論《法國中尉的女人》中薩拉的女性主義的顯現(xiàn)-文學學士畢業(yè)論文

指導老師簽名： 日期：年月日AbstractJohnFowleswhohasbeenregardedasa"postmodernist"writerisnotonlyanimportantbutalsoinfluentialnovelistincontemporaryBritain.HismasterpieceTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman,aclassicalnovelthatshedlightonthewomen'sdiscoveryofself-hoodandseekingoffreedom,hasbeenacclaimedbythecriticsafteritspublication.Fowles'sfascinatingdelineationoftheheroine,hasbeenstudiedfromdifferentperspectivesbymanycritics.Thisdissertationattemptstomakeain-depthanalysisoftheheroineinTheFrenchLieutenant'swoman,fromtheperspectiveoffeminism,combiningwithhistoricalbackground.HowSarahstrugglesforherself-hoodandfreedom,andhowshefightsagainsttherestrictedvaluesaswellastherigidmoralitiesinthehistoricalcontextoftheVictorianera.Thisthesismainlyfocusesontheanalysisoftheawakeningandembodimentofherfeministconsciousness.Afteradetailedanalysis,wecanfigureoutthatwhatleadstotheawakeningofSarah'sfeministconscious,andhowshetransformsintoa"newwoman"successfully.What'smore,readerscouldhaveamorein-depthunderstandingonthewomeninVictorianera,whohadencounteredmanydifficultiesinthepersuitofself-hoodandfreedom.Aftertheinterpretation,itcancausesomesocialconcernsoverthefeminineconsciousness.Women'svoicecanbeheardbymorepeople,sowomendon'thavetokeepsilentanymore,instead,theycouldhavemorecouragetofightfortheirrights.KeyWords:TheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman；SarahWoodruff；FeministConsciousness摘要約翰·福爾斯是英國當代文壇最重要的小說家之一。他的代表作《法國中尉的女人》是以女性的自我發(fā)現(xiàn)和追求為主題的經典文學著作?！斗▏形镜呐恕芬粏柺?，就獲得了廣大讀者和文學評論界的好評。圍繞著作者對作品中女主人公薩拉這一形象的精心塑造，不少評論家從不同的角度進行了探討。本文在原有研究女性主義視角的基礎上，結合小說當時的歷史背景，深入分析《法國中尉的女人》中女主人薩拉在當時的文化背景下，如何在追求自我和自由的過程中，與維多利亞道德觀進行抗爭，著重于分析薩拉的女性主義的覺醒過程，和其覺醒過程中女性主義的顯現(xiàn)。經過詳細的分析研究，可以得出，是什么喚醒了薩拉的女性意識，使她最終成功轉變成一位“新女性”。通過對《法國中尉的女人》女性主義的解讀，希望讀者能對維多利亞時代的英國女性在追求自我和自由的過程中所遭遇到的困難和挫折有一個較為深入的了解。更重要的是，引起社會對女性意識問題的關注，使女性不再沉默，勇于爭取自身的權利，她們的呼聲能被更多的人所聽見。關鍵詞：法國中尉的女人；薩拉伍德拉夫；女性意識ContentsAbstract i摘要 ii1.Introduction 11.1Studybackground 11.2Significanceofthisstudy 11.3Thearrangementofthisstudy 12.LiteratureReview 32.1PreviousstudiesonTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman 32.1.1Foreignstudies 32.1.2Domesticstudies 53.Sarah'sFeministConsciousnessAwakeninginVictoriaEra 63.1VictorianErabackground 63.1.1WomaninVictorianEra 63.1.2TheSecondfeministmovement 73.2AwakeningofSarah'sfeministconsciousness 73.2.1Sarah'sSelf-denial 83.2.2Sarah'sSelf-discovery 93.3EmbodimentofSarah'sFeministConsciousness 103.3.1ThePursuitoftruelove 103.3.2ThePursuitofselfhoodandfreedom 114.Conclusion 13References 14Acknowledgments 161.Introduction1.1StudybackgroundWithitspostmorderniststructure,itsexistentialistelementsanditscharacterization,inparticularthemysteriouscharacterSarah,whohasdrawnwideinternationalcriticalattention,JohnFowles'snovelTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman,becomesgreatestpopularsuccesssoonafteritspublicationin1969.ItisbecauseTheFrenchLieutenant'sWomanisanovelwithcomplexstyle,dualendings,andpostmodernopennessthatallowsomuchroomforinterpretation.Thisthesis,basedontheexsitingperspectiveoffeminism,combiningwiththehistoricalbackground,trystomakeain-depthanalysisofSarah,theheroineinTheFrenchLieutenant'swoman.HowSarahstrugglesforherself-hoodandfreedom,andhowshefightsagainsttherestrictedvaluesaswellastherigidmoralitiesinthehistoricalcontextoftheVictorianera.Andthisdissertationmainlyfocusesontheanalysisoftheawakeningandembodimentofherfeministconsciousness.1.2SignificanceofthisstudyAftertheinterpretationofthefeminismofSarahinTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman,wecanfigureoutthatwhatleadstotheawakeningofSarah'sfeministconscious,andhowshetransformsintoa"newwoman"successfully.What'smore,readerscouldhaveamorein-depthunderstandingonthewomeninVictorianera,whohadencounteredmanydifficultiesinthepersuitofself-hoodandfreedom.Aftertheinterpretation,itcancausesomesocialconcernsoverthefeminineconsciousness.Women'svoicecanbeheardbymorepeople,sowomendon'thavetokeepsilentanymore,instead,theycouldhavemorecouragetofightfortheirrights.1.3ThearrangementofthisstudyThepaperfallsintofiveparts.Chapterone:Introductioninvolvesthestudybackgroundandthesignificanceofthisstudy.Ittheninvolvesthearrangementofthisstudy.ChaptertwomainlyinvolvesthecurrentcriticsmofthenovelbothhomeandabroadonTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman.AsthisnovelisunderthesignificantinfluenceoftheVictorianEra,soChapterthreewillexploreintotheVictorianEra.ThesocialbackgroundandabriefdiscussionaboutthetwowavesofFeminismMovementandtheirrelationshipswiththisnovelwillbepresented.ChapterThreewillexploretheawakeningofSarah'sfeministconsciousness.Throughherself-constructionstartsfromherself-denialtoself-discovery,Sarahhassuccessfullyestablishedherselfa"newwoman".ChapterFourwilldrawaconclusion,andtrytoanswerthequestion:whatmakesSarahanewwoman?2.LiteratureReview2.1PreviousstudiesonTheFrenchLieutenant'sWomanIn1969,JohnRobertFowleshadTheFrenchLieutenant'sWomanpublished.Thisnovelturnsouttobeahugesuccessinbothcommercialaswellasacademicvalues.Itremainsonthebestsellerlist(America)for157weeks,andKarelReize,thebook'spublication,madeitapopularmovie12yearslater.ThisnovelisaboutamysteriouslovestorywhichhappenedintheVictorianAgeofthemid19thcentury.SarahandCharles,theheroineandheroofthisnovel,whoshakeoffsocialprejudiceandrestrictions,struggletoacquiretheirfreedomandindependence.Thisnovelemployssomepostmodernnarrativetechniques,whichnotonlyreconstructsbutalsodeconstructstheVictorianfiction.TheFrenchLieutenant'sWomanhasdrawnbroadattentionandacclaimsfromliterarycriticsandreadersbecauseofitsuniquepostmodernistnarrativestyle,delicateimagedepictionanddeepreflectionofmodernhistoryofBritain．2.1.1ForeignstudiesAfterthepublicationofTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman,drawnnation-wideattentionfromBritishandAmericancritics.Westernacademic'sresearchesonthienovelisdiversified,includingSocialhistoricalcriticism,psychoanalysiscriticism,thePhilosophicalInvestigationsofexistentialismandthenarrativestrategyofthemeta-fiction.Somecriticsalsotakeitasahistoricalnovel.Forinstance,LindaHutcheon(1988)considersitashistoricalmeta-fictionaboutVictoriansocialism,becausethisnovelhasaclearandprofoundunderstandingofthehistoryandfiction,whichprovidesthefoundationforthestyleandcontent.Intermsofnarration,MahmoundSalami(1992)analyzesthenovel'sthemeoffreedomthroughthenarrativestructureofthenovel,andconcludesthattheentirenarrativestructureofthenovelisitselfanactoffreedomfromillusiontoallparticipantsinfiction.RichardP.Lynch(2002)pointsoutthatthisisthebestnovelofFowlesintheinspectionofhumanfreedom,"individualfreedomisunderthecontrolofsocialsystem",thisnovelhasillustratedthreedifferentkindsoffreedom:society,existenceandnarration.Therefore,"TheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman,freesnotonlythemaincharacterbutalsothereadersfromthemandatorytext."LiterarycriticIforEvans(1987)says"inmyview,themostaccomplishednovelinthisproblematicalveinisJohnFowles'sTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman...Heundertakesarecognizablymodernquestioningoftheverynatureofthefiction"Somefeministcriticsinterpretthisnovelfromtheperspectiveoffeminism,theydeemtheemancipationofSarahtobethethemeofthisnovel.Psychologicalcriticsaremoreconcernedwiththetextualpersonalitiesofthefictionalcharacters.SimonLoveday(1985)extendsRose'sFreudiannsightsaboutthecompositionofTheFrenchLieutenant'sWomanwithsomeadditionalconnectionamongVarguennes,Rossetti,andCharles.TheFormalistscriticismaremainlyconcernedwithexaminingmeaningfulpatternswithinthefictionaltextratherthanitsrelationwiththeexternalcontext.Forinstance,RobertHuffaker(1980)offersperceptiveobservationaboutanimalandimageryinthenovel,andPeterWolfeoffersingeniouscommentonthenamesofFowles'scharacter.Thereareotherswhofocusonthenovel'sexistentialtheme.CriticsheldtheviewthatFowleswasgreatlyinfluencedbyexistentialism.Inhisnovels,Fowlesillustrateshisexistentialistthoughtthroughhischaractersbysettingthemindifferentsurroundingstoexaminehowtheymaketheirchoices.Fowlesstressesfreechoiceandinthisnovel,Sarahtakeschargeofherownlifebyherfreechoice.MahmoundSalami(1992)holdstheviewthatSarahisatypicalexistentialistcharacter,whoembodiesalltheelementsoffreedominthenovel.ShealsofuntionsasaforceprovidingtheexitentialimpetustoCharlesandtheagehelivesin.SarahsetsupaseductiontrapforCharles,manipulatesCharlesfromtheirfirstmeeting,andthenmakesCharleswalkingonhershoes.SarahisaguidewholeadsCharlestohiswayoffreedom.ThemoretraditionalmethodsarefoundinstudiesfocusingontheanalysisofSarah,theprotagonist.RobertHuffaker(1980)pointsoutthatSarah,likethatancestralseductress,temptsCharlestoself-knowledge,theniscastoutalongwithhimwhenheacceptshertemptation.HepointsoutthatSarahplaysoneoftherolesoftheanima,asensualseductress."Bymaintainingapassiveattitudewithaninvisiblepurposeinbackground,sheaidsamantowardhisrealization,andinthatwayholdshim.Atthesametimesheweavesaweboffateforherself",heexplains.Aswecanseethatcriticsandreviewsreceivedthenovelfavorably.Andcriticalapproachesinoverseasstudiesrangefromfeministcriticism,psychologicalcriticism,formalistcriticism,deconstructivecriticism,historicalcriticism,andsoon.TherearealsomanystudiesfocusingontheanalysisofSarah,theprotagonistandexistentialtheme.2.1.2DomesticstudiesRegardingtodomesticstudies,TherearealsofruitfulresearchachievementsonTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman.InterestinandattentiontothenovelcouldbefoundinthegeneralintroductionofitbyMr.HouWeirui(1998),whointerpretsFowles'novelintermsofpostmodernism.RuanWei(1998),ontheotherhand,highlightsthenovel'ssocialandhistoricalsignificancewithadiscussiononthebackgroundofthenovel,theVictorianAge.Somecriticshaveconcentratedonitspostmodernistnarrativetechniques,suchasitsnarrativeviewpoint,theintrusiveauthor,anditsmultipleendings.ZhangMin(1994),whosummarizesitspostmodernistnarrativetechniques,andWangSonglin(2000),whopointsoutthatasatypicalpostmodernistnovel,itcreatesaimaginaryworldaswellasaimaginativeworldthroughitsexperimentalelementssuchascoincidence,parodyanddeconstruction.Aftercollationandanalysis,wecanfindoutthatmostdomesticstudiesfocusonitsexistentialism,thethemeoffreedom,theopenending,narrativeskills,past-modernism,writingskillsandsoon.Forexample,"TheMeaningofExistenceandtheFreedomofChoiceAnalysisonTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman"(WangQian,WangLili,2009),"ThePursuitofIndividualFreedomAnalysisontheConstructionoftheExistentialismThemeinTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman"(LiuYan,2010),"AStudyonFowles'spurposefromtheTripleendingofTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman"(GaoHan,2010),etc.Still,therearesomearticlesinterprettheheroinefromtheperspectiveoffeminism,including:"TheParadoxofFemaleSubjectivity/ObjectivityinTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman"(QiaoXuedong,2009),"TheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman:FromaPerspectiveofEco-feminism"(WangJing,ShiYunlong,2011),also,therearesomearticlesanalysetheheroinefromtheotherperspectives,suchas,"AnAnalysisontheMysteryofSarah"(FuJing,WangLan,2004),"PostmodernTextunderPrototypeInterpretationAnAnalysisonSarah"(ZengYanbing,2006),"TrilogyofFreedom:UnlokingSarah'sMysteryintheLightofTranscendentalism"(ShenYuxia,2010),etc.Aswecansee,inthepast20years,thedomesticacademicstudiesmostlyfocusonthearrativestrategyofthemeta-fictionandthepostmodernnarrationstrategyofwriting.Untilrecentyears,somepapersstarttoapplysomenewresearchmethodstoanalyzetheimageofseveralmaincharactersinthisnovel,suchasarchetypalcriticism,feminismcriticismandpsychoanalytictheoryandsoon.Theytrytoexplorethethemeandthedeepsocialhistoricalconnotationofthisnovel.3.Sarah'sFeministConsciousnessAwakeninginVictoriaEraAswementionedbefore,TheFrenchLieutenant'sWomanisahistoricalfiction,whosebackgroundwassetinthemiddleof20thcenturytheVictorianera.SobeforeafurtheranalysisofthemanifestationoffeminismofSarah,theheroine,itisquitenecessarytolearnthesocialcontextofthisnovel,whichleadstothecreationofSarahaswellasthisclassicalfiction.3.1VictorianErabackgroundVictorianEra,namedafterQueenVictoria,wasanextremediverseandcomplexperiodfrom1837to1901.Atthattime,thesocialprogressandclassconstraint,wealthandpoverty,democracyandoppression,opennessandrigiditywerecoexisted.TheVictorianErawasnotonlyasymbolofthebeginningofthemoderntime,butalsoatransitionalerawithsignificanteconomic,social,scientificandpoliticaltransformations.Duringthattime,scienceandtechnologydevelopedrapidly,andmeansofcommunicationhadbeenenrichedaftertheIndustrialRevolution.People'shorizonhadbeenbroadenedduetothenewgainedastronomyknowledgeofuniverse.ThespreadofCharlesDarwin's"TheoryofEvolution"greatlyinfluencedpeople'sworldperspective.Charles,theheroinTheFrenchLieutenant'sWomanisalsoafollowerofDarwinwhobelievestheEvolutionTheoryandbecomesanamateurarcheologist.AstothepoliticinVictorianera,FirstReformBillmadetheBritaingraduallybecomeamuchmorematuredemocraticcountry.Itgrantedtherightofvotingtothemiddleclassandextendedituniversalfor"men"till1887.However,womenwerestillnotinthisrange.Beneaththeincreasingsocialwealth,itwasthewideninggapbetweentherichandthepoorandinsuperablegulfbetweendifferentsocialclasses.Theupperandmiddleclasslivedaextravagantlife,whiletheworkingclasslivedamiserableandsufferinglife.Theworkersweremainlymigrantfarmerswholefttheirhometowntoworkinthefactoryinthecityandtheirworkingdurattionexceededtenhoursaday.Therewerenosanitation,nocleanwaterandnonewclothinginslumhouses.3.1.1WomaninVictorianEraWomaninVictoriaeralivedunderrestrictionandinequity,andmostofthemlivedinastate,thatis,justalittlebetterthanslavery.Theydidnothavetherighttovote,todivorce,toguardtheirchildren,ortoownproperties.Theupperclassormiddleclasswomenwereboundtotheirhousehold,tobeobedienttotheirhusbands.Thelowerclasswomenwerethemoretragicgroupwhowerethepropertyaswellasworkingmachinesbelongingtotheirhusband.Moreover,forthoselowerclasswomenwhowerenot"lucky"tohaveahusband,theymightbecomeprostitutes,themostdistainedbutpopularcommoditiesfortheVictoriangentlementoenjoy.TheidealVictorianwomenwerethosewhowerepious,pure,submissive,domestic,andtheirirresistiblefatesweretogetmarriedandtobecomeavirtuousmother.Inordertobecomesociallyaccepted,Victorianwomenhadtostayintheirsphereofdomesticandnursingaffairs.Iftheycrossedthelineofpiety,purity,submissiveness,anddomesticity,theywouldbedeemedasa"monster"or"fallenwoman".Forinstance,SarahisthewomanwhosethoughtsandbehaviorsviolateandopenlychallengetheidealsofVictorianvirtues,soshehasbecomethe"socialoutcast"intheVictoriansociety.3.1.2TheSecondfeministmovementTheVictorianErawasnotonlyacomplexandinfluentialerafilledwithsocialconflictscausedbyclassdivision,genderrolesandindustrialrevolution,butalsoaspecialperiodwhenthefirstandthesecondwavesofWomen'sRightMovementhappened,andTheFrenchLieutenant'sWomanwascreatedduringthelatterFeministmovement.WomeninVictorianeralivedalifesorestrictiveandrepressivethattheybegantograduallyawaken.Theystartedtofightfortheirpoliticalandsocialrightequalingtomen.In1792,MarryWollstonecraftpublishedoneofthefirstfeministtreaties,AVindicationoftheRightofWoman,whichadvocatedthesocialandmoralequityofthesexes.In1848,theworld'sfirstwomen'srightconventionisheldinSenecaFalls,NewYork.TheFirstWaveofFeministMovementscontinuedtotheearlywhenthewomenhavesuccessfullywonthesuffragerightandotherequalpoliticalrightsin1920s.Finally,theNineteenAmendmenttotheUnitedStatesConstitutiongrantedwomentherightvotein1920anddrewanendtotheFirstWave.TheSecondWaveofFeministMovementwasfrom1960sto1980s.TheFirstwavewasmainlyapoliticalmovement,whilethesecondwavewasaculturalandsocialrevolution.Awiderangeofissueswereaddressedduringthiswave.Manynewthoughtshadgreatlyinfluencedonthenovelistsinthisperiod.After1060,novelistbegantodeserttheoldliterarytraditionandtoseekfornewexperimentationofthenewformofnovel.Amongtheseexperimentalist,JohnFowlesisoneofthesuccessfulone.HepresentsSarahasanewwomaninVictorianageandaforerunnerofmodernfeminisminTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman.3.2AwakeningofSarah'sfeministconsciousnessInTheFrenchLieutenant'sWoman,SarahisaveryspecialVictorianwomanwithintelligence.Sheaccomplishesherself-hoodrealizationbyherownguidance.Andshehassuccessfullyperceivedherselfhoodandultimatefreedomthroughself-construction,whichcanbedividedintotwoparts:thedenialofherprevioussocialidentityandthediscoveryofheruniqueself-hood.3.2.1Sarah'sSelf-denialSarahwasborninatraditionalfamilyinVictorianera.sheliveswithherfatherafterhermotherdied.HerfatherisapriestofLyme,whoisobsessedwiththepastglorynoblebackgroundoffamily.Sarah'fatherisalwaysdreamingofgoingbacktotheglorylifewhilelivingahumblelifeatthebottomofsociety.Heplacesallthehopesonhisonlydaughter,sohesendsSarahtoreceiveeducationinboardingschool.However,thiscanbefortuneandtragicforSarah.Ontheonehand,itisaluxuryforgirlsatthattime.Ontheotherhand,itcan'tchangeSarah'sfateorimprovethefamily'ssituationbutprovidesknowledgeforhertobettercontemplatethesocietyandherownidentity.Asasilentpoorgirl,sheisunwelcomeintheschool.Nevertheless,sheisveryintelligent,andshecould"perceivetheessenceofpeopleandthings,uncovertheirdisguiseandhypocrisyandclassifyotherpeople'sworth"(Fowles,49).Throughoutherchildhood,Sarahlivesinastateofisolationandsolitude.Sheisalwaysaoutsiderofthissociety,duetotheeducationshereceivedcouldnotmatchesherintelligence,whichalsomakesherafreakinotherVictorians'seyes.Sarahunderstandsherselflikeathorntree,"noonereproachesitforgrowinghereinthissolitude.ItiswhenitwalksdownBroadStreetthatitoffendssociety"(Fowles,158).Theidentitysheexpectediscompletelydifferentfromherrealsituation,whichleadstoherisolationfromsociety.Afterherfatherdied,SarahishiredasagovernessinMrs.Talbot'shome.Mrs.Talbotisabenevolent-mindedtraditionalhousewifeinVictorianera.AlthoughSarahwitnessesMrs.Talbot'shappyfamily,happymarriageandlovelychildren,shestillcouldn'tadapttothiskindoflife,asifitwerenotcompatiblewithherownself-hood."ItcametoseemtomeasifIwereallowedtoliveinparadise,butforbiddentoenjoyit"(Fowles,148),Sarahsays.WhenVarguennes,theFrenchlieutenantSarahfellinlovewith,leavesher,shestartsherfirsthalfofself-constructionself-denial.Beforethis,Sarahjustpassivelysufferedthecruelrealityandinnerpainwithouttakinganyaction.AfterVarguennes'sdeparture,shebeginstorealizeherself-hood,tryingtobuildupanewidentitybythedenialofherpreviousidentity.ShemakesthewholepeopleintownbelievedshehaslosthervirginitytoVarguennes.Peopleintownareashamedofher,soshecanpreserveherownself-hoodunderastateofabsolutesolitude.Sarahexplainsdhermotivelikethis:"IdiditsothatIshouldneverbethesameagain.Ididitsothatpeopleshouldpointatme,shouldsay,therewalkstheFrenchLieutenant'sWhoreohyes,letthewordbesaid.SothattheyshouldknowIhavesuffered,andsuffer,asotherssufferineverytownandvillageinthisland.Icouldnotmarrythatman.SoImarriedshame...Whathaskeptmealiveismyshame,myknowingthatIamtrulynotlikeotherwomen.Ishallneverhavechildren,ahusband,andthoseinnocenthappinesstheyhave.Andtheywillneverunderstandthereasonformycrime"(Fowles,153).Fromthenon,insteadofatraditionalVictorianwoman,Sarahbecomesa"fallenwoman"whoisisolatedfromsocietywithoutanychancetomarryortoliveaconventionallife.Eventhoughshestillhastosufferalot,sheneverregretstodoso.Sarahconsidersittobetheonlywaytopreserveheruniqueownself-hood.3.2.2Sarah'sSelf-discoveryLater,thepresenceofCharles,leadstotherestpartofself-constructionthediscoveryofherownself-hood.Inthisperiod,Sarahisgoingtodiscoverherownself-hood,whichreallybelongstoher.WhenCharlesfirstmeetsSarah,heisattractedbythismysteriouswoman."whenCharlesloseshiswayashegazesintoSarah'seyes,hebeginstolosehisconformity,beginstoseethepossibilitiesoftheradicalSelf"(Fowles,03).AsforSarah,sheconsidersCharlesasahypocriticalgentlemanlikeVarguenness.Afterspendingsometimewithhim,SarahfindsthatCharlesisasocialrebelswithagoodeducationandopen-mindedmind.HebringshopestoSarah,andpromotesSarah'sfurtherself-discovery.Duringthisstage,Sarahtrystoconstructdifferentimagesandidentities,whichgraduallyleadstohertransformationfroma"fallenwoman"intoa"newwoman".ToCharles,Sarahishardtounderstand,andsheis"constantlyshifting,sometimescontradictory,unpredictable,andunfinished"(Foster,10).Sarah'sfirstimageisthefrenchlieutenant'womanexcludedfromsociety.HermysteriousimagegreatlyarousesCharles'scuriosity.WhenCharlesmeetsSarahlater,sheissleepingonthegrass.Atthismoment,Sarah'simagetransformsintoadisasteraswellasauniquewomanwhoneedshishelp.Later,whenCharlestrystoofferhelptoSarah,shebecomesaEva,temptingtoseducehimtotastetheforbiddenfruit.Andaftersex,Sarahdisppearslikeaghostwhoseemstoneverreallyliveinthisworld.Attheendofthestory,Sarahfinallyattainsherultimatefreedom,andsheappearsasanassistanttotheartistRossetti,a"newwoman"hernewidentity.IntheprocessofSarah'stransformation,Sarah'suniqueness,wisdomandcouragemakeherdifferentfromotherwomeninVictorianera.JustaswhatSarahsaystoCharlesattheendofthestory,whentheymeeteachotherinthegallery:"ThepersonIhavemethereletmeseeacommunityofhonorableendeavor,ofnoblepurpose,Ihadnottillnowknownexistedinthisworld...Iamatlastarrived...WhereIbelong"(Fowles,385).FromSarah'sself-construction,wecanfindoutthatSarahisanindependent,courageousVictorianwomenwhohasthewisdomandstrengththathastranscendedtheVictorianera.AsTomasFosterpointsout"readerswillrecognizeinherbeginingsoftheliberatedmodernwoman:shethinksherownthoughts,shapesherownidentity".(Foster,15)3.3EmbodimentofSarah'sFeministConsciousness3.3.1ThePursuitoftrueloveSarahisacourageouswomanseekingfortruelove.Shethinksthatmarriageshouldbebuiltonthebasisoflove,whichisagreatchallengetotheinstitutionofmarriageinVictorianera.Sarahisalwaysassertivetolove.Shebelievsthateveryonehastheequalrighttolongforloveandpursuelove.WhenSarahworksasagovernessinMrs.Talbot'shome,shesuffersalot.Forshehastolivewiththewomanatherage,towitnessherdomestichappiness,happymarriage,homeandadorablechildren,whilesheisleftallalone.JustasSarahsays:"itcametoseemtomeasifIwereallowedtoliveinparadise,butforbiddentoenjoyit"(Fowles,148).ThehandsomeFrenchsailorVarguennes,whoisgoodatsweetwords,opensadoortothelifeshehasneverexperienced.SowhenheasksSarahtorunoffwithhim,aftersomehesitation,Sarahstillagreestogowithhimregardlessofthesecularview.However,whenVarguennesturnsouttobealiar,Sarahd