介绍:
严紫荆→Recently, a new induces heated debate in Weibo. The conference communiqué of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China expresses its agreement to allow all families to have two children. Some citizens are glad to hear about it, while others show their dissatisfaction towards it. And the vast majority of them are women. The reason why they are forcefully opposed to it is that giving birth to two babies raising them will take them much time, leading them derail their ordinary career life. But in people`s impression, woman is born for their husband and children.
In all ages, the statue of woman seems changing all the time. Feminists initiate many campaigns to earn more rights.
Feminist are termed as social theory and political movement, based on woman experience. Besides criticizing social relationships, many supporters of feminist also lay emphases on the analysis of gender inequality and promoting the rights of woman.
罗思文→The theory of feminist aims at comprehending the essence of relationship inequality, right relationship and sexuality. Feminist political movement will challenge the reproductive rights, abortion rights, education rights, family violence, maternity leave, salary equality, right to vote, sexually disturbance, sexual gender discrimination and gender-based violence.
The concept of feminist is that the modern society is established on a patriarchal system that man is given more rights than woman do.
The theory of modern feminist mainly comes from the western middle class academic circle. But feminist movement is no more than a grassroots movement, beyond boundary of social class and race. Feminist movements under different backgrounds own its characters and put forward topics that aim at present social situation. And Jane Eyre is a representative figure.
韩晗→Charlotte Bronte, an English writer, is a great critical realist in the 19th century. She writes lots of works in her life. She sets to work on a new novel, Jane Eyre, which is published in August, 1847. Jane Eyre is her masterpiece which is a world famous novel. Jane Eyre has been translated into many languages and is always high in reading popularity. Jane Eyre, a plain, timid, weak and pale girl who appears to be a heroine, exists in numerous people’s minds. It seems to be a strange phenomenon. How can she arouse the eminent attention of the readers throughout the world? Because Jane Eyre stands for an idealized woman in the 19th century. Charlotte Bronte aims at awakening women's consciousness and courage to equal rights and freedom. Jane Eyre cuts a completely new woman image. She represents those middle-class working women who are struggling for the recognition of their basic rights and equality as a human being. Jane strives with all difficulties to gain women’s liberation and to pursue freedom, equality and true love. The analysis of Jane’s personalities and her attitudes toward love has shown partly Jane’s love — a kind of direct, enthusiastic and faithful love. The story of the independentminded Jane and her love affair with Mr. Rochester opens up new dimension for women. She is a typical character of awakening bourgeois intellectual women. The heroine Jane moves most readers as a kind and unique image in spite of her plainness, poverty and low position. The profound meaning of Jane’s personalities makes this novel an extremely important work lists in the history of world literature as well as in the English literature.
张籽涵→ Chapter One The Development of Jane Eyre’s Resistance
1.1 Outburst period at Gateshead
Jane Eyre seems to be pale, thin and weak. She is like a piece of dust, nobody pays attention to her. At any time she may disappear. She was born an orphan, with an unfortunate family and long time repressive feeling; she builds up her resistant emotion. Under this background, everyone looks down upon her. Jane asks herself “why was I always suffering, always browbeaten, always abused, for ever condemned.” (Bronte, 2002:13) Her reason says “unjust!-unjust!” (Bronte, 2002:14) A first angry voice bursts out from her deep heart. When John beats her again, she attacks him viciously. She shouts at him, “Wicked and cruel boy! You are like a murderer —you are like a slavedriver—you are like the Roman emperors!" (Bronte, 2002:7) When Mrs. Reed tells Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane has a bad character and a deceitful disposition, she defends that “I am not deceitful: if I were, I should say I loved you; but I declare I do not love you: I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed; and this book about the liar, you may give it to your girl, Georgiana, for it is she who tells lies, and not I." (Bronte, 2002:48) However, Jane is a brave soldier who dares to face up all kinds of injustice and fights against them. Before she leaves Gateshead, she rebukes her aunt’s cruelty, “How dare I, Mrs. Reed? How dare I? Because it is the truth. You think I have no feelings and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity. I shall remember how you thrust me back—roughly and violently thrust me back—into the red- room, and locked me up there, to my dying day; though I was in agony; though I cried out, while suffocating with distress, ‘Have mercy! Have mercy, Aunt Reed!’ And that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy struck me—knocked me down for nothing. I will tell anybody who asks me questions, this exact tale. People think you a good woman, but you are bad, hard-hearted. You are deceitful!” (Bronte, 2002:49) Jane suffers various violent treatments by her aunt and cousins; she tries her best to be a good girl but only results in failure in Mrs. Reed’s eyes.
