AFeministInterpretationofTheSunAlsoRises英語專業(yè)本科畢業(yè)論文_終稿

1、. . . . A Feminist InterpretationofThe Sun Also RisesA Thesis SubmittedTo Foreign Language DepartmentOf College of Information & Business,Zhongyuan University of TechnologyIn Partial Fulfillment of the RequirementsFor the Degree of Bachelor of Arts16 / 21論 文 摘 要歐斯特米勒爾海明威（18991961）是20世紀最著名的小說家之一,

2、也是“迷惘的一代”的代言人。太陽照樣升起是海明威的第一部長篇小說，主要敘述戰(zhàn)后一群流落在法國的美國年輕人的獨特生活。在這部小說中，海明威塑造了一位頗有爭議的女性形象勃萊特·阿什利。本文將從女性主義理論入手，結合小說創(chuàng)作的時代背景，分析小說中女主角勃萊特·阿什利對男權社會所做的反抗，揭示其反抗失敗的原因，探索女性真正走上獨立自主道路的途徑，從而給現(xiàn)代女性以啟示。關鍵詞：太陽照常升起；女性主義；反抗；失敗AbstractErnest Hemingway（18991961）was one of the most famous writers in 20th century and

3、 the spokespersonof the lost generation. Hemingways first and probably his most accomplished novel The Sun Also Rises was talked about the life about an unique group of young Americansliving in France after the World War I. In this novel, he produced a vivid but controversial female images-the main

4、character “Brett Ashley”. This thesis starts from the feminist theory, combining the background of the novel,and analysesBrett Ashleys rebellions against the patriarchal society, and reveals the reasons for its failure, and exploresthe wayfor women to gain the independence. In the end , the thesis e

5、nlightens the modern women.Key words: The Sun Also Rises; feminist; rebellion; failureTable of ContentsAbstract (Chinese) .IAbstract (English) .II1. Introduction.12.An Brief Survey ofFeminism and The Sun Also Rise22.1 Feminism. . .22.2 The Sun Also Rise. .33. An Analysis of Brett Ashleys Rebellions

6、against the Patriarchal Society.43.1 Fight against Traditional Conventions .43.2 Emphasis on Self-consciousness. .53.3 The Pursuit of Love and Happiness.64. The Causes of Brett Ashleys Failure. 84.1 Spiritual Dependence on Men. . .84.2 Financial Dependence on Men. .95.

7、Conclusion.10References.12Acknowledgements131. IntroductionErnest Hemingway(1899-1961), theprolificAmerican writer,was awardedNobel Prize in literature in 1954. In 1926, Hemingways first and probably his mostaccomplishednovel The SunAlso Riseswaspublished, which madeHemingwaystand out as an internat

8、ionalcelebritybecause hegraspedthe socialchangesin America after World War I andsucceeded inconveyingthe exact feelingof the lost generation in written form. The Sun Also Rises talked about the stories of the lost generation and like other Hemingways works, many tough man roles were created. However

9、, in The Sun Also Rises, he also produced a vivid female images-the main character “Brett Ashley” in his stories, through Brett Ashley. Since The Sun Also Rises was published, the critics from all over the world made comments about this novel from various angles, such as symbolism, structuralism, im

10、pressionism, post-modernism and so on. BertramD.Sarason (1965:73) talked about that the differences between the Brett Ashley and Lady Duff. And George Green (1976:45) argued that thematter of color and the Hemingway's criticism of race prejudice handling of race. Since the 1990s , a few critics

11、tried to interpret the works of Ernest Hemingway with the latest European and American contemporary critical theory. Lorie Watkins Fulton (2005:3436) analyzed the Brett Ashley and The Sun AlsoRisesfrom the Jakes narration. Linda Wagner-Martin (2007:134) wrote the new essays about The Sun Also Risesf

12、rom the new development of the society and the new image of the “Lost Generation”.In the 1930s, Hemingways works were introduced to China, and gradually become popular among Chinese readers, and a lot of critics read this novel and made some comments. For example, Chen Shidan (1998:87) compared the

13、works of Hemingway with the works of Zhang Xianliang. And Cao Minglun (2004:2) studied The Sun Also Rises from the religion meaning of death. So this thesis starts from the feminist theory, combining the background of the novel,and analysesBrett Ashleys rebellions against the patriarchal society, an

14、d reveals the reasons for its failure, and exploresthe wayfor women to gain the independence. In the end , the thesis enlightens the modern women.2. Feminism and The Sun Also Rise2.1 FeminismHundred years ago, womens social statue was quite low, women was treated as appendage to men, they only had r

15、ights of living, their manner, speaking and behavior were regulated by a series of serious rules and discipline. With the education spreading among women and the awakening of the female self-consciousness, they came to realize that they should defend their economic, political and other rights and pu

16、rsue equal treatment like men. Then there appear feminism. Feminism is a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, cultural, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in educati

17、on and employment. Afeminist advocates or supports the rights and equality of women. First-wave feminism was a series of activities during the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. In the U.S.and U.K., it focused on promoting equal contract, marriage, parenting, and property rights fo

