新女性与完美女性_《到灯塔去》中的女性主义解读

新女性与完美女性_《到灯塔去》中的女性主义解读 南昌大学 硕士学位论文 新女性与完美女性:《到灯塔去》中的女性主义解读 姓名:曾妍 申请学位级别:硕士 专业:英语语言文学 指导教师:黄洪玲 2012-12-16 摘要 摘要 弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫作为二十世纪初期最著名的作家之一，以其文中所体现 的先进观念独树一帜。一方面，她向文学界引入了一种全新的小说风格。她的 意识流小说在世纪之交的世界文学吹起一股清新之风，并为后来的作家打开了 一扇崭新的窗口。另一方面，她极度关注女性的生活和内心世界，并创作了大 量文学作品以 表 关于同志近三年现实表现材料材料类招标技术评分表图表与交易pdf视力表打印pdf用图表说话 pdf 达其女性观。在她的作品中，伍尔夫深入挖掘性别歧视等社会 问题，并试图通过作品引起人们的共鸣来达到改善女性生活状况的目的。 《到灯塔去》在学术界引起了强烈的反响，成为国内外研究女性文学学者 的热点话题。众所周知，在伍尔夫的小说中，《到灯塔去》是自传性最明显的一 本 书 关于书的成语关于读书的排比句社区图书漂流公约怎么写关于读书的小报汉书pdf 。《到灯塔去》中的故事是伍尔夫现实生活的文学化翻版。阮姆塞先生和阮 姆塞夫人其实就是伍尔夫的真实父母的文学形象，而李丽则扮演了小说作者本 人这个角色。在某种意义上，伍尔夫创作这部小说是为了纪念自己的父母和回 忆自己的过去。因此，探究本书所体现的作者观点对了解作者思想的发展尤其 具有意义。本篇论文认为阮姆塞夫人是维多利亚时代“完美女性”的代表。作 为妻子、母亲、和女主人，她的生活围绕着家庭这个范围。她便是伍尔夫所说 的必须被杀死的“房间里的天使”。相反，李丽是努力从男性统治中解放自我、 追求自身幸福和实现自我价值的“新女性”。这两位女主人公不同的生活观和价 值观体现了 “新女性”与“完美女性”的区别，作者相信“新女性”超越了维 多利亚时代的“完美女性”。通过撰写这部小说，弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫成功地表达 了她对女性生活的关注，以及女性该如何生活的观点。本文的目的是通过对《到 灯塔去》中的女性主义的解读来 证明 住所证明下载场所使用证明下载诊断证明下载住所证明下载爱问住所证明下载爱问 “新女性”超越了“完美女性”。 本篇论文由七个章节组成。第一章是简介。第二章是文献综述。第三章简 单介绍作者的生活生活经历及其对作者的影响。第四章介绍伍尔夫的女性意识， 包括其产生的背景以及伍尔夫对女性的关注和她的一些写作观点。第五章阐述 完美女性与新女性的区别。第六章试图论证新女性能够超越完美女性。在最后 一章中，本文得出了新女性从各个角度超越了完美女性的结论。 关键词:弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫;《到灯塔去》;完美女性;新女性;女性主义;超越 nr Abstract Abstract llfl Virginia Woolf, who was among the most significant writers of the twentieth century, made herself unparalleled with her brand new ideas embodied in her works. On the one hand, Woolf introduced a new forni of novel to the academic world. Her stream-of-consciousness novels were just like a breath of fresh air and set a model for the coining writers. On the other hand, she paid her attention to the life and psychological world of women and produced a lot of insightful works. So she contributed to the literary circle in the two aspects mentioned above. In her writings, she explored the social issue of sexual discrimination and tried to improve women's living situations through her works. To the Lighthouse has roused strong repercussions in academic circles, becoming a hot topic among scholars engaged in feminist study at home and abroad. It is widely recognized that To the Lighthouse embodies the most obvious autobiographical features in Woolf s novels. The story in 7b e hgouye is a literary version of Woolfs virtual life, Mr. and 決祕 Mrs. Ramsay being Woolfs real parents, Lily being Woolf herself. Woolf created this novel partly to memorize her past and her parents. So studying this novel is the essential stepping stone to understand the unique thoughts of Virginia Woolf. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze her feminist thoughts revealed in this well-known masterpiece and to prove the argument that the new woman excels the ideal woman. In this novel, Virginia Woolf pays close attention to women's lives and puts forwards her perspectives on how women could lead their own true lives. And the argument of this thesis is that Lily represents the new women who strive hard for freedom and seek self-fulfillment and heir own bliss, not being dominated by men. On the contrary, Lily's mother, Mrs. Ramsay, is a reflection of the ideal woman in Victorian era. She plays the role of the household manager, mother and wife, focusing on domestic chores everyday. She is just like the angel according to Woolfs famous essay. A conclusion can be drawn in this thesis is that the new woman, stood for by Lily, excels the Mrs. Ramsay-style ideal woman. i Abstract This thesis is made up of seven chapters. Chapter one is a general introduction. Chapter two is literature review. Chapter three discusses about the writer and her novel, To the Lighthouse. The writer^ life and its influence over Woolf are explored in this chapter. Chapter four, Virginia Woolfs feminine consciousness, introduces the background of Virginia Woolf s feminine consciousness and Woolf's concern for women and opinions on writing. Chapter five, women life in Victorian Age, explains the two different types of women: the ideal woman and the new woman. The main part, chapter six, tries to prove that the new woman excels the ideal woman. The last chapter is the conclusion. Key Words: Virginia Woolf; To the Lighthouse; the ideal woman; the new woman; feminism; excel ii Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 1 Introduction Feminism is a social theory and political movement whose main source is female experiences. Its aim is to dig out the essential reasons behind the inequalities between two sexes and to advocate equal rights and legal protection for women. Feminism also includes diverse movements, campaigns, and theories, all about issues of gender distinction which campaign equality for women and which advocate women's legal rights and legitimate interests. As a novelist and essayist, Virginia Woolf exerted a great influence over other writers. Featuring feminism and stream of consciousness, her works have been studied by many scholars. Nevertheless, her feminist ideas are still chosen to be studied in this thesis because there are still a great deal of inequalities between men and women existing in our world while Woolfs feminism embodied in her works advocates equality between the two sexes. It is believed that this research will be valuable in eliminating some inequalities to some extent. Feminism is an important literary criticism theory. Although it has been studied by many scholars, there is still space for further exploration. Woolf, whose feminism is very representative, is a passionate advocate of sexual equality. The research into Woolfs feminism will play an important role in literary criticism. The purpose of the thesis is to probe into Woolfs feminist thoughts. In the transitory period, from the end of nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century, two different kinds of women are represented respectively by Lily and Mrs. Ramsay in To the Lighthouse. Although the two are different, there is interaction between them. Firstly, Lily strives for her freedom, bliss and self-fUlfillment in the man-dominated world. She is the new woman. Secondly, the ideal womans life is concentrated on family life, helping husband and nurturing children. Mrs. Ramsay is a vivid reflection of the ideal woman. However, there is some connection between the two totally different types of women. Only through the reminiscence of Mrs. Ramsay^ psychological world could Lily succeed in finding her self-recognition and true meaning of art and finally reaching her self-fulfillment. In this meaning, Mrs. l Chapter 1 Introduction Ramsay is Lily^ forerunner. But Lily, as the new woman, surpasses Mrs. Ramsay in terms of life and art. So the thesis concludes that new woman excels the ideal woman in pursuit of life and art. This thesis is made up of seven parts. Part one is a general introduction. Part two is literature review. The third part, chapter two, talks about the writer and her novel, To the 5Lighthouse. The writers life and its influence over Woolf are explored in this part. The fourth part is chapter three, Virginia Woolfs feminine consciousness, including the background of Virginia Woolfs feminine consciousness and Woolfs concern for women and opinions on writing. Part five, women's life at the turn of 20th century, explains the two different types of women, the ideal woman, and the new woman. The sixth part is the main part which tries to prove that the new woman excels the ideal woman. The last part is the conclusion. 2 Chester 2 Literature Review Chapter 2 Literature Review Numerous literary critics study Virginia Woolfs works due to her unique style and writing techniques. According to British scholar J. Goldman's The Cambridge Introductions to Virginia Woolf published in 2006, literary criticism of Woolf has experienced the following stages. The first one is in 1940s: innovation, experimentation and impressionism. The second is in 1950s and 1960s: philosophy and mythology. The third one is in 1970s: feminism, androgyny, modernism and aesthetics. The fourth one is in 1980s: feminism, post-modernism and textual politics. The fifth one is from 1990s to date: feminism, historicism and post-colonialism and ethics. Bulgarian scholar M. Nikolchina^ Matricide in Language: Writing theory in Woolf !