《傲慢与偏见》中伊丽莎白的反抗精神研究(英文版)

爱情是婚姻的基础；伊丽莎白的自我意识

—

人人生而平等。

然而，那个时代的女权意识还处在萌芽之中，有待进 一步发展。因此，伊丽莎白

的反抗精神并不彻底。尽管如此，她的精神已经预示了一种新 的趋向：女性会在

不久的将来得到她们应有的权力。

关键词：

反抗精神；反封建；婚姻观；自我意识

i

ii

Contents

Ⅰ

. Introduction

< /p>

........................................ .................................................. ................................................. 1

Ⅱ

.

Elizabeth’s courage of

revolting against feudal virtues ...... .................................................. ................... 2

A. Being against traditional ethics

.

........ .................................................. ............................

3

B. Oppose flattery

.

.................. .................................................. ...........................................

5

Ⅲ

.

Distinctive view on marriage

.................................................. .................................................. .

6

A. Charlotte Lucas

’

s view on marriage ... .................................................. ..........................

7

B. Elizabeth

’

s view on marriage

.

.......... .................................................. .............................

8

C. The contrast between Charlotte and Elizabeth

’

s view on marriage

................................

9

Ⅳ

. Elizabeth’s self

-consciousness on the equality of human being .......................... ................................... 10

A. Equal status in marriage............ .................................................. .................................. 11

B. Equal status with high rank people < /p>

.

............................ .................................................. .................... 12

Ⅴ

. Elizabeth

’

s rebellious spirit is not thorough

.

.... .................................................. ..................................... 14

Ⅵ

.

Conclusion ... .................................................. .................................................. ..................................... 16

References

................. .................................................. .................................................. ............................. 17

Ⅰ

. Introduction

A general knowledge of the social and cultural setting in which a novel is written is

important, for most novels mirror the customs and values of a particular society.

Jane Austen’s

Pride and Prejudice

appeared on the English literary scene in 1813.

At that time, women’s status was low in the patriarchy, so it was believed that ―the best

woman

was

intellectually

the

inferior

of

the

wo

rst

man‖.

U

nder

this

circumstance,

women met a series of material and mental problems

—

inequalities in the social status,

the burdens of marriage, lack of education, domestic obligations and so on.

Meanwhile,

however,

Women’s

Liberation

Movement,

the

socia

l

struggle

which

aims

to

eliminate

forms

of

oppression

based

on

gender

and

to

gain

for

women

equal

economic

and

social

status

and

rights

to

determine

their

own

lives

as

are

enjoyed

by

men,

has

lasted

for

over

200

years.

The

first

wave

is

from

the

emergence

of

the

Women’s Liberation Movement in the Enlightenment to the end of the Second World

War,

which

is

also

the

most

crucial

social

background

for

Jane

Austen

to

write

her

masterpiece

—

Pride and Prejudice

(Zhu Hong, 1982:140).

―It is a truth universally ack

nowledged, that a single man in possession of a good

fortune,

must be in want of a wife.‖ (Jane Austen, 1991:1) With that line, claimed by

some scholars to

be the

most famous opening line of all fictions,

Jane

Austen begins

Pride and Prejudice

. That line introduces several of the major issues and themes that

have

been

explored

in

the

novel

throughout

the

past

two

centuries:

marriage,

wealth,

class,

property,

propriety,

and

a

debate

over

the

existence

of

universal

truth.

(Debra

Teachman, 2008:1)

Elizabeth

Bennet,

the main female protagonist in

Pride and Prejudice

, is

a keen

observer of the nature of man in society. She has perhaps received more admiration than

any other heroine in England literature, as she is ―unique‖ (Elizabeth Jenkins, 1964:286).

Jane Austen once wrote to her sister about Elizabeth:

I must confess that I think her as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print, and how I

shall

be

able

to

tolerate

those

who

do

not

like

her.

At

least

I

do

not

know.

(Marvin

Mudrick, 1952:267)

Elizabeth

is

self-

reliant

and

independent,

while

―contemptuous

of

all

the

conventions

that

restrict

the

individual’s

freedom‖

(Jane

Nardin,

1973:160).

In

the

following part, her rebellious spirit will be demonstrated from three aspects: her courage

of revolting against feudal virtues

—

the so-called traditional virtues should be changed;

her view on marriage

—

love is the basis for a happy union; her self- consciousness

—

all

men are created equal.

Ⅱ

. Elizabeth’s courage of

revolting against feudal virtues.

In

Jane

Austen’s

days,

for

women

of

the

―genteel‖

classes,

the

goal

of

non-

domestic education was thus often the acquisition of ―accomplishments‖ (Net. 1).

An accomplished woman ―must have a thor

ough knowledge of music, singing, drawing,

dancing and the modern languages to deserve the world; and besides all these, she must

possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her

address and expressions, or the world

will be but half deserved;‖ (Jane Austen, 1991:34)

and ―to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her

mind by extensive reading.‖ (Jane Austen, 1991:34) Though it was not usually stated

with such open cynicism, the purpose of such accomplishments was often only to attract

a husband. Thus, these skills then tended to be neglected after marriage.

Representing a woman of revolting against feudal system, Elizabeth expresses her

disapproval,

―I

never

saw

such

a

woman.

I

neve

r

saw

such

capacity,

and

taste,

and

application,

and

elegance,

as

you

described,

united.‖

(Jane

Austen,

1991:34)

In

fact,

Elizabeth prefers the improvement of mind and extensive reading of arts. She sings ―by

no means capital‖ (Jane Austen, 1991:156); she doesn’t play the piano well just because

she ―would not take the trouble of practicing‖ (Jane Austen, 1991:156) , but not that her

fingers are not ―as capable as any other woman’s of superior execution‖

(Jane Austen,

1991:156). To sum up, Elizabeth

’

s courage of resisting feudal system is demonstrated in

two ways.

