英語教育專業(yè)畢業(yè)論文A COMPARISON OF THE WOMAN IMAGE BETWEEN PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND JANE EYRE

1、 a comparison of the woman image between pride and prejudice and jane eyrename: zhang xiaoangmajor: english education(英語教育)grade: 2007 (class 8)college: college of foreign languagesdate: may15th，2011tutor: cui chunhuaabstract: the focus of this thesis is the two well-known female roles, jane and eli

2、zabeth, jane comes from charlotte brontes jane eyre, and elizabeth from jane austens pride and prejudice. they have not only many similar qualities but also have different personalities, one of which is that the two women have different experience of struggling to gain the female economic and spritu

3、al independence in patriarchal society. by comparing their different social status, family backgrounds, attitudes towards marriage and love, this thesis aims to explore the reasons of causing the two different experience between the two female roles and how did the backgrounds of that period which t

4、he novels in influnced women and their struggle spirits. in addition, the two novels not only describe the differences between the two women, but also compare the two autors differences, to present their womanism, and their different view of marriage and love. for exmaple, jane austen emphasizes of

5、the females loves and marriages are limited by the economic conditions but carlotte bronte deemes that marriage should be based on the equality of the spirit and the soul.key words: jane eyre, elizabeth, attitude of love, attitude of marri-age, different points摘要 本文關(guān)注的是文學(xué)史上兩個(gè)杰出的女性角色-簡(jiǎn)愛和伊莉莎白。其中簡(jiǎn)愛出自夏洛

6、蒂勃朗特的簡(jiǎn)愛，伊莉莎白出自簡(jiǎn)奧斯汀的傲慢與偏見，簡(jiǎn)愛和伊莉莎白有許多相似的優(yōu)秀品質(zhì)也有很多不同點(diǎn)，主要表現(xiàn)為兩位女主角在男權(quán)社會(huì)中爭(zhēng)取女性經(jīng)濟(jì)和精神獨(dú)立過程中有著不同的奮斗經(jīng)歷。本文欲通過比較簡(jiǎn)愛和伊莉莎白不同的社會(huì)地位，家庭背景和她們對(duì)于婚姻及愛情的態(tài)度，來探討造成兩段經(jīng)歷不同的原因，及當(dāng)時(shí)小說所處的時(shí)代背景對(duì)女性地位及女性奮斗抗?fàn)幘竦挠绊憽４送?，本文不僅闡述了小說中兩位女性的不同之處，而且還通過比較兩部作品的作者-夏洛蒂勃朗特與簡(jiǎn)奧斯汀對(duì)待愛情婚姻及女性的態(tài)度不同之處，來展現(xiàn)作家的女權(quán)主義思想，以及對(duì)待婚姻愛情不同的觀點(diǎn)，比如，簡(jiǎn)奧斯汀強(qiáng)調(diào)經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況對(duì)女性愛情和婚姻的限制而夏洛蒂勃朗特則

7、認(rèn)為婚姻必須建立在精神靈魂平等的條件下。關(guān)鍵詞：簡(jiǎn)愛；伊莉莎白； 愛情觀； 婚姻觀；不同點(diǎn)contentschapter one introduction11.1general comment on jane austen and charlotte bronte11.2the background of pride and prejudice and jane eyre31.2.1 the background of pride and prejudice31.2.2 the background of jane eyre4chapter two elizabeth bennet and j

8、ane eyre based on feminism52.1 elizabeth bennet52.2 jane eyre6chapter three comparison between elizabeth bennet and jane eyre73.1 a comparison between elizabeth bennet and jane eyre from their characters73.2a comparison between elizabeth bennet and jane eyre from their attitudes towards love and mar

9、riage9chapter four the reasons for elizabeth bennet and jane eyres different attitudes towards love and marriage114.1 different social backgrounds114.2 different family backgrounds134.3 different personalities14chapter five a comparison between the two authors155.1 different attitudes towards love a