(2004) argues that women's contribution to culture is suppressed and womens voice is drowned in history. He claims that Woolfs works make women's voice heard. Relevant study on this argument includes L. Gordon^ True Nature of Women (2004); L. Ulrich's Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History (2007). Woolfs works are characterized with modernism and anti-convention, but the influence of English literary traditions on her could not easily be erased. So many scholars explore the connection between Wool's works and English literary traditions, including J. D. 5Gays Virginia Woolf's Novels and the literary Past (2006); E. Blair's Virginia Woolf and h5 the 19^ Century Domestic Novel (2007); A. ZerngulysModernism and the Locations of Literary Heritage (2008). By studying Woolfs essays, journals and book reviews，Gay believes that Woolfs concern about the previous literature has deeply affected her novel creation. A. Zemgulys holds the view that Wooirs contradiction between rebelling and inheriting the literary traditions derives from the environment she worked in. She lived and wrote in London whose historical glory has no truck with her criticism. Woolf always advocates that women should write about women, so women and literary creation have become one of the central topics of Woolf study. A. Femald regards Woolf as a venturesome and independent reader. His 客z'm'fl 的Fe/wmi•对 am/ /Ae 及從如(2006) studies her autobiographical writings and some important 3 Chapter 2 Literature Review essays and draws the conclusion mentioned above. J. Tidwel, in his Politics and Aesthetics in the Diary of Virginia Woolf (200S), analyzes Woolfs diaries and novels. He thinks that Woolf is in a dilemma because her public political statements are against her aesthetics 5ideals. Similar study includes A. Ronchettis The Artist, Society, and Sexuality in Virginia Woolf's Novels (2004); R. Gruber's Virginia Woolf: The Will to Great as a Woman (2005); L. McGarry's Orts, Scraps and Fragments: The Elusive Search for Meaning in Virginia Woolf's Fiction (2007). Woolf was bom into a big Victorian family. She suffered various limitations and hurt from the family which exerted profound influence on her marital life. The life and marriage are reflected in her writings, so her family and marriage are among the hot topics of feminist scholars. New York scholar T. Szasz believes, in his Afy Madness Saved Me, that Woolf utilized madness to master hr own life. In other word, she was neither mad nor mentally sick. 5She was just a smart and strong-minded moral agent. K. Z. Sproles Desiring Women: The Partnership of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackvill-West (2006); M. Corbett's Family Likeness, Sex, Marriage, and Incest from Jane Austin to Virginia Woolf (2008), these works also explore Woolf from the perspective of her family and marriage. The research of Woolf s modernism and formalism began in 1970s and 1980s and has made great progress. G Mclntire^ Modernism, Memory and Desire: T. S. Eliot and Virginia Woolf, claims that there is a lot of resemblance between the two, especially in desire and body language. The aesthetic study of Woolf is represented by E. Rosenthal and D. Parsons. E. Rosenthal's Aristotle and Modernism: Aesthetic Affinities of Virginia Woolf (2004) and D. 5Parsons Theorists of the modernist Novel: Virginia Woolf (2001) probe into aesthetic value of Woolf s works. K. Simpson and A. Karl both discuss about the relationship between market economy and great writers like Woolf. Simpson^ Gifts, Markets and Economies of Desire in Virginia Woolf (2008) states that contradictory and complicated relationship between Woolf and market economy. A. Karl's Modernism and the marketplace farther digs into the interaction between consumption economics and Woolf. Since 1980s, many psychologists study Woolf, such as E. Abel, A. Bond, Fisher & Jerilyn. In the recent five years, S. A. Smith, A. L. Weinstein and J. Schmalfuss all believe 4 Chapter 2 Literature Review that Woolfs works apply psychological analysis and symbolism to bring about the feelings deep down. As time goes by, the research of Virginia Woolf is enriched by anthropology an ethics. In recent years, more and more scholars interpret Woolfs works through anthropology and ethics. The published commentary works are as follows: Hearts of Darkness: White Woman Write Race (2004) by J. Marcus; British Fiction and Cross-cultural Encounters: Ethnographic Modernism from Wells to Woolf (2008) by C. Snyder; Relations: the Modernist Subject and Ethics in Ulysses, the Waves and Night wood (2008) by A. K. Jonson. The research on Virginia Woolf in China reached an upsurge in 1980s. Some essays and translated works appeared as well as monographs. In1989, Wang Huang translated Woolfs feminist work A Room of One's Own. In 1988 and 1999, Qu Shijing translated some of Woolf s critical essays and edited them into two books~A Study on Virginia Woolf md Virginia Woolfs Critical essays. Ini 989, Qu Shijing published his monograph: Virginia Woolf, the Novelist of Stream of Consciousness. In this book, Qu Shijing introduced Wginia Woolf's writing technique~the stream of consciousness and analyzed its application in some of Woolfs works. Ini990, Li Naikun selected some of Woolfs critical essays, short stories and parts of novels and edited them into the book Virginia Woolf's Selective Works. In1993, Kong Xiaojiong and Huang Mei published 〇/ JFoo???吵5 which is a small book of Woolfs essays. Ini994, Liu Bingshan translated some of Woolfs essays and edited them into a book Books and Portraits. In 2001, Huang Mei and Zhang Yaodong published another small book: Woolf's Essays. In How Can Woolf Read and Write (1998), Lu Yang and Li Dingqing explored Woolfs reading activity. In The Moment of Being (1999), WU Houka introduced Woolfs extraordinary life and explored Woolfs life philosophy he moment of being and her thinking about life and death. This book also examined most of Woolfs novels and her essays, letters and diaries, etc. Yi Xiaoming's Elegancy and Insanity: Virginia Woolfs iography was published in 2002. It is a book of Woolf s Biography, making a comment on Woolf s life and her works. The scholar Lu Hong ling argued that a proper understanding and illustration of Woolfs thinking upon literature is still an urgent and critical issue in need of study. The book Emotion and Reason written by her thought that the issue of emotion or reason is the core of WoolPs writings and theoretical thinking about 5 Chapter 2 Literature Review women's writing. The emotion and reason are interdependent in Woolfs conception's which, in reality, demands that the writer should acquire an understanding of reasoned emotion in art so that etemality can be achieved. The book examined Woolfs view of poetic spirit, and of impersonality as the ideal means to affect good writing. 6 Chapter 3 The Writer and Her To the Lighthouse Chapter 3 The Writer and Her To the Lighthouse Virginia Woolf, a legendary and controversial woman, was a well-known novelist. She was not only famous for her novels, which are characterized with stream of consciousness, but also for her essays, letters and diaries. What^s more, she was unquestionably one of the forerunners of feminism. She played an essential role in English 1literary circle and the Bloomsbury Group was added beauty by her membership. Woolf was widely-recognized as a feminist writer, and modernist. But her achievements were not easily obtained. During her childhood and teenage years, she was immersed in domestic calamity. Grown up, she sufifered from the discrimination against women in the patriarchal society. The establishment of her feminist consciousness was no coincidence but could be traced back to the life she had experienced. Although depressed and desperate discontinuously, she committed herself to the career of fighting for womens freedom and equality. She contributed a lot to the feminist literary criticism and represented and voiced women's rights.( Gorham, 55) Woolfs literary gifts were inherited from her unique family. She was bom during Victorian age. Both her parents had got married before and Woolf was a daughter from second marriage. Although her parents were not rich, the financial condition of the family was not bad. Her family was large, full of gifted members in literature. Her mother, made artistic contribution in London and was famous for one of the seven Pattle Sisters. Her father was a learned man and edited the Dictionary of National Biography. The talented family gave enough literary genes to Woolf and she showed her literary talents since young. It was natural that Woolf should have a happy life. However, she only enjoyed her carefree childhood very shortly and later the domestic calamity destroyed her childhood. Her mother died when she was young. Her father remarried and he two stepbrothers sexually harassed her which made her disgusted at sexual life. She suffered slight mental disorder and tried to commit suicide several times. All these misfortunes contribute to the foundation of feminist thoughts and they were embodied in this novel, To the Lighthouse. To the Lighthouse came out in 1927. Among her other novels, this one could be the 7 Chapter 3 The Writer and Her To the Lighthouse representative one. It was widely studied by literary critics. Critics mainly studied the novel from two angles. One school of critics explored the writing techniques: monologue displaying Mrs. Ramsay's inward world; stream of consciousness; symbolism. Other scholars probed into ideology and themes in the novel, such as the research of feminism; the Oedipus complex embodied in the relationship between father and son and androgyny. To the Lighthouse is not a story with quirky twists. With going to the lighthouse as its main thread, the novel depicts fragments of life experiences of the Ramsay family and their guests during the First World War. Mr. Ramsay's little son wants to go to the lighthouse but fails due to the bad weather. Later, the war breaks out, and the Ramsay family struggle to get by. After the war, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay finally manage to take their son and daughter to the lighthouse. At the time when the family arrive the lighthouse, Lily, sitting on the bank, 5suddenly realizes the trae meaning of art and herself. Earlier, she couldnt finish her painting. Later, after Mrs. Ramsay^ death and the reminiscence of her, now she could drop her brush onto the canvas and present the images haunting her for years, exceeding herself and becoming a real artist. 