An analysis of female consciousness in 19th-century Victorian British women's fiction

About author:ZHANG Lina (1961-), female, from Shihezi, Xinjiang, lecturer, mainly engaged in the research of ancient literature and women's studies.

Vol. 23, No. 11

November 2007

Journal of Shangqiu Normal University

JOURNALOFSHANGQIUTEACHERSCOLLEGE

Vol123No111

November.2007

An analysis of female consciousness in 19th-century Victorian British women's fiction

Lina Zhang

(Nantong Agricultural Vocational and Technical College, Nantong 226007, Jiangsu, China)

Abstract:There is a long tradition of women's literary writing in the UK. British women's literature in the true sense of the word began in the 19th century

During the Doria period, female consciousness was brought to the fore and showed an unprecedented awakening. Jane Austen pioneered the consciousness of the female subject

Fang Lantian affirms women's intelligence and personality charm; The Brontë sisters conveyed the call to establish a woman's independent personality and become a woman

Dependency is the dependence of men on women; Mrs. Gaskee expanded the feminine consciousness from the world of personal feelings to the broad social sphere

reconciling the social significance and role of women; George Eliot looked for women as equal and differentiated from men from a psychomoral point of view

Other characteristics, strive for women not to be dissolved by themselves, and finally move towards the independence of personality.

Keywords: Victorian; English Women's Literature; Feminine consciousness

CLC Number: I10919Document Identification Code: AArticle Number: 1672-3600(2007)11-0032-03

Female consciousness is gender consciousness, and it is about the role and status of women

The realization is the experience of women's value as human beings, and it is "our generation is awakening."

A special experience in the process"

[1] (P240-241)

。 Feminine consciousness exists in women

literature, and changes with the development of the times. English women's literary writing

The tradition has a long history, and its outstanding feature is reflected in the clear sense of femininity. middle

There are three women who have left a mark of the century, and they seem to be in the shadow of the tall man

Wandering around, struggling to find his true figure. Until the Renaissance,

The British literary scene has seen the first woman to publish a collection of poems, Isabella Hui

Turney, the first Amy to rewrite the biblical story of the Fall of humanity from a female perspective

Leah Lanye, the first woman to write the drama "The Tragedy of Marem", Lisabeth

・Carrie. Despite the medieval and Renaissance women, in patriarchal thought

Under the influence of self-esteem, we can still feel their right to equality

The desire for profit. This is undoubtedly deviant in the eyes of patriarchal authority

Raise. In the 17th century, Jane Bakker's The Virgin discussed the possibility of female celibacy

sex and its positive effects; In her poem, Sarah Philba attacks "the vain Xi."

vulgar" and "boring rules", feeling that their pen is limited to copying recipes

Anger. It was not until the 18th century that England entered the historical period of the European Enlightenment

The idea of human rights, freedom and equality has had a great impact on women, from the belief in men

Mary Astaire, who is equal to women and advises single women to be separated from male custody, arrives

Mary Waugh, who was the first to question the subservient status of women and vigorously exploit women's intelligence

Stonecraft and so on, thus playing the awakening of female consciousness in 19th century Britain

Overture.

Until the Victorian period of the 19th century, with the election of the British parliamentary reform

The passage of the Institutional Act and the completion of the Industrial Revolution accompanied the development of the women's liberation movement

Open, a group of outstanding female writers, finally breaking the centuries-old male center

Discourse pattern. The awakening of female consciousness in English women's literature during this period".

There is no need to start from the economic and material level, but to go directly into the spiritual realm, which is the desire

Realize the value of one's own life, pursue one's own human dignity, and pursue economic,

Politically equal to men, and spiritually and personally on the same side as men

On the horizon"

[2]

。 This intense sense of self goes through a transition from passive to master

The painful process of movement, from unconscious to conscious, from normal to alienated. They tend to

Based on his own experience, he expresses his accusation and resistance to all forces that hinder freedom

The determination to fight for destiny and pursue freedom, independence and equality.