10、nd marriage155.2 different attitudes towards woman19chapter six conclusion21notes23bibliography24a comparison of the woman image between pride and prejudice and jane eyrechapter one introduction1.1general comment on jane austen and charlotte brontecharlotte bronte (1816-1855) was one of the most fam

11、ous female writers in english literature. in this period of tense class struggle appeared a new literary trend-critical realism. english critical realism of the 19th century flourished in the forties and in the early fifties. the critical realists described with much vividness and great artistic ski

12、ll the chief traits of the england society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint. she created several works, such as shirley (1849), villette (1853), the professor (1857). her works are all about the struggle of an individual consciousness toward self-realization, about so

13、me lonely and neglected young women with a longing for love. jane eyre is her typical works. it is an autobiography. it was written in the year of 1846.jane austen (1775-1817) was an english novelist whose realism, biting social commentary and masterful use of free indirect speech, burlesque and iro

14、ny have earned her a place as one of the most widely read and best-loved writers in english literature. although austens works were widely read in her lifetime, she published her works anonymously. virginia woolf called austen “the most perfect artist of women.” jane austens novels were witty, warm

15、and ironic portraiting ,and she criticizedthe privileged classes of 18th and 19th-century england. her best-known works were emma (1815), pride and prejudice (1813) and sense and sensibility (1811), during her lifetime, austens works brought her little fame and only a few positive reviews. through t

16、he mid-nineteenth century, her novels were admired only by a literary elite. however, the publication of her nephews a memoir of jane austen in 1869 introduced her life and works to a wider public. by the 1940s, austen was firmly ensconced in academia as a “great english writer”, and the second half

17、 of the twentieth century saw a proliferation of austen scholarship that explored many aspects of her novels artistic, ideological, and historical. in popular culture, a janeite fan culture has developed, centred on austens life, her works, and the various film and television adaptations of them. 1.

18、2the background of pride and prejudice and jane eyre1.2.1 the background of pride and prejudicethe story of pride and prejudice took place in the time of the regency in britain. at that time, britain was at the period of transition from the earlier stage of capitalism to capitalist industrialization

19、. at that time, according to the social conditions in britain, a good marriage for a young woman was very important. this phenomenon was closely associated with the british society and the status of women in the society. and many middle-class young women had three solutions: getting married, staying

20、 at home as old maids or working as the family female teachers. the income of family female teacher was very low, and the status was low as well. it was very difficult for them to change or swap out of this status, no one would like to be a maid forever, therefore, in terms of young women, especiall

21、y those who dont have enough properties, to get married was the only way for them to gain respect, stability and social status. the story is based on this kind of special social background. 1.2.2 the background of jane eyrevictorian english society separated the duties of men and women into complete

22、ly separate spheres. this meant that the male head of the family assumed the duty of earning an income, while his female counterpart worked within the domestic circle. a woman pursuing a higher education found herself branded with names such as “ong-tailed sheep,” an allusion to a farm animal that d

23、oes not garner a high price at a sale. like the long-tailed sheep, a well-taught woman was not considered a valuable commodity. charlotte bronte contradicts these notions in her novel, however. in jane eyre, the character of rochester, at whose estate jane is employed, finds himself attracted to her

24、 because of, rather than despite, her acute wit. while jane does not possess the physical attributes of some of the other females whom rochester knows, her intellectual capacity makes her a stimulating companion. in that time the major barrier facing women was the prevalent belief that the female mi

25、nd could not sufficiently acquire and retain intellectual material. traditionalists argued that women were physically and mentally unfit for serious intellectual pursuits. in view of this prevailing attitude, women received only a limited education in certain “appropriate” subjects. according to the

26、 traditional curriculum, girls studied english, history, geography and scripture. they did not delve into mathematics, science, or the classics. society expected that its women display a proficiency in art, music, french, sewing, and singing. these talents, people reasoned, would enable a young woma