8 Chapter 4 Virginia Woolfs Feminine Consciousness Chapter 4 Virginia Woolf's Feminine Consciousness What Woolf suffered in her early years contributed to the germination of her feminist consciousness in her young mind. As a feminist writer and trailblazer of feminist movement, Woolf tried to advocate feminism in her life. 4.1 The Bacl^round of Virginia Woolf Feminine Consciousness In one of her most famous essays, A Room of One's Own, Woolf stated that only economic independence could guarantee a woman freedom from men domination and control this was the radiment of Woolfs feminine consciousness. Woolf held the view that 5economic independence was the most important part for womens freedom, more essential than the right of voting. Woolf directly said that money was far more important than the right to vote. In patriarchal society, women couldn't obtain real freedom if they were not financially independent, even though they could vote. Woolf farsightedly pointed out that money and one's own space were the two indispensable elements for women to write. She even gave the exact the exact amount of money in the essay necessary for women to do literary creation. She said 500 pounds a year might be enough. This unique and judicious perspective rooted in her early lack of money which prevented her from writing freely and 2her latter wealthy material life which promoted her to be a prolific female writer. Historically, most writers were men both in the East and the West. Woolf attributed this fact to women's lack of economic independence, women grew up and lived under the same circumstances as men did, there would be as many female writers as men because of females were no less clever than males. The reality was that there were fewer well-known female artists than male artists. That^ not because women were not capable of writing or 5painting, but because womens financial status in the patriarchal society destined women not to have property. Women were destined to be poor, be limited within their domestic home most of the time and even be the machine for child-production. Women were not given the right to receive education or not given as much schooling as men. Under such circumstances, how could women compete with men in arts? Only extremely rare women artists could be remembered Chapter 4 \^iginia Woolfs Feminine Consciousness in the past history whose fathers happened to adore daughters. .Woolf had a bold assumption that if Shakespeare had had a sister who had been as gifted as the brother, she would not have been remembered in literary history since she was poor, lacking freedom and above all, she was a woman. She must have been busy attending the family rather than writing plays. Jane Eyre^ writer, Charlotte could only write story about the poor governess which came from her own life because Charlotte didn't have money to travel as male writers did. She could not get more inspiration for literary creation because she was also a woman and was confined to a limited space.( Clive, 48) Woolfs feminist thoughts were not just confined to obtaining economical independence. What women suffered more in the patriarchal society was man-dominating perception and values. She noticed that man-dominating values controlled politics, education and the press. Men upheld wars while suppressing women. Woolfs another essay stated that among many professions for women, writing was the freest one because women 5could write at home. But theres still huge unseen hindrance. Women were like the angel at home who were busy attending the family, spending little time for rest. How could the angel have enough time to write? Although she was a female writer with modem ideas, Woolf didn^ acknowledge that her perception was feminism. She thought that just fighting for political rights was far from enough to get equality in this society. The whole patriarchal world must be overthrown. During her time, the goal of feminist movements was to fight for equal political and economical rights in the society. Woolf paid close attention to feminist movement during time and she even took part in the campaign fighting for women voting rights in 1910. She also went to deliver speeches on women legal rights. But at the same time, she found that the new feminism was still under the influence of made values. These feminists regarded successful make images as their models to strive the freedom and successful career. Woolf wanted to advocate a new form of feminism, different from that before. The new phase of feminism means the true independence. It refers to womens detached attitudes to social issues, especially issues about wars. Women should take the outsiders attitude. The purpose of the new phase of feminism was to break away 10 Chapter 4 \^ginia Woolf s Feminine Consciousness from the tie of the patriarchal ideology. Woolf was bom in 1882 into a family which was greatly influenced by the Victorian literary society. Her father, Leslie Stephen was a well-known scholar. Her mother, Julia Duckworth, her father second wife, was niece of a famous photographer Leslie first wife father was a renowned novelist William Thackeray. Being a friend of many famous literary artists, Leslie Stephen also edited the Dictionary of National Biography. Bom into a family with rich literary legacy and a circle Ml of renowned literary artists, Woolf could not fail to be nurtured with literary nourishment^ Gorham,67) Woolf was taught well by her father at home because at that time, universities were 5exclusive to men. Girls going to universities was unimaginable. They were taught at home to learn to be ideal women for future marriage. Woolf was lucky to have her learned and enlightened father. Though educated at home like other girls, she actually learned what boys learned at school thanks to her father. Woolfs literary abecedarian was no doubt her father. Leslie Stephen would gather his children and read literary stories and poems to them to develop their interest in literature. He asked them to read book he recommended to them and share what they had gained. Gradually he found his youngest daughter excelled all her brothers. She was an avid reader. She read many famous writers，works at that time. There was no need for her father to choose books for her. She was permitted by her delighted father to go to his library to enjoy reading. It was her father^ library that made Woolf engaged herself in the sea of books and from then on form a strong passion for literature. Her successful literary career could not be achieved without his father's cultivation in her early age. Leslie Stephen was a great teacher because his way of training was equal to both his sons and daughters; he could guide his children to develop interest in literature, rather then cramming what he thought was good to them; he was also a talent scout. He sensed his daughter^ uniqueness and gave her exclusive training different form his other boys. Thanks to her father, Woolf began to practice writing at 9-year-old, while her old brothers and sister worked together to ^publish" their family newspaper. Imitating the form of Times and other mainstream newspapers, they reported their daily events at home. Even some well-known writers, such as Henry James were reported in the newspaper when they visited the family .Although Woolf and her sisters were female, they were welcomed and accepted by the Cambridge young intellectual u Ch叩ter 4 Viiginia Woolf s Feminine Consciousness 5because the sisters literary talents had made them forget the sex difference. Talking and sharing thoughts with these men of letters was totally rare to the ordinary women in the Victorian age. Communicating with people in the literary circle helped ease the pressure Woolf underwent in the patriarchal society. She even forgot that she was a woman because she .was treated equally in the circle. She enjoyed this freedom. She finally found the stage 3on which she could display her talents without worrying sexual discrimination. Through the intercourse with the Bloomsbury Group, Woolf made many friends, realized her wisdom and became confident. But it gave her more. Her literary horizon and her ideas of aesthetics were widely broadened. She could not become a great writer without the solid foundation built up in the group. In this group, Woolf made acquaintance of many people, including novelists, essayists, poets, critics, publishers and so on. The most important acquaintance was Leonard Woolf, who later gave her the famous last name. Leonard and Virginia Woolf became the core of the group, leading and guiding it to move forward. Literary Art was what brought them together. The reason why Woolf was deeply attracted by the group was that this group pursued freedom from fetter of the society which was Woolfs dream. But she was single and weak to fight for it and failed. However the Bloomsbury group provided her with strength and confidence. These people together were determined to throw away the old forms of literature or even of the whole society. They tried out new literary forms, such as stream of consciousness. Woolf was passionate in applying stream of consciousness in her novels. They argued that the purpose of describing people's inner consciousness was to reveal reality and stream of consciousness was exactly a sound form of reflecting the true reality. That was a code they thought responsible writers should conform with. And Woolf was glad to follow that code.