Based on the awakening of self-consciousness and the value of self-independence in real life

Longing and searching, Jane Austen and Sister Brontë in the Victorian period of the 19th century

Sister, Mrs. Gaskey, George Eliot and a large number of other women with a lot of spiritual and intelligent women

The original political, social, ethical and moral subject matter is broken, and the purpose of exploration is to be explored

The light turns to the body of the Victorian women who deeply imprinted the personal experience, exhibition

It shows their difficult journey of striving for and moving towards spiritual liberation in the situation of survival

It plays a symphony of heavy female fate and a change of heart.

Jane Austen is "the most perfect artist among women"

[3] (P444)

, she took pleasure

The open-minded view of love and marriage mocks the feudal concept of family and money-based

Secular marriage and love have raised love to the primacy of women's spiritual life. Arrogance

and Prejudice depicts the marriage of several young men and women, with the hero and heroine Darcy

The pair with Elizabeth, who were not equal in property and status, were able to in the end

When you get married, it is not money that attracts each other, but virtue and intelligence. Elizabeth

Smart and clever, compared with the heroines of several other couples in marriage, she is better than her sister Jane

assertive, who once rejected Collins and Darcy's marriage proposals; More interesting than Charlotte, focused

It is love, not "home" and "safe"; More self-respecting than her sister Lydia, an officer

Wickham had been courteous to her again and again, and although she was tempted, she was not rash

acting, emotionally rich and not lacking in rationality, with keen observation and judgment, this

It was the virtues that made Elizabeth unique in Darcy's eyes. Darcy came to the knot from this

In theory, women should read more and learn more and learn a little more in real talent. It was in Eliza

Under the influence of White, Darcy gradually overcame his pride and prejudice and became respectable and lovable

Come. As a female writer, Jane Austen didn't just see property considerations

The disadvantageous position of women in marriage also sees the emotional factor in marriage,

Only a happy marriage is happy, and more emphasis is placed on women in marriage

Women can play the role of spiritual guides just as much as men. Jane O

Sting's portrayal of a new woman like Elizabeth opened the door to society

The window of women's spiritual life has opened up a side of the sky of women's subjective consciousness.

However, the real establishment of the consciousness of female subjectivity is mainly manifested in Sister Brontë

In my sister's works, their works are all soaked in the desire for love and freedom

Thinking about the fate of women is full of rhetoric against the gentle tone of women's literature in the past

The anger of the women complained about the humiliation suffered by the "female personality" of this brand

challenged a male-centric society. It can be called the British women's liberation movement

The precursor to the movement - "Jane Eyre", the heroine Jane aimed at the time that women only had to do it

Make pudding, knit socks, play the piano, embroider pockets on the view, loud

Appeal: "Women can do more, learn more, and need to use them."

The talent needs to have a hard work field. "In love, Jane vs. Rochester

It is fiery, but it does not forget the basis of equality. When she thought Rochester

When she was about to marry England and leave her at Thornfield Manor, she said angrily:

"You think I'm an automaton? Is it an emotionless machine?......

My soul is like yours, and my heart is like yours...... We stand in God

In front of us, we are equal——— because we are equal!" She was on Rochester's

These words are undoubtedly a manifesto of independence and equality; When Jane learns about Rochester

After having a wife, she left him decisively, unlike the traditional low-class women

willingly act as the mistress or even plaything of upper-class men; Later, love God

When St. John, who loved humanity more than humans, proposed to Jane, she flatly refused and was not obsessed

grateful, aggrieved and submissive; Finally when Rochester's wife died, though

Rochester is blind, but Jane still takes the initiative to confess her love, that

A haughty Luo who "disdains to play other roles except to be a rewarder and protector".

Chester was gone, and only Jane, who had saved him from the fire's bed tent, could

and save him from his suffering, and perhaps from destruction. Writer Charlotte in

In the novel, a mythical world of women is constructed, in which women play

The role that has always been played by men has changed the dependence of women to that of men to women

Attach. Her Jane is no longer an image created by a male ontological being: Ivory Girl, Ann

Delomeda, Pandora, etc., are not men's myths: at the mercy of others, wronged

Submissive, beautiful, and without an independent personality, "always exactly the embodiment of 'others.'"