A. Being against traditional ethics

Elizabeth

is

against

unnecessary

and

over

elaborate

formalities,

one

of

the

so-

called traditional women’s virtues. She is a typical character who is bold enough

to

challenge

the

feudal

ethics.

To

inquire

about

the

health

of

her

sister

at

Netherfield,

Elizabeth

walks

three

miles

in

dirt

weather

by

herself.

―With

weary

ankles,

dirty

stockings,

and

a

face

glowing

with

the

warmth

of

exercise‖

(Jane

Austen,

1991:28),

Elizabeth makes her famous disheveled entrance, her reputation threatened, the Bingley

sisters ―held her in contempt for it‖

(Jane Austen, 1991:28). But Elizabeth is appreciated

through Mr. Bingley, ―It shows an affection for her sister that is very pleasing‖

(Jane

Austen, 1991:31).

And her affectionate behaviour to Jane has deepened Darcy’s respect

for her.

According to conservative ideas, it is inconceivable to allow the younger sisters out

before the elders are married. But Elizabeth retorts:

―I think i

t would be very hard upon younger sisters, that they should not have their share of

society and amusement because the elder may not have the means or inclination to marry

early. The last born has as good a right to the pleasure of youth as the first. And to be kept

back

on

such

a

motive!

I

think

it

would

be

very

likely

to

promote

sisterly

affection

or

delicacy of mind.‖

(Jane Austen, 1991:148)

Elizabeth is independent, rebellious, and fearless to power and influence. What she

has done deserves what she has

declared, ―there is a stubbornness about me that never

can

bear

to

be

frightened

at

the

will

of

others.

My

courage

always

rises

with

every

attempt

to

intimidate

me.‖

(Jane

Austen,

1991:155)

By

her

courage

to

revolt

against

traditional ethics, she has shown her disobedience to feudal system.

B. Oppose flattery

In the novel, the one who is best at flattering, surely is Mr. William Collins. Mr.

Collins is introduced at the first time as a cousin of the Bennets

’

and heir to their estate

through a letter that he sends to Mr. Bennet. In this letter he sounds very pompous and

irrelevantly reiterating. The first thing Mr. Collins does in this letter is to complement

every body. He is complementing from the beginning of this letter to the end. Another

very important thing is to repeat the name of his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

After reading the letter, Elizabeth is chiefly struck with his extraordinary deference for

Lady Catherine. She expresses her objection by the words

―

he must be an oddity, I think.

I can

’

t

make him out.

—

There is

something very pompous in his stile.

‖

(Jane Austen,

1991:56)

Mr.

Collins

is

a

His

living

with

Lady

Catherine

has

caused

him

to

demoralize himself. He thinks and talks highly of people higher than himself, especially

Lady Catherine. Another example of this is when they were invited to dine with Lady

Catherine and Mr. Collins then tells Elizabeth,

form requiring that elegance of dress in us, which becomes herself and daughter. I would

advise

you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is superior to the rest, there is no

occasion

for

anything

more.

Lady

Catherine

will

not

think

the

worse

of

you

for

being

simply

dressed.

She

likes

to

have

the

distinction

of

rank

preserved

(Jane

Austen,

1991:143)

Towards

Mr.

Collins

’

s

flattering

words

about

Lady

Catherine,

Elizabeth

could

hardly

help

smiling,

and

she

chooses

just

to

ignore

it.

Even

to

face

a

Lady

like

Catherine

who

is

in

higher

rank

than

herself,

Elizabeth

’

s

courage

did

not

fail

her.

Because

she

had

heard

nothing

of

Lady

Catherine

that

spoke

her

awful

from

any

extraordinary talents or miraculous virtue, and the mere stateliness of money and rank,

she thought she could witness without trepidation.

Ⅲ

. Distinctive view on marriage.

During

the

late

18

th

century

and

the

early

19

th

century,

Britain

was

at

a

time

of

transition

in

class

system.

―With

the

development

of

capitalism,

the

hereditary

aristocracy

was

being

joined

by

new

capitalis

t

wealth.‖(Anthony

Giddens,

2003:160)

Economy was playing a more and more important role in evaluating social status.

From the

first

line of the novel

Pride and Prejudice

, we can have no doubt

that

marriage will be a central concern. As in the early 19

th

century, getting married was the

only

provision

for

well-

educated

young

women

of

small

fortune‖

to

gain

financial

security and decent life in the long future, otherwise they would live in misery as either

a spinster or a governess, both of which were the objects of mockery and discrimination

in society.

Under

such

woeful

circumstances,

few

women

could

think

deeply

and

seriously

about

the

true

meaning

of

marriage.

Most

young

women

pursued

a

match

just

for

financial

reasons

or,

for

their

―pleasantest

preservative

from

want‖

(Jane

Austen,

1991:111);

marriage

became

of

itself

the

object.

The

following

part

will

show

the

contrasts between Elizabeth

’

s view on marriage with that of others.

A. Charlotte Lucas

’

s view on marriage.

Charlotte is twenty-seven, not pretty and not well-to-do, living in a society which

treats a penniless old maid less as a joke than as an exasperating burden upon her family.

Meanwhile, Mr. Collins seeks a wife so he may set a proper social example and obey

Lady Catherine

’

s wishes. Although Charlotte knows clearly that Mr. Collins is neither

sensible

nor

agreeable;

his

society

is

irksome,

and

his

attachment

to

her

must

be

imaginary,

she

accepts

and

even

encourages

his

proposal

―solely

from

the

pure

and

disinterested desire of an establishment‖

(Jane Austen, 1991:110). And as things always

were

in

that

age,

the

whole

family

were

properly

overjoyed

on

the

occasion

—

her