( Clive, 23) Woolf was undoubtedly a modernist. Her modem consciousness also rooted in the Bloomsbury Group and derived nourishment from it. In the group, their communication ranged from literature to aesthetics, even crossing the boundaries of existing subjects. So the topics of their communication were wide, diversified novel and modem. Although Woolf was a silent listener, talking little, she was greatly inspired by the intellectuals?conversations. She didn follow others?ideas blindly. She formed her own opinions. Ideas as a modernist were gradually emerging. Unlike other writers, Woolf developed her writing techniques with the help of visual Ch^iter 4 Virginia WoolPs Feminine Consciousness arts. Woolf herself might not be an excellent painter, but her sister was. And visual arts were not rare topics in the group. Under the influence of her sister and the group，Woolf developed a strong interest in painting，especially post-impressionism pain ting. He friend Roger Fry exhibited some famous post-impressionist paintings by impressionist masters such as Van Gogh and Picasso. From these paintings, Woolf adopted the unique techniques these masters applied to their art. A bold idea came into her mind that she could apply these techniques to her writing. She could use color, line and shade to depict scenery and stories, just like painting. She considered writing as a kind of visual art.( Clive, 35) 4.2 Virginia Woolfs Concern for Women and Opinions on Writing Woolf explored and studied the traditions and current situation of English novels in her essays. She also analyzed the function, nature and structure of novels. Her analysis and comments were well accepted within literary critical circle and she was known as an excellent literary critic. Just commenting could not satisfy her. She applied new ideas and writing techniques in her novels, which featured creativity and new conception Woolfs works are well- known to the world for both her writing techniques and themes. Her representative writing technique is stream of consciousness which was applied to most of her novels. As for themes, most of her works embody the inequality between two sexes and fight for the equality. Women were treated extremely unfairly and Woolf could feel deeply because of what she had experienced in her family life. The Bloomsbury Group gave her new angle of seeing things and courage to fight for her dreams, so she desired to pick up her pen to strive for the freedom and fairness for women.( Levenson, 28) Woolf did not begin her writing career with novels, but with book reviews and essays. Her incisive essays analyzed the differences between men^ writing and women's writing. She also commented on the status of female writers in literary Chapter 4 Viiginia Woolt Feminine Consciousness history. These essays even probed into the reason why there were relatively fewer thfemale writers before 19 century, Woolf first gave her speeches at a women's school, the she drew the essence from her speeches and formed her own opinions about women's writing. The difficulties and predicament confronting women were also pointed out in her essays. In Woolfs opinion, women failed to express themselves effectively because women's status in the society was always inferior to that of men. Women suffered their inferiority not only in marriage but also in the society. Women had no choice but to remain silent. Women lacked chances to do literary creation, even smart women. That was why there were fewer 5female writers than men, not because of womens inferiority in intelligence, but in social position. Some women were lucky enough to voice their ideas，but facing a much more difficult career path. The writer of the masterpiece Pride and Prejudice Jane Austin had to write her novel secretly in the living room. When someone came in, she had to hide her manuscript carefully. George Eliot actually was a woman who used a man name, hoping to get more acceptance in literary circle. Eire writer also expressed her rage through a character of a governess whose prototype was the writer herself. These facts indicate that 5womens literary talents were suppressed by their inferior status in society.( Gorham, 34) In the essay A Room of One's Own, Woolf argued that womens literary gift was not the only afifecting element to women's literary creation. There were some other elements. Woolf ever imagined that Shakespeare had had a sister whose gift was not less than his. But the sister wound up an unknown death because of the cruel reality women faced. Woolf stated that the patriarchal social structure repressed women's literary creation. So she proclaimed that a room of one own could give women freedom to write. In this room，women were not interrupted when they were writing. Their creation could be secured. Obviously, the room was not just an ordinary room. It has symbolic meanings. It implied independence, both economically and. But that was difficult to guarantee in that patriarchal world. Not every woman could secure a room of her own. Woolf came to a conclusion that a female writer could begin her writing career and obtain success only when she was economically and characteristically independent and then she could exert her talents. Besides the factors that repressed women's creativity mentioned above, Woolf Chapter 4 Vitginia Woolfs Feminine Consciousness denounced another factor~the Victorian marriage, declaring it as a changing factor impeding womens exertion of their talents. At that time, women should get married before twenty-two-year-old. Before getting married, young girls were taught skills qualifying them as eligible wives at home from very young age. After getting married, women were naturally considered to be good wife, mother and hostess all in one. They should attend every family member and coordinate relationship in social communication. Woolf thought that just giving birth to children and caring for them could exhaust their energy. How could they spend time on literary creation. In Woolfs novels, she explored the nature of the Victorian marriage and detailed it in the novel. For example, in To the Lighthouse, she described the 5emblematical marriage by depicting Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay. The two characters marriage was the apotheosis of Victorian marriage. In another fiction, Voyage out, Woolf expressed her thoughts on womens predicament in marriage by displaying the main character RachaePs love and marriage.( Gorham, 23) As a writer, writing is the best approach to express writer's ideas. Woolf embodied her concern of women in her fiction creation and the concern can be felt specifically through the description of characters. Woolf firmly held the view that men and women had totally dififerent ways of thinking and life values. Mr. Ramsay and his wife in To the Lighthouse vividly show the difference. Woolf also portrayed classical characters who underwent fierce inner struggle to get rid of the unfair treatment to woman to achieve real freedom the classical characters can be listed, such as Lily in To the Lighthouse and Rachael in Voyage out WoolPs thoughts on women writing was not aimed at advocating feminist writing, but expressing sympathy and understanding to female writers since she herself was a one of them. ? In the Bloomsbury Group, Woolfs thoughts on the relationship between life and art were greatly influenced by Roger Fry. Roger Fry, an art critic, was one of Woolf s friends. He didn't agree with the common opinion that art was from life. He asserted that art was separated from life. Art was formed and developed by its internal force, rather than by 5external elements. Woolf partially agreed to Roger Frys idea that art had its own force to develop. But she didn blindly believe in all his ideas. She argued that art was closely connected with life. Art came from daily life. Life was the constant driving force to the development of art. Art was just the sublimated form of life. Literature was a kind of art. As Chapter 4 Virginia Woolfs Feminine Consciousness far as Woolf was concerned, literature should reflect real life, ifs incumbent upon writers to embody real life in literary art and to guide readers to read and feel life.( Levenson, 59) In Woolfs opinion, the function of novels should be mirroring life. Life is complicated, consistent and hard to describe. She was opposed to the traditional ways of writing novels which were welcomed by some novelists lie Wells and Bennett. She would like to try out new writing skills to embody complicated life. Joining her were some other new school writers such as Joyce. These new school writers had something in common~they all enjoyed applying new techniques to reflect life which they thought complicated and consistent. Ch叫ter 5 Women Life in Victorian Age Chapter 5 Women Life in Victorian Age 6.1 The Ideal Woman The Victorian age was one of the periods of resplendence in British history. It was glorious not only because of its economic achievements. But also accomplishment in arts, politics, religion and all walks of life. The Queen supported many social reforms and new ideas were followed. This era was an extremely complicated era, indicating the arrival of th thModem Times. The transition from 19century to 20 century was full of contradictions between the traditional and the new. Everything was changing during the transitional period. Wbrncn role in the society was no exception. Earlier, a woman was required to be a good mother, wife and household organizer. Women who could fulfill the duties were considered as ideal women. But now, in this changing trend, more and more women sought for their new identity. They wanted to break away from the old image imposed on women. The seemingly perfect image of ideal Victorian women actually was fetter on women. During the transitional period, more and more new women pursued freedom. Not only women's role was 4changing, but also new women excelled the ideal women. In Wctorian age, the most important thing for women was a decent marriage. In order to marry a decent man, the girl should qualify herself long before the big day. Girls also