27、n to provide a fitting and cultivated home for her husband. for the most part, girls received their primary education at home, usually from their mothers. victorian mothers instructed their young pupils not only in the traditional subjects, but in the skills of housewifery as well. upper-middle-clas

28、s families also paid for their daughters to attend special boarding schools. another breed of boarding school, commonly known as “deplorable schools,” acted as dumping grounds for orphans and other unwanted children. these establishments focused less on education than on discipline. lowood instituti

29、on, in brontes novels, represents one such establishment.chaptertwo elizabeth bennet and jane eyre based on feminism2.1 elizabeth bennetelizabeth is a very remarkable young woman due to her confidence, which allows her intelligence to shine through, all the while making her less trapped than the oth

30、er young women in the novel.elizabeth is the ideal image for women as well as the most charismatic person in the novel. she is bonnets second daughter, an active, not been affected by the formal education belonging to those aristocratic young girls, so she isnt good at music and painting, but she ha

31、s read many books which make her knowledgeable and perceptive. the most important aspect is that she is a lady with dignity and upbringing. elizabeth bennet constitutes a critique of traditional norms of womens behavior. her independence, intelligence, and bold personality do not hold to a tradition

32、al 19th-century view of women. throughout the novel, there are many references to the unusual character of elizabeth bennet, she is seen to be an atypical female during those times. wit, bravery, independence and feminist views all describe a most extraordinary model for women. elizabeth bennet is a

33、lso very brave for the position in life that she is in. to not marry would put one in a very precarious situation financially and to be able to denounce tradition for the sake of ones principles are foolhardy but brave.2.2 jane eyrejane eyre was a different and special female, who perused the equal

34、love and ideal marriage, who despised mundane habits and dared to challenge the traditional concept of love, which showed a new viewpoint of love and moral ideal. although she suffered lot difficulties but she did not surrender to fate. just because of these, jane eyre got her true love at last. jan

35、es self-respect can only be achieved on the basis of economic independence. jane had a soldiers spirit she strove for just treatment and for equality and rebelled the fate. in face of all difficulties, jane was so brave and fearless. jane pursed happiness and love but she claim was equal right for w

36、omen and didnt think love was supreme. jane eyre, is a poor but aspiring, small in body but huge in soul, obscure but self-respecting girl. jane eyre, a marvelous figure, has left us so much to recall and to think:1.her goodness. for someone who lost arms and blinded in eyes, for someone who despise

37、d her for her ordinariness, and even for someone who had hurt her deeply in the past. 2. her pursuit of justice. its like a companion with the goodness. but still, a virtuous person should promote the goodness on one side and must check the badness on the other side.3. her self-respect and the clear

38、 situation on equality. in her opinion, everyone is the same at the gods feet. though there are differences in status, in property and also in appearance, but all the human being are equal in personality. 4. her striving for life, her toughness and her confidence. when we think of this girl, what sh

39、e gave us was not a pretty face or a transcendent temperament that make us admire deeply, but a huge charm of her personality. actually, she wasnt pretty, and of course, the ordinary appearance didnt make others feel good of her, even her own aunt felt disgusted with it. and some others even thought

40、 that she was easy to look down on and to tease, so when miss ingram met jane eyre, she seemed quite contemptuous, for that she was obviously much more prettier than the plain and ugly governess. chapter three comparison between elizabeth bennet and jane eyre3.1.a comparison between elizabeth bennet

41、 and jane eyre from their characterselizabeth bennet: she is witty beautiful independent honest and active. her admirable qualities are numerous, but her sharp tongue and making judgments hasty often lead her confused. she is lively and willing to attend a party. more or less elizabeth also has vani

42、ty like most of the women, when she heard darcy said that she is barely tolerant she feels angry, but that is reasonable. a person who never comes to the point of saying “i never knew myself”1doesnt have self-knowledge, and “if we dont know ourselves, we wont know the world, the reality, and what we