18、r women. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, activism focused mainly on gaining political power, particularly the right of womens voting, though some feminists were active in campaigning for womens sexual and economic rights at this time. Second-wave feminism is a feminist movement beginn

19、ing in the early 1960s and continuing to the 20th and it coexists with third-wave feminism. Second-wave feminism is largely concerned with issues of equality not only suffrage, but things like ending discrimination. Second-wave feminists treat womens cultural and political inequalities as its main p

20、urposes that to be deal with. During this period, feminist encourage women to understand aspects of their personal lives deeply by means of public promoting. Third-wave feminism is started from 1900 to the present. It arose as a response toward failures of the second-wave and also as a response to t

21、he movements created by the second-wave. Third-wave feminism often correct the second-waves ideas and movements that are not good for females. It accommodates contradictions; conflict and changes. The third-wave has its origins in the mid-1980. 2.2 The Sun Also RisesThe Sun Also Rises is a 1926 nove

22、l written by American author Ernest Hemingway about a group of American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls and the bullfights. An early and enduringmodernist novel, it received mixed reviews upon publication.

23、 It is recognized as Hemingway's greatest work. The novel was published in the United States in October 1926 by the publishing house Scribner's. A year later, the London publishing house Jonathan Cape published the novel with the title of Fiesta. Since then it has been continuously in print.

24、Hemingway began writing the novel on his birthday in 1925, finishing the draft manuscript barely two months later in September. After setting aside the manuscript for a short period, he worked on revisions during the winter of 1926. The basis for the novel was Hemingway's 1925 trip to Spain. The

25、 setting was unique and memorable, showing seedy café life in Paris, and the excitement of the Pamplona festival, with a middle section devoted to descriptions of a fishing trip in the Pyrenees. Hemingway's spare writing style, combined with his restrained use of description to convey chara

26、cterizations and action, became known as demonstrating the Iceberg Theory.The novel is a romance; the characters are based on real people of Hemingway's circle, and the action is based on real events. In the novel, Hemingway presents his notion that the "Lost Generation", considered to

27、 have been decadent, dissolute and irretrievably damaged by World War I, was resilient and strong. Additionally, Hemingway investigates the themes of love, death, renewal in nature, and the nature of masculinity.3.An Analysis of the Liberation of Women in The Sun Also Rises3.1 Fight against

28、0;Traditional Conventions After World War I, the female role began to have a great transformation, from passive, private and shy, to individualist of new experience. In the past, women had to keep themselves in home and do the houseworks. However, after the war, women began to throw off th

29、eir restraints, toss away their corsets and flee their country homes for jobs in cities. And local ethics were shocked to find thatinstead of doing chores at home, women began to playing golf, driving a car, smoking, dancing, drinking in the bar. All of these behaviour which challenges traditional s

30、ocial structures can be seen in the behavior of Lady Brett Ashley.“Brett was damned good-looking. She wore a slipover jersey sweater and tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boys. She started all that she was built with curve likethe hull of a racing yacht, and youmissed none of it with

31、 that wool jersey.”(Hemingway,954: 24) Fromthose line, Bretts physicalfeatures werevividlyrevealed to readers.Bretts short hair showed her individualityand her dress expressed her sexuality. Brett hated the traditional feminine ideals of proper behavior. Moreover, Brett dared to step off the limitat

32、ion. She said, “I've always done just what I wanted. ”(Hemingway,1954: 202)She dared to do what she want to do even that is wrong. Brett entered the public place without any reason but relaxation and the public place were the bar and the bullfight place. At that time, those places were considere

33、d that only men can existed andnot the right placesfor women to stay. Women who came to such places would be considered disturbing. Although Brett knew that coming to those places was not right, she totally rejected such a rule and did whatever she wanted. Once breaking with the traditional moral, B

34、rett found it difficult for her to go back and she thought that she can find a right way to self-liberation and real independence in the evil world. What Brett did was for finding the equality and liberty in the society and wanting to be the center of the pubic. Being watched by men, she would feel

35、flattered. It is obvious that Brett no longer defined herself as a new womanIn the story, Cohn, Mike and Jake was surrounding Brett. In the past, women like Brett chased by a lot of men have already married to one guy which she most likes. However, in this novel, Brett refused to commit to anyone of

36、 them, preferring remainbeing single. In order to breaking the traditional morals and finding the real independence, she ignoredthose mens feelings and was unwilling to commit fully to any men who obsessed with her, even though she had affairs withthem. As a modern woman, Brett Ashley betrayed the t

37、raditional rules and had many affairs with men. For Brett, having an affair with a man did not mean that she loved him nor wanted to marry him. She seemed just like to enjoy freedom without any restriction by men. Once she found she did not want to have relationship with that man, she would leave hi

38、m without any hesitation.“Could not we live together, Brett? Could not just we live together? ” (Hemingway, 1954: 228) When Jake mentioned again the possibility of them living together, Brett treated him as a kid who was just daydreaming. Maybe, to Brett,the marriage was a kind of burden that would

