, she dare to love, because she believed human spiritual is equal. A poor teacher with great courage falls in love with a high character, in the rank deep strict social concept, it is just as beggar hope to be a king, therefore this itself is to challenge to social and prejudice. Here manifested feminism pursue spirit freed and equal viewpoint. Janes emotion to Rochester is unusual sincerity and single-minded, this mainly displays in her to Rochester rigid and in the intense love. When John Eyre proposes to her, wants her to take he assistant and goes together in India for missionary work, although Jane thought “He is a good person”, but has refused his proposing. Because looked like in Jane Eyre, he loves is not herself, he loves is God. More importantly, regardless of how he treats her, in her heart what she loves is still Rochester, because a pastor to her love is incomplete. But when Jane knew Rochester had the insane legitimate wife, she also rejected his love, she was not willing to cultivate the behavior the lover, what she wanted is a true significance complete love. Here has manifested feminism pursue true sense and complete love view.III. Heroine in Tom Jones and Jane Eyre3.1 To analyze the character of SophiaSophia Western, the heroine of the story, is the “Somersetshire angel” she is her fathers “little darling”, and she returns all his affections with angelic tenderness. To her, “her fathers word was a law” in almost everything. On one point, however, she stands out against him inflexiblynothing can induce her to marry a man whom she dislikes. She steadfastly defends the principle of the right of children to resist the tyrannical compulsion of a parent, so far as their lifehappiness is concerned. At any cost she is resolved to vindicate it. Instead of consenting to an unwilling marriage, she leaves her fathers house in the dead of night, and to hide herself in London, a city entirely unknown to her. We can not but admire the tender but courageous character of this young girl, who, without any hysterical fuss, but with firm determination, insists on her right to choose her own mate, and finally, realize her own happiness. Her character and behavior were rather advanced for her time, when the compulsory marriage was universally prevailing. In her relation with her lover Tom, she is also admirable. She first tells in love with Tom without saying it. But when she discovers that he is desperately in love with her, she does not disguise the tenderness she feels for him. It takes some courage to love a man whom everyone around her speaks ill of. Moreover, she is not ignorant of Toms faults, but she knows the good qualities of her lover, and does not expect perfection. However, she can not pardon his relation with lady Bellaston. Only at the very last, when she is thoroughly convinced of Toms repentance, and feels quite sure that she can rely on his faithfulness in the future, does she consent, in a delightful manner, to give him her hand. (Liu Bing Shan, 20041:197)3.2 To analyze the character of Jane EyreIn the novel, Jane keeps fighting with her fate and never stops asking for freedom and independence. We can say Jane Eyre is a woman of struggle. In the beginning of Jane Eyre, she struggle against Bessic, the nurse at Gateshead Hall, and says “I resisted all the way: a new thing for me ” (chapter2). This sentence indicates that through out Janes life, she has no other choice but fights with unfair treatment and resists unfair punishment. Also we can find out that Jane while seeks for freedom and independent, she also tries all means to find spiritual comfort. She does not consider social class the barrier of her marriage, and bravely loves a man who is regarded with higher class than her, and she eventually marries him. The man is Rochester. When Jane is settled to Lowwood Institute she finds the enjoyment of expanding her own mind and talents. After she is engaged to Rochester she refuses to depend on him and his money. She does not want to be a servant of Rochester and tries to seek her own fortune. Jane is not as good as Rochester in terms of wealth. She has no wealth, family, social position and beauty, and Jane is not intelligent enough, but her kindles makes Rochester fall in love with her. Here we can see the resistance against class, not only from Rochesters decision to marry Jane in spite of the disapproval come from his class, but also from Janes resistance against other peoples disapproval. And Jane also holds her self-respect, because she refuses to depend on Rochester, and when she finds out Rochester has already married, she chooses depart from him. We can see Jane has a strong belief of female independence. This is very precious at that time. Jane wants to travel and see more world and influence people she meets. When she appreciates her simple life at Tornfield, she feels guilty not to want to travel again. She relates her feeling to all women feel just as men feel; They need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brother. They suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer. In her search for freedom, Jane also struggles with the question of what type of freedom she wants, while Rochester initially offers Jane a chance to liberate passions, Jane Eyre comes to realize that such freedom could also mean enslavement.by living as Rochesters mistress, she would be sacrificing her dignity and integrity for the sake of her feels. St.John Rivers offers Jane another kind of freedom, the freedom to act unreservedly on her principles. He opens to Jane the possibility of exercising her talents fully by working and living with him in India. Jane eventually realizes though, that this freedom would also constitute a form of imprisonment, because she would be forced to keep her true feelings and her true passions always in check.IV. ConclusionFrom the above analysis, we can know Jane Eyre and Sophia are great self-respect and independence women. This essay mainly through carries on the analysis to Jane Eyres disposition to demonstrate the feminism color on their body, at the same time in relief in the work a self-respect, striving to improve supports oneself, dares to resist, dares feminism image which pursues. The article through conducts the research and the analysis about Sophia and Jane Eyres family background, the growth environment as well as the individuality formation, unscrambles the 19th century feminine society and take Sophia and Jane Eyre as representatives feminine image, it subverted the male power society the female to take “object” the traditional ideas, expressed one latent feminine principle consciousness and the rebel spirit, has manifested the female regarding the self-vale and the independent consciousness pursue.The two novels have molded unjieldingly in the common custom pressure, independent, positive enterprising feminine image. This image has happened to manifest the modern feminine characteristics. Jane Eyre and Sophia are great rebellions women. They are honest to their love and strong self-respect. Jane Eyre and Sophia are two feminine characters who take the independence and the enterprise to deal with lifesociety and even religion in the British literature. Furthermore, these characters changed the literary tradition and social system which did not provide women with proper rights and position in their fields. The heroines Jane Eyre and Sophia bravely smashed the bonds of tradition and enthusiastically pursued love happiness with the rebellions spirit. In order to obtain their love and happiness, they are fighting for their fate and society. Whats more, they dare to be quest for equal rights with men in that time. Finally, Jane Eyre and Sophia get their freedom and break antrocentrism. 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