receive education. But the content of education was quite different from that of boys. Boys were sent to school to learn math, science, literature and so on. Girls were kept at home, learning sewing, cooking, nursing and things like that. If a mother had a daughter, the top priority for her was to teach the girl what she should be equipped for a good marriage. The very little girl was supposed to help her mother with daily chores at home. Some girls were even sent to another family to learn manners to refine their skills before they got married. This practice could be called some sort of further studying for young girls. Some richer girls were luckier. They could go to boarding schools to receive education. All the students were girls. But the content they learned at school was similar to what the poorer girls learned in 5others family~necessary abilities for better marriage in the near fUture. Some girls had the opportunity to learn to sing, to draw, to play some musical instruments. But the purpose was not to develop their artistic talents as men did. They tried to become more accomplished in Chapter S Womens Life in Victorian Age order to be married into a better family. If the girls were beautiful and lucky besides accomplished, they might be able to become socialites through good marriage. Generally speaking, most girls in Victorian age were content with what they were offered in terms of education. What they cared most was to be better married and they were willing to equip themselves with the necessary education. Only a few women wanted more from life and these women would lead the trend of new women. But they were accepted by the whole society slowly. Why would women be content with just being better married? Because women's inferiority in both family and the society determined that they were actually considered the possession of the family before 1887, married women didn have the right to own property. Even though some women inherited property from their father, the property would become dowry and belong to the husband after marriage. Women literally were men property. After the passing of the Married Women Property Act in 1887, women's limited property was still not enough for them to be economically independent, but to depend on their husbands. It was not realistic for women to earn enough money because women could not go to work out of the family as men. Men had proper education to qualify them in various positions while the education women received was just enough for them to run family chores. Besides, even if some women were competent to work, they didn't have time and energy if they had a family to attend. Due to sexual discrimination, working women could not be paid equally as men were even though they were actually as competent as men. Apart from salary, they could not gain recognition and respect they deserved. So they were in inferiority both materially and mentally. 5In the Victorian marriage, a wifes duty was to help and support her husband who worked hard in the society and sought for a cozy bay at home. A responsible wife should fulfill her duties properly. Her duties at home included cooking, taking care of children, cleaning and tidying. To create a warm and comfortable home was the lowest requirement for a good wife. The husband needed his wife's mental support so he would remain indomitable and confident when he suffered frustration at work. In common sense, an independent strong-willed women could be a challenge to her husband. Being dependent and submissive was the qualities which could make men feel confident and glorious most men were obsessed with make chauvinism to some extent. The husband was the bread earner of Ch叩ter 5 Women Life in Victorian Age the family. He underwent great pressure at work so it seemed natural that he deserved a comfortable and relaxing home with a tender wife welcoming him. The wife submission and comforts would refresh the husband after he was frustrated in the society. A good wide was expected to be gentle, tender, chaste, virtuous and responsible. A good wife should be fragile to enhance the husband^ strength. All in all, a good wife was doomed to assist her husband and to be subject to her husband. To produce offspring is the indispensable part for a species to continue life in the world. Human beings are no exception. Women inevitably shoulder the duty. Giving birth to children has always been a heavy burden to women. Both in Western and Eastern cultures, bearing sons has been considered as the basic duty of women to carry on the family line. Women were regarded as the tool to produce offspring. In Victorian Britain, to have children was not something a woman could choose to do, but something a woman was supposed to do. Besides, bearing son to inherit property was the real purpose for the family to ask the women to have babies. The whole society even considered bearing a son to be an obligatory service for her husband. If a woman did not want to be a mother or she could not biologically bear children, she would be seen as an abnormal woman. Single women were depreciatingly called spinsters while married but childless women were the pitiful failures. Motherhood was a kind of obligation rather than a choice. So these childless women usually worked as governesses or 5maids as a way to make up for the emptiness resulting from sterility. thAt the end of the 19 century, producing children was considered as a duty of wife to thher husband. Today's women give birth to babies much later than those in the 19 century did. In the past, the average marriage year for women was 21-year-old and half of them bore their first child just one year right after their marriage. About Ch叩ter 5 Women Life in Victorian Age four fifth women became mother two years after the marriage. The average span of childbearing was about 18 years and every woman had eight children averagely. Most women gore their last child at nearly 40-year-old. Women spent all their precious years of youth bearing and fostering children. There no denying that it a tremendous burden. Giving birth to children was the primary task for a married woman. It was also the mother's duty to educate children so that the father coiild concentrate his energy on his work and public issues. It was an immense challenge for the mother to deal with housework and educate children. Only a very small number of rich families could afiFord to hire governess or maids to help to relieve the burden. Most mothers struggled to accomplish the task with great effort and fatigue. Women in that era could barely imagine marital life to be romantic ,as nowadays women do. Marriage in thatageseemedmorelikeachallengeratherthanromance. People demanded too much from a mother. Being a mother didn just mean to produce offspring. A mother should educate her children intellectually and emotionally. The mother spent time and energy teaching children as well as amusing them. Whenever there was children demand, the mother must be present and ready to meet their needs. Engaged in the daily task of educating and amusing children, plus a husband to take care of, mothers were naturally deprived of the opportunity to take part in social affairs. In the past, bearing children was indispensable element of a womans life. Choosing not to have babies would separate the woman from virtuous ones. Women top achievement lied in bearing and fostering children. That was womens career summit. The daily chores exhausted women while the society expected them to be perfect mothers. So they tried their best to meet the needs, fearing to be reckoned as disqualified mothers. Most mothers would think of it as a disgrace to be called disqualified mothers. To draw a conclusion, child-bearing and fostering exhausted women physically and made them financially inferior to men. In Victoria age, it was an obligation for a qualified wife to manage the family properly, so a wife job was to make the family in perfect order and to provide a cozy and comfortable environment for her husband. Women were actually excluded from social matter but expected to stay at home to take household managing as their lifelong career. If they did a good job on this career, they were just considered to fulfill their own duty. If they ran the house hold poorly, criticism would be thrown at them. Even women themselves were 20 Chapter 5 Women's Life in Victorian Age content with the situation they were in most of people thought women were bom and doomed to live such a life. People took it for granted that women should sacrifice themselves for the family. The qualities of a good wife were reflected in the book called Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management. The writer of the book listed all the qualities a good wife should have. If the family could afford to hire servants, the wife should organize the servants properly. This seemed to be an easy job but actually not because many of the servants were not dependable. It required a lot wisdom and patience from the hostess to manage the servant properly, ^thout the assistance of the servants, the wife should take on the family responsibilities strenuously. They should clean the house，prepare meals, and look after sick family members. So si good wife actually was a cleaner, cook, nurse and teacher all in one. The specific and detailed work was also described in the book mentioned above. Without the running tap water we're familiar with, the wife should fetch water. This manual work is done by men today but back in that time, women were treated as strong men. Without washing machine, all the washing was done by hands. The floor must be washed frequently because cleanliness was another standard of measurement for a good wife. Modem people buy clothes at the store and shopping is a pleasure for most modem women. But making clothes was another onerous work for Victorian women. Hiring servants was d ream for most average families. Even the middle class families could afford to hire one servant. One servant could not secure the hostess free time to enjoy herself. 