Jane resists and resists, but finally breaks out and speaks all her anger; Jane’s courage frightens Mrs. Reed, for she knows Jane is right. In those days at Gateshead Hall, Jane's strong, brave and unbending characteristics are expressed step by step. Her every behavior shows her great indignation. Isolation, poverty, discrimination and oppression cause her to revolt against the unfair society in her own way. Jane is driven away from and escapes from Reed’s house partly because of fearless courage. Jane fights not only for just treatment, but also for equality. This is the first step of the development of Jane Eyre’s rebellious character.
薛莉玮→ 1.2 Jane’s resistance at Lowood Institution
Lowood Institution is a charity school for poor clergymen’s daughters. Jane lives here for eight years. Her rebellious sprits become mature. In fact it is a hell for poor girls. The school is like a prison dominated by cold, implacable cruelty and Brocklehurst. Children here are not supplied with enough food, clothes and good treatment of disease. Many of them die of illness. They have no love and sympathy at all, living in hunger and cold. Children must pray for God and thank for oppressors. Helen, a clever, intelligent and beautiful girl receives curse and beat, finally loses her young life. She believes in God. She says to Jane, “I am sure there is a future state; I believe God is good; I can resign my immortal part to Him without any misgiving. God is my father; God is my friend: I love Him; I believe He loves me.” (Bronte, 2002:121) Just because of these ideas, Helen hasn’t a little rebel against that kind of cruel treatment.
However Jane is not like Helen. She always tries to rebel, though she is still a child. She tells Helen: “A great deal: you are good to those who are good to you. It is all I ever desire to be. If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should—so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again." (Bronte, 2002:82) This rhythmic and forceful speech embodies the deep bourgeois oppression of the lower women and Jane’s rebellious spirit. To achieve independence as an equal human, Jane never yields to fate and background. She does as she says. Her attitude towards her cousins, her aunt and Mr. Brocklehurst all proves it.
Another woman, Miss Temple, is also admired and deeply loved by Jane. Miss Temple’s learning stimulates Jane’s longing for intelligence and Miss Temple’s kindness stirs up her enthusiasm for ideal life. So when Miss Temple leaves Lowood, Jane can’t put up with dullness and isolation there. She thinks that now she is left in her natural element, and begins to feel the stirring of old emotions. Jane looks forward to a new life and a free sky. No matter what will happen in the future, she will face it bravely. The rebellious fury is burnt again. Then Jane makes an advertisement and gets a governess profession at Thornfield. In this period, Jane’s rebellious spirit is up to a new standard and catches a more profound meaning. Her fighting is not only against a person, but against the social convention.
王思博→1.3 The perfection period at Thornfield and Moor House
At Thornfield, Jane, as a grown-up, changes her harshness into a refined woman with good education, delicacy of feeling and gentleness of manners. At Thornfield she gets along well with everyone. Jane is mild to everyone. Adele, a girl without talent is carefully taught by Jane and made safe and happy. In such a wild world, she forgets her pain and her misery. Furthermore, she learns to be tolerant to others’ shortcomings. Hearing that Mrs. Reed is dying, she comes back soon to Gateshead. Although she once has told Mrs. Reed that she never wants to see her again, she forgets and forgives her. Jane’s delicate feeling is best revealed when she meets Rochester, who is hurt. She gives him a hand in a polite way. In spite of his rude rejection, she says, “I can not think of leaving you, sir, at so late an hour, in this solitary lane, till I see you are fit to mount your horses.” (Bronte, 2002:173)
When Jane falls in love with Rochester, she is awaken and still keeps her resistance; she makes her every effort to rebel against social prejudice and customs, struggling for independence and true love. She dares to say “no” to anyone, including her master, Mr. Rochester who is domineering and arrogant. When she talks with Mr. Rochester, she doesn’t avoid saying what she thinks whether Mr. Rochester is happy or not. On the wedding between Jane and Rochester, Jane is told that Rochester has married before. Bertha Mason, a mad woman is his wife who has been living in Thornfield. At the bad news, Jane knows if she lives with him, she will fall into the category of mistress and lose her respect. The dream of freedom, happiness and the independence which she was looking forward to would become fancies. The strength of reason is power over emotion. Jane leaves Thornfield resolutely to meet unknown fate in the future. When she almost starves to death, St. John helps her. Jane’s spirit of revolt is obviously expressed by her refusal of St. John’s offer of marriage .Jane never changes her will to follow St. John. She thinks, “If I join St. John, I abandon half myself, if I go to India, I go to premature death”, “if I do make the sacrifice he urges, I will make it absolutely: I will throw all on the altar—heart, vitals, the entire victim.” (Bronte, 2002:642) Jane says to St. John, “I scorn your idea of love.” (Bronte, 2002:649) Jane dares to rebel against St. John’s offer because she thinks they are equal. She has the right to rebel against him. This period is the perfection of Jane Eyre’s rebellion
严紫荆→ Chapter Two
Jane Eyre’s Pursuit of Independence and Freedom
2.1 Jane begins to reali