43、 cannot surely know, we fabricate, we assume, and we misjudge.”2 elizabeth bennet in pride and prejudice is a typical model of standing for womens freedom. for her unique and orginal characteristics, she is considered as one of the most beloved heroines in english literature. although elizabeth make

44、s some mistakes, for example, she has been driven by her pride and prejudice for a long time leading to the misjudgments about wickham and darcy, the striking features she possesses still overweight these weaknesses. she is not perfect but is an idealized woman. jane eyre: she has a plain character,

45、 not pretty but still attractive. she is a kind girl with soft heart who always brings love to people around her, she helps helen burns and mr. rochester when they were in troubles. jane is a straight person, she never flattered others, for example, she hates her aunt, so she told her the truth and

46、when mr. rochester asked her if he is handsome, she answered “no” without any hesitation. she is also independent, always rely on herself and make a living by herself. jane is tolerant, for she can forgive her aunt who hurt her deeply in the past. she has sense and morality, when she knows mr. roche

47、ster was a married man, she leaves him resolutely although she loves him deeply at that time. in jane eyres mind, everyman was born equally, she said: “do you think because i am poor, obscure and plain that i am soulless and heartless? i have as much soul as you and fully as much heart.”3 this is he

48、r idea of equality, although god hadnt given her beauty and wealth, instead, god gave her a kind mind and a thinking brain. her idea of equality and self-respect impress us so much and let us feel the power inside her body. in this aspect, we can draw a conclusion that jane is brave and strong in ch

49、aracter. she might be only a little figure but she is the master of her own life. she deserves to be loved.3.2a comparison between elizabeth bennet and jane eyre from their attitudes towards love and marriageelizabeth bennet: she is a woman that expected to step outside the social norms. elizabeth i

50、s interested in finding a husband with compatible personality, rather than one with great wealth, she believes that love and marriage is closely associated with property and society for she cannot make a living herself, however love and marriage cannot only decided by property and society, an ideal

51、marriage should be based on true and equal love. when she makes sure that she loves darcy, she can overcome all obstacles including class boundaries and prejudice, perhaps that is her power of love.elizabeth, has a certain picture of an ideal marriage in her mind, and therefore would never marry for

52、 reasons other than love. since elizabeth would not marry without love, we can also assume that jane austen sees what charlotte does as immoral. elizabeth also feels that marriages formed by passion alone are just as bad as marriages formed without love. elizabeth reflects on her sister lydias marri

53、age, “but how little permanent happiness could belong to a couple who were only brought together because their passions were stronger then their virtue, she could easily conjecture.”4 we again see reasons besides love as the reason for marriage. jane eyre: she is in pursuit of equal and true love. w

54、hen she fell in love with mr. rochester, she dares to express her love to him, although they are in totally different social class, so she is brave. she said:“if god had gifted me with wealth and beauty, i should have made it as hard for you to leave me as it is now for me to leave you.”5 she can ma

55、ke sacrifice in love, when she knows rochester has a wife already, she chooses to leave him without taking anything, although she loves mr. rochester and actually does not want to leave her lover. when mr. rochester lost arms and blinded in eyes, jane comes back and married him again, she never conc

56、erned about appearance. so, her love is not selfish and based on the pain of others. her love is pure and her marriage is holy and great.chapter four the reasons for elizabeth bennet and jane eyres different attitudes towards love and marriage 4.1 different social backgroundselizabeth bennet:at that

57、 time, according to the social conditions in britain, a good marriage for a young woman was critical. this phenomenon was closely associated with the british society and the status of women in the society. in the 19th century, women were not well respected compared with the ones in the present socie

58、ty. there was no equality between woman and man. women were considered to be inferior to men in terms of intelligence and capacity. the central life of women was forced to be staying at home, their roles were to deal with the family affairs, such as taking care of the children and serving for the husband. people naturally thought that women should be submissive to their husbands. the virtues of women were patient and deferent. they must recognize their inherent inferiority to men, so they must restrict their abilities without conditions. although the status of women was slow,