People"

[ 4 ] ( P77)

, but on behalf of the 19th century in Europe and the United States, which was in its infancy

Move. It expresses the strength of the hearts of women, especially poor civilian women

Martyrdom – A woman should attain it not only in the worldly life, but also in the spirit

Absolute equality with men.

If Charlotte is a record of how Jane at the bottom of the throne fought for freedom and independence

The growth of women shows the value of their existence, then, Emily records Catherine

The hardships of independence and independence show thinking about the status of women and the plight of women. may

Call one of the greatest works of the Victorian era, Wuthering Heights, to show people

A world of intense emotions filled with love and hate like a storm, Catherine and

Heathcliff's life-and-death love is shocking. Emily Brontë is a woman alone

Gu's sensitivity and delicacy give Catherine a dominant position in love, and Catherine Aixi

Thorncliff, not because he is handsome, nor because he can bring her pleasure,

Not because he's rich, it's just because he's her own being, "He's more like me than I am."

themselves". Therefore, she took the initiative to show her love despite his eccentric personality under his status, for

Helping Heathcliff to raise his head, Catherine made her own decision,

chose the handsome and wealthy Linton, who she did not love, as the marriage

Object. After marriage, she still bravely defended her love with Heathcliff, and more

It's spiritual love, spiritual communication. In her attempt with Heathcliff and Linton

After failing to maintain a balanced relationship, Catherine calmly confronts her choice

She would rather die in exchange for Heathcliff's love. Cather

Lynn's pursuit of love, her pursuit of independence and a strong sense of self fully embodies the feminine

Self-esteem and self-love embody women's call for equality between men and women. At the same time, it is also a pair of men

The rebellion against the patriarchal society is the subordination of women and the centrality of men in a patriarchal society

The dissolution of the position subverts the so-called gender characteristics of men and women in the traditional concept

Role. However, this power is weak, and in a fundamentally patriarchal society,

Catherine still bowed to the world, and she still chose to rely on marriage to protect her

Holding on to their own economic position, in the end ended in failure. Amy as a female writer

Leigh deeply experienced the social realities of 19th-century Victorian England, female

The sexual status is still relatively low, and there are many obstacles in front of women, and women are not only welcomed

The constraints of the observation conditions also have their own limitations. In terms of love, women behave

Blindly thinking about the other person you love, and ignoring the real needs of the other person. triumphant

Selene married Linton, and it was in large part for Heathcliff that she did this

This kind of decision led to a cynical distortion of Heathcliff's cynical character. Catherine

With too much self-sacrifice, Charlotte's Jane is self-reliant and self-loving, pursuing

Love, nor is it free from self-sacrificing love and loyal and selfless devotion. Just like Shaw

"It's not bravery, it's cowardice, it's raised in a long-term state of helplessness."

into the self-sacrificing inertia. Therefore, women are only on the basis of self-interest

On the basis of this, we can take true equality as the standard; Women need to be truly equal

The independence of the Lord requires unremitting efforts and struggles both economically and spiritually. Here it is, Amy

Leigh's sharp brushstrokes point not only at men, but also at male-centered traditional culture

and women's own psychological core, so that women's literature has a deeper strength and richness

connotation. The Brontë sisters' call for female independence is precisely female

A real awakening of sexual consciousness.

After the rise of the Brontë sisters, English women's literature moved from personal passion,

The world of personal emotions has expanded to a broader social world. has always been on politics

The perceptive Mrs. Gaskee, for the first time, described the industrial worker as the protagonist

It depicts the living conditions of the British working class, revealing the labor of capitalist society

Contradictions. She reflected the working-class in works such as Mary Patton

life and struggle, criticizing the cruelty and ruthlessness of the industrial system. As a female writer dares

dabbling in the political themes dominated by male writers, and showing a kind of profundity and sensitivity

Sharp insight, revealed before Mrs. Gaskee reflects the life of the bourgeoisie

And fate is not in English women's literature. Thus raising the British

The serious idea of women's literary creation, and emphasizes the social significance and role of women

and the value of life.

3 3 No. 11 Lina Zhang: An Analysis of Female Consciousness in 19th-Century Victorian British Women's Fiction

In contrast to her contemporaries, George Eliot was in England

In the whirlpool of ideology at that time, her broad vision involved a broader scope

social life, and deeply examine the psychology of the characters, and explore ethical and moral issues, sufficiently

It expresses the spirit of her century, and makes English women's literature emerge from society

Live to turn to the inner world. Her autobiographical "The Mill on the River Flos", the hostess

Maggie is passionate and brave, kind and beautiful, intelligent and cute, and loves fantasy. She was sympathetic

Philip, a classmate who has been disabled since childhood, but has no love for him; But when Philip

When she pleaded with her to agree to be his lover, Maggie's heart was full of emotion

Conflict with responsibility. She didn't love him, but she was afraid of hurting him. And to Sty

Vince, however, has an impulse and desire, and Stevens is his sister's lover, Kao

Considering the feelings of her relatives, Maggie fell into the contradiction between love and morality, in order to

She endured great personal pain for the happiness of others, and Maggie finally did not agree

Stevens' marriage proposal. The Floss River flooded, and her brother, who had driven her out of the house

Trapped in the mill, Maggie is once again faced with a choice between good and evil. Selfless

Love and compassion, faith in the principles of sincerity and justice, and self-denial

Will helps Maggie overcome herself again and again. In the end, it has always been wrong to risk death to rescue

Rescue her brother Tom, who was reformed in the crisis, but both of them died.

"In the last moment of supremacy", they finally realized the realization of innocence

The return of the love of evil childhood. It has a sensitive intuition, a characteristic delicacy, and a sharp edge

The perceptive Elliot, on the one hand, moves from psychological depiction to analysis to show Maggie

The rich and sublime inner world endows Maggie with the reason for the beautiful human nature

I want to explore the potential tension of human nature in Maggie. Maggie's bewildered heart

Feelings, doubtful interrogations, new hesitations, painful situations, and self-sacrifice

It condenses Eliot's deep concern and understanding of the fate of women and his understanding of society

Growing deeper. At the same time, she is reflecting on the masculinization of women and looking for women

As an equal but different trait from men, it tries to eliminate women from themselves

Rescue from the danger of solution. Eliot, on the other hand, put morality, love, and morality

The three are blended together to arrive at a value judgment with religious sentiments and highlight it

Ethical and psychological, her ethics are different from the 18th century kind of exhortation of good and promotion of evil

rather "rationally explore the relationship between one's behavioral choices and fate,

Explore the moral hesitation of people when faced with a choice. It conveys the author's way of life

Virtue understanding and requirements"

[ 5 ] ( P321, P326)

。

From Jane Austen to the Brontë sisters, Mrs. Gaskey and George Eliot

In particular, their literary creations reflect the Victorian women's literature in England

The awakening and deepening of women's consciousness. Austin talks about customs——— with witty ridicule

The ironic tone mocks the restrictions placed on women by society; The Brontë sisters behaved

Personal passion——— with irrepressible anger directly plead against the humiliation of women

v. challenging the values of a male-centric society; Mrs. Gaskai reflected

It was the political ——— who criticized the industrial system with the sensitivity and audacity peculiar to women

cruel and ruthless, emphasizing the social value of women; George Eliot was concerned

Ethics ——— explores the spirit of the times from a psychomoral perspective and vividly presents women

's inner confusion and reflection have opened up a psychological exploration of "women don't let their eyebrows go".

New frontiers. Needless to say, feminine consciousness in Victorian women's literature

"From the awakening of female subjectivity——— deconstruction of male power, to the consciousness of female subjectivity

Gradually construct ———self-improvement"

[ 6 ] ( P231, P240)

, such as the endless thought of living

Water runs through 19th-century British women's literature and even 20th-century British women's literature

In the middle of learning.

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[ 2 ] Gong Beifang. The rise of women writers in nineteenth-century Britain and British culture

[ J ]. 2004 (4).

[ 3 ] Li Naikun. Highlights of Woolf's work [M]. Shijiazhuang: Hebei Education Publishing

S.A., 1990.

[ 4 ] Simone de Beauvoir. The second sex [M]. Tao Tiezhu, trans. Beijing: China