6.2 The New Woman Although most women is Victorian age was content with their life situation，a small number of women were gradually emerging fighting for a fairer life for themselves during thththe transitional period from the 19 century to the 20 century. These women were called the new women. Others called these new women feminists. These women were not willing to stay at the home devoting all their life and youth just to the family. They went out of the family to work in many walks of life, including literary circle, the press, and even politics. They might have their individual life goal, but the common thing they share was to encourage women to get rid of men control, to live a real life women 21 Ch印ter 5 Women Life in Victorian Age deserved and to fight for the freedom and happiness to achieve their trae self. In order to secure these goals, the new women needed regular and sufficient education as men did. That was the first step for them to march into the society. A proper job could provide money to sustain women themselves so that independence from men became possible. Economic independence was the basis of everything. An economically sustainable woman was free to decide what she wanted to do. That the beginning of women separation from the traditional fetter on women. And the feminist movement came into a new phase. Modernism came into being during the transitional period and became the mainstream trend even after the Second World War. This transitional period was the efflorescence of feminism in its first stage. The pioneers of the feminist movement were called the new 5women. They had adequate schooling; they were free from mens domination; and they devoted themselves more to their social role as part of the working class than their family 5role as part of mens possession. One essential element that fettered women was the traditional Victorian style marriage. The new women became aware that accepting the suffocating marriage was equal to subject to men domination. Women personality and self-recognition were effaced. The new women didn exclude marriage a one-side perspective. They desired a new marriage which was based on love and equality between the wife and the husband. The new women disgusted the unchanged role women played in marriage as the giver and a part of possession belonging to the husband. The new women dreamed of an equal relationship between the couple in every aspect of life. First of all, the new women thought it was women's own choice to get married. Women should not be the unpaid maid in marriage. Women should decide by themselves when and to whom to marry, or even not to marry. Those who chose to be single were just as normal as other women, rather than derogatory spinster. But not every woman was lucky enough to make their own choice about marriage. Only those who received adequate education and secured a sustainable job were the masters of their marriage. Enough and regular education was the basis of women's independence because women could get to see more about the world through the help of education and because the sustainable job guaranteeing women's independence was obtained by sufficient education. Thanks to the education the new women were much less restricted by the traditional standards and regulations compared to the 22 Chapter 5 Women's Life in Victorian Age thth women of earlier generations. During the transitional period from the 19 century to the 20 century, the new women were leading a new trend among many young women. They began an arduous journey to break away from the marital fetter that bonded their mothers. In a family, the new women pursued the equal relationships among family members. They sought the new forai of marriage in which wife and husband loved and cared for each other. They ignored the approval or disapproval of the marriage from their parents or church. They thought of it as their own business to marry, or to divorce or even remany. After marriage, they still kept their own family name in the middle of their name to show their self-recognition. They also realized the significance to unify other women to strengthen the force of the new women. ththDuring the transitional period from the 19 century to the 20 century, tremendous changes happened in women's life. They went out of the house to find job in all kinds of fields, including politics. Unfortunately, their efforts in their work didn't receive equal treatment as men did. Even they did the same job as men and they did as excellently as men did, they got lower pay and less recognition. Their path to successful career was doomed to be tougher that that of men. But they kept fighting for freedom in spite of the unequal treatment. They worked hard to break away from the limitation from parents, husband and the society. They were determined to build a bright future for themselves. These women were leading a new trend. They bore many qualities that the ideal women didnH have. Their new ways of thinking, values, horizon and education were bound to give them ascendancy over the ideal women. 23 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman 6.2.1 Mrs. Ramsay as the Ideal Woman Among Woolfs many novels, To the Lighthouse most depicted the real life of the writer. Woolfs own parents were represented by Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay in the novel while Woolf herself was embodied by Lily Briscoe. But if this novel had been just a direct reflection of Woolfs real life, it would not have become a world classic. The content of the novel indeed derived from Woolfs life, but the theme was sublimed the character Mrs. Ramsay^ prototype was Woolfs mother, but Mrs. Ramsay also embodied the image of all the ideal women in Victorian age. The character Lily prototype was the writer Woolf, but the novel them finally indicated that the new women represented by Lily excelled the ideal women embodied by Mrs. Ramsay. Woolf succeeded in advocating femininity repressed by culture through the form of novel. The traditional Victorian marriage meant that the husband should earn the sustainable salary to support the whole family and the wife should stay at home to help the husband and take care of the children. The Ramsay family was the vivid embodiment of the Victorian marriage. Due to the economical status of the husband, he became the absolute dominating member of the family. Since the whole family depended on the husband, the wife was expected to deal with the daily trifles in the family to eradicate the husband^ worries behind so that he could focus his concentration on his career. In Victorian marriage, the husband was the absolute dominator while the wife was the submissive assistant and supporter. The Ramsay family was an apotheosis of Victorian marriage. Mrs. Ramsay was charming and tender, willing to sacrifice herself to support her husband. Inevitably, she must depend on her husband economically. The husband, Mrs. Ramsay was an intelligent and respectable scholar, contributing greatly to the field involved. He enjoyed high esteem in academic circle with his students admiring him. He was also highly appraised in the society. He was a typically successful man in his career. In the family, Mr. Ramsay adored his wife for her beauty and gentleness. A successful man 24 Ch^)ter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman is always proud for having a beautiful and virtuous wife at home supporting him. Even his guests were dumfounded by the hostess^ elegance and charm. Appearance usually blinded peopled judgment of somebody, especially beauty. Mrs. Ramsay's beauty made people only see her appearance. People were so attracted by her beauty that her intelligence and gift were ignored. Most people thought that pretty women were silly. This stereotype blinded people appraisement. Mr. Ramsay only desired for her beauty. He didn't care whether she was talented in something else or not. He couldnH see her inner talents behind her appearance. He was proud of her beauty only to ignore women gifts was hurting. To depreciate women competence n insulting. Some men even claimed that women knew nothing but eating and It was impossible to promote civilization because of their foolishness and beauty. These insulting and prejudiced opinions were obvious embodiment of make chauvinism. 5Only Lily saw wisdom in Mrs. Ramsay. Mens eyes were covered by their prejudiced and stupid stereotype. As a smart and able housewife, Mrs. Ramsay managed the family properly and kept it in perfect order. With wife's support and help, Mr. Ramsay eradicated his worries behind, so that he would focus his energy on his work. One of Mrs. Ramsay talents was to manage the household methodically. According the novel To the Lighthouse, the Ramsay family was not wealthy. But Mrs. Ramsay could run the family with eight children skillfully. For a middle-income family, to support eight children was already a challenging task, to say nothing of managing the whole family in perfect order. But Mrs. Ramsay succeeded in doing this. Another aspect of her virtuous was keeping her husband away from worries. As a sympathetic and chaste wife, Mrs. Ramsay kept the domestic troubles to herself. She would not bet the financial problem distract her husband. She undertook the responsibilities silently and sturdily. Besides the ability of economic management, Mrs. Ramsay was good at comforting her husband emotionally. Men were proud of their own successful career. Meanwhile, they were afraid of failure, especially those promising ones. Mr. Ramsay was under the heavy pressure of obscurity and frustration, so her revealed his fragile aspect at home. He needed 5his wifes emotional support badly. Mrs. Ramsay's praise 25 ?Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman and submission could make him feel like a great man. Mrs. Ramsay deeply understood that all men were male chauvinists to some extent. She knew that women's submission and praise could make men feel more masculine. Every time when Mr. Ramsay felt finstrated outside, he required his wife's sympathy and comforts. So his wife was the source of his refreshment. Emotionally supporting her husband was no easier than economically managing the family. Mr. Ramsay got his re-bounce from his wife while his wife exhausted herself to satisfy the bread earner of the family. Woolf further analyzed wife's fimction in her essay A Room of One' Own. She argued that men's source of creativity always came from women. When a husband came home from work, fatigued and self-written out, her could become creative and productive again if he saw his wife were with his children harmoniously as the centre of family peace and well-being. Mrs. Ramsay was so virtuous that she even thought all men, only just her husband, deserved sympathy and comfort from women. She reasoned that men undertook the great duties to rule the country and keep the economy developing，so heavy burden made them fragile inwardly. The seemingly strong men were fragile inside, so they needed women's sympathy and comfort. As the ideal women in Victorian era, Mrs. Ramsay considered it as her incumbent obligation to comfort men. Mrs. Ramsay virtuousness was also reflected in another aspect. She acted as a bridge connecting her children and her self-centered husband. Mr. Ramsay was crusty, crass and egoistic. He was so self-centered that he emotionally hurt people, even his own children. For instance，the novel reveals a small plot that the son was looking for a good weather, to the lighthouse. But Mr. Ramsay ignored little child feelings and said coldly， t won be fine.?What he said was true indeed but didn consider people hope，especially children hope. He just killed the little boy hope with his blunt truth. As a result, a deep gap was created between the father and the children. However, the mother tried to comfort the children from another angle. Even though she knew what her husband said was right, she would rather gave her son the while lie to reassure and pacify little child^ innocent heart. She said to her son after the utterance of the truth from her husband that the weather might be fine. The child's heart was soothed. Children usually Mconsider possibility to be certainty. Might be fine?could be interpreted as vill be fine?by 26 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman children. Anyway, after the mother appeasement, the tense relationship between the father and the son was relieved. The mother used her love to build a bridge between the rade father and the innocent children. The lenitive role Mrs. Ramsay played was indispensable in this family. Mrs. Ramsay's life philosophy also had its limitations. She thought that women could only get happiness through proper marriage. She argued that only by taking care of the family could womens value of life be embodied. She firmly believed that every woman should get married and reproduce offspring. She was also an enthusiastic match maker. She thought her marriage was a happy one and she tried her best to make a match between young people. Because of the view of marriage mentioned above, Mrs. Ramsay^ willingness to sacrifice for her husband and children was not difficult to understand. She had deep faith in marriage and family. She regarded it as her incumbent duty to devote all herself for the family. Thafs the faith the ideal \^ctorian women had. In the first chapter of the novel, Woolf listed what Mrs. Ramsay did everyday. First, she ran her errands her family. Then she cared for the needy. Third, she educated her children, reading stories to them. At the end of the day, she cooked dinner and took a walk with her husband. She left no time for herself, caring for others all day. She was glad to be the assistant to her husband, regarding him as the more important and worthier member in the family. Compared with what her husband did for the society, she thought of herself as bumble and unworthy. She worshipped her husband as fans admire superstars. She even blamed herself for not properly tying her husband^ shoelace. Exaggerating the greatness of her husband, she herself was blinded. Focusing too much on others made her lose herself. Every day she was revolving around the husband and the children, leaving no time and space for herself, so she even forgot that she was a woman with women inherent femininities. As s mother, Mrs. Ramsay showed her maximum embodiment of her motherly virtues. This was another reflection of the perfect image of Victorian woman. When Mr. Ramsay broke the son's hope to voyage to the lighthouse, Mrs. Ramsay still reassured her son with probability of a sunny day. She was such a sensitive mother that she knew children little and delicate soul needed to be taken care of. Children hope was seemingly small and insignificant to adult while important and meaningful to themselves. Mrs. Ramsay deeply 27 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman understood that the world would was full of suffering and pain. She hoped that little children would not sense the flavor of pain. She wanted to let children enjoy the carefree childhood, knowing nothing about misery and distress. A woman like Mrs. Ramsay, who always cared about children, would always care about others. A good mother not only took care of children physically, but also mentally. Fully engaged in attending so many children, Mrs. Ramsay's own time for her own aspiration was totally deprived of. Actually she did concern about public sanitation. She even wanted to be social worker to supervise the sanitary condition of things concerning every family. Mrs. Ramsay complained about the poor medical condition in London. The sanitary condition of food was disappointing. Milk, concerning every child's health, was unclean. She wanted to establish a standard hospital and normative diary for the well-being of people in her community. But the bubbles of her dream would be broken by the strenuous work of taking care of her own children. Bearing and fostering children had depleted her energy. She hardly had time to take a rest, not mention realizing her dream. As a competent housewife, Mrs. Ramsay kept the family in perfect order. Family members returning home from the chaotic and messy outside world would love to plunge into the harbor of a cozy home, even guests found Mrs. Ramsay^ home a warm shelter to rest their fatigued souls. She was such an understanding and tolerant person that many people came to her to seek for comfort and consolation. She herself felt that she was like a sponge absorbing all kinds of feelings people confided to her. No one would deny Mrs. Ramsay's talent of connecting people if you see how she created a harmonious atmosphere and guided silent guests into a heated discussing scene. When the family threw a party, a lot of guests were invited. But at first, the large quantity of people didn't make a prosperous scene because the guests didn^ know each other. Even when they talked, they talk about things concerning themselves, which couldnH bring on a common topic. The hostess could feel the tension in the stiff atmosphere, so she guided the guests into some free and relaxing topics which could stir common response. Thanks to her talent of connecting people, the atmosphere of the party was joyful and enjoyable. Mrs. Ramsay was bom with an inherent tendency to sympathize other people, especially men 28 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman under great pressure. When Lily recalled Mrs. Ramsay, she said that Mrs. Ramsay always felt obliged to show sympathy to people. When she saw someone outside, depressed, frustrated, she felt it was her duty to invite him in; even though this person deliberately avoided her. On the 5one hand, one of Mrs. Ramsays inborn personalities was her readiness to help. On the other hand, the role of women required her to serve the men. This role was so willingly accepted by women that they felt it was a part of their nature to support men. They were willing to be inferior to men. 6.3.2 Lily as the New Woman In contrast with the perfect image of ideal woman, Lily was the representative of new woman. Mrs. Ramsay's prototype was Woolfs mother, so as Woolfs stand-in, Lily naturally respected and liked Mrs. Ramsay. But Lily represented the new women, who were totally different from the ideal women. Lily's opinion on marriage was completely different from that of Mrs. Ramsay, which clashed with marital customs deeply accepted by people. She made male friends which was a taboo in that ear because women were supposed to be close with no males except her husband. But Lily had a will of her own in contacting people. She ignored people's gossip. Lily was not content with communicating with men like friends, but she set foot in painting which was dominated by men then. The path for the women fighting alone would never be smooth. In spite of so many hindrances and difficulties, she bravely fought for her freedom and self-recognition. Anyway, the spirit of new women was reflected in Lily. [1] Lily Marriage First of all, Lily was confused by love. On the one hand, she despised love, regarding it as boring, childish and ruthless. On the other hand, she acknowledged the beauty and necessity of love. She saw through the essence of the traditional marriage, 29 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman believing that the marriage resulted in women's losses in themselves. The traditional marriage required wives to be beautiful, devoting and obedient, as part of men^ possession. This oil-style marriage would jugulate women’s self-recognition and min women's pursuit of art. So she resisted marriage and gated any control. The direct result of repelling marriage was to be alone. Loneliness made her desire love from the opposite sex because that was human nature. She was greatly annoyed the contradiction. The hatred of traditional marriage and the desire for true love together tortured her. Apart from the internal struggle, she suffered the tremendous social pressure that a grown-up woman must get married or her life would be incomplete. Just because Lily had perceived that the essence of the old-style marriage would ruin her artistic career, she determined not to get married in order to be free to pursue artistic success. She deeply understood that women did not have the awareness nor were not able to find their own self-recognition because they played an inferior role in marriage and the society. Once married, the woman were fully engaged in attending the whole family, without time and energy to have rest, not to mention thinking about who they were or whether their life was worthy. The marri^e in patriarchal world could numb creative women's mind, not to mention the average ones. 5Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay displayed the apotheosis of "Victorian marriage. But Lily didnt regard that marriage as a perfect one. Although Lily respected Mr. Ramsay because he was learned and decent, she still thought that he demanded too much from his wife，wearing her to a great extent. In spite of Mrs. Ramsay’s charming appearance and virtues which Lily admired, Lily still despised Mrs. Ramsay^ absolute obedience and submission to Mr. Ramsay and her totally selfless devotion to the family. She believed that the traditional feminine virtues made women lose themselves. The so-called virtues were actually fetters for women. Lily saw both sides of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay which led to her hesitation in seeking for her own recognition. She was confused by human qualities, especially feminine qualities. She couldn’t simply affirm women’s qualities nor could she simply deny them. She was in contradiction. This contradiction led to her standstill in painting the portrait of Mrs. Ramsay because she couldn't give a proper judgment of her. This contradiction also brought about her ambivalence in seeking for her own self-recognition. Finally, at the end of To the Lighthouse, after obtaining a clear understanding and an objective judgment of Mrs. Ramsay, Lily succeeded in finishing painting the portrait. The traditional women sacrificed themselves to support men, losing their own freedom. The new woman fought against the unfair fate of women. Lily, as a new woman, treated men more Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman coldly and indifferently than other women, as an example showed. During the party thrown by Mrs. Ramsay, a male guest called Charles Tansley needed consolation especially from women because 5his self-respect was severely hurt. After other female guests comfort to Mr. Tansley, Lily didn't show any kind of sympathy to him when it was her turn to say something. Although she noticed his suffering, she didn’t consider it to be a necessity to restore a man’s self_esteem. She thought it was pathetic for women to make men feel superior. What's more, most women did this with great willingness, not realizing the loss of their own identity. New women would like to establish true friendship between men and women, not necessarily romantic love between the two sexes. But the traditional concept was that there was only romantic love between the two genders, no any other relationships. Old-fashioned people denied the existence of friendship between men and women, viewing it a veil. Even Mrs. Ramsay believed in the old idea. For instance, in the novel, a character called Minta took a walk with a man. After the walk, Mrs. Ramsay pushed Minta to decide whether she wanted to many the man or not. For the old-fashioned people, any personal contact between the two opposite sexes was a sign of love or marriage. But for the new women, that walk meant nothing but a kind of communication between equal human beings. That was something which could not get across to people like Mrs. Ramsay. Due to her refusal to old-style marriage, Lily was relatively lonely. So she wanted to make friends with men. She succeeded in establishing a real friendship with Mr. Banks. He was a man of new thoughts. He treated Lily as a person rather than an inferior woman. He appreciated her artistic works with objective standards. Minta was more beautiful than Lily. Her attractive appearance was the only reason why men wanted to get closer to her. But in Mr. Banks，eyes, Lily possessed more rational qualities which made her different from other women. Lily respected Mr. Banks for his decent conduct of life and his equal Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman standards in viewing women. They were real friends, nothing romantic. As friends, Lily talked to him about her paintings so that she would feel less lonely. This pure relationship also proved the existence of diversified relationships between men and women rather than only romantic love. [2] Lily Pursuit of Art Different from most \^ctorian woman, Lily picked painting rather than marriage as her life career. She tried to embody her value through a successful art career. But most other women were stuck in their life long domestic career working as housewives. In the patriarchal world, art was dominated by men. Her entry into the artistic circle was an overt defiance to men-controlling society. Women were thought of to be silly and uncivilized by the old-fashioned people. They despised women’s abilities in artistic creation. Men naturally adopted these traditional ideas about women. But the real terrible fact was that most women had accepted their inabilities and silliness imposed on them. They never thought about fighting for their fair fate. They even didn't believe in their own potentials. Under such circumstances, the path for woman to realize their own value to unimaginably difiBcult for them. Keeping a distance from people, Lily attempted to know what people saw in an artist and 5what she saw in others mind. In order to do this, she first refused to get married so that she would not be just confined to a small space. Free from the limitations of marriage, she behaved independently and got more opportunities to realize her value of life. An example could illustrate her awareness to keep her independence. Still at the party thrown by Mrs. Ramsay, when the hostess tried to connect the individual into an agreeable aura, Lily was trying to concentrate on her art. She tried to pay attention to Mrs, Ramsay’s organization of these people，but she was examining an exquisite salt cellar as a delicate artwork. The reason why Lily used a salt cellar to distract herself was that deep down in her hear, she was admiring Mrs. Ramsay^ ability and duty to connect. She respected Mrs. Ramsay and her qualities as a woman because after all, Lily was bom a woman. But she was not willing to admit that feeling deep down in her heart. But the other side of Lily repelled feminine qualities. She hated to be a traditional woman in the Victorian era. She hoped to be a man who could enjoy equal rights. She knew that women were treated unequally in every field of life, so she wanted to behave freely like a man. A typical example can show the embarrassment confronting women if they wanted to act like men. Minta lost 32 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman 5,her brooch on the beach, so Paul said that he would go to find it. Lily responded immediately, !,let me go to help you. She offered the help nicely, but she was reacted with laughter. Paul was teasing her. Paul didn^ say anything, but his laughter indicated the opposition and contempt women were confronted when they wanted to share something with men equally. When she hoped to became an artist to share the career with men, she would also face such predicament. Although Lily was determined not to be afifected by the inequality imposed on women, she found it difficult to concentrate on her artistic creation. The prejudice against women kept distracting her, even preventing her from painting. Since she chose the career of art, she actually chose loneliness because she was still excluded from the male-dominated artistic circle as a female group with a single person fighting on her own. She felt painfiil and suffocated since on one on the path helping her. If she was strong-willed enough to pursue her dream to follow to artistic path, she had to find her own style of artistic creation. 6.3.3 Lily Excels Mrs. Ramsay through Art 5Lily is in dilemma. She wants to realize her dream as an artist, but its a stony road. First