39、destroy her independence and stop her fighting against traditional conventions. 3.2 Emphasis on Self-consciousness What Brett Ashley did in the story was tried to emphasize on her self-consciousness. What is self-consciousness? If describing someone or something as self-cons

40、cious, that means that they are strongly aware of who or what they are. The 1920s, a transitional period for women or an age of revolution, was an uneasy time to live for everyone because it was difficult to give up the traditional moral code and stillcome up with a new code for the society. At that

41、 time, men and women can not coexist in the real world. In the novel, Brett Ashley said, “I've always done just what I wanted. ”(Hemingway,1954: 202)She dared to do what she just want to do. She was strongly aware of who she was and what she wanted. At the same time,Brett Ashley wanted to gainhe

42、r self-consciousness and totally ignored the traditional morals about women. If she hurt some men, she would not feel anything about it.Once, Jack asked “Do not you love me? but Brett just said “Love you?I simply turn to all jellywhenyou touchme?” and Jack asked again “Wed better keep away fromeach

43、other. Dont we? she said, “But, darling, I haveto see you. It is not all that you know.” (Hemingway,1954:62)Jake and Brett deeply loved each other, but Brett refused Jakes request to live together, because she can not accept the man she loved was impotence and she knew that she can not stand that ki

44、nd of life at all. In the relationship between Brett and Romero, when she realized that Romero wanted her to change into a more traditional woman, she would rather split with Romero. However, except for not being changed by anyone, to some extent, Brett felt guilty for seducing Romero. She explained

45、 to Jake, “Im thirty-four, you know. I'm not going to be one of these bitches that ruins children. You know it makes one feel rather good deciding not to be a bitch.” (Hemingway,1 954: 29) She knew she can not be that kind of women ruin the lives of other children and sometimes she felt horrible

46、 for what she had done.Therefore, Brett bravely pursuit her self-consciousness as a new woman, even though she lived in the scaring reality, and was confusing about what she was doing. At the end of the story,she still chose marriage as a kind of goal of her life, although she did not love the man,

47、and no longer believed in the marriage. In fact, Brett just needed the traditional form to gain theself-consciousness3.3The Pursuit of Love and Happiness In this novel, the characters lived in an absurd world and there was no way to establish a significant relationship between themselves even though

48、 they make great efforts to find one. Brett Ashleywas remembered by all the readers because of herquestfor true love. However,the men aroundher could not satisfied to her demands and offer her real peaceandhappiness. Apartfrom the terriblemarriage,Hemingway wrote four scenes oflove: Jake Barns, Robe

49、rtCohn, Pedro Romero, MikeCampbell. In the story,Jake Barnes, an American veteran of the First World Warmaybe the only man Brett loved truly except her first lover who died in the war. Although Brett sleeps with many men,she lovesJake. Although there was some kinds of true love between them, Jakes i

50、mpotence resulting from the war lets the relationship between Brett and Jack fall apart. “Could not we live together,Brett? Could not just we live together?”(Hemingway, 1954:228)When Jake begged Brett to be with him, she told Jake that she would have to go with other men behind Jakes back and she kn

51、ew he would not be able to stand. However, Brett did not want to hurt Jake, because she truly loved Jake, she would like to be with him, and when she really needed some help, she would come to JakeAt the end of the story, helpless Brett turned to Jake for help again even though she know they can not

52、 really be together, and finally things that happened forced them to face the reality. These are the final lines of thenovel, presentingBrett and Jakes finaldialogue, spoken in taxi.“We could have hadsuch a damned good time together.”Brettsaid. (Hemingway,1954: 270).As a Jew,Cohn can not fit in the

53、disorder society of the twenties. At the age of 34, he was still like a boy andhold a romantic view of life. He was shy and insecure andall his experiences was received just by reading some books. In the relationshipwith Brett, he was so afraid of rejection from Brett, and when it happened, he refus

54、ed to accept. Cohn was a dreamer and really proud of his affair with Brett and believed that this relationship made him a hero. Actually, for Brett, Cohn was just a guy she had an affair with. When Brett met Romero and fall in love immediately, Cohn gave up his romantic pursuit.In contrast to Jake B

55、amss physical impotence, bullfighter Romero had a figure of strength. When Brett saw Romero for the first time, she could not take her eyes off him, she was fascinated by Romeros qualities of masculinity. “I'vegotto do something. I've got to do somethingIreallywant to do. I've lostmy sel

56、f-respect.”(Hemingway,1954: 24)In Bretts mind, Romeros strength, courage and confidence would be able to seduce her weakness and lossIn the relationship with Brett, Romero has followed his rules. He wanted Brett to be his woman, but he had his own expectations for a woman and wanted to changed Brett

57、 into a new woman. Moreover,he would marry Brett if she could fit his own image of wife. Romero still wanted tokeep the traditional gender standardswhich were just what Brett tried to abandon, and the modernity that Brett believed in was what Romero could not accept.When Brett realized that Romero wanted her to change into a more traditionally feminine woman, she refused to grow her hair to fit Romero's image of an ideal woman. “Me with long hair,Idlook solikehell. ”(Hemingway,1954:71) When Romero said that, she realized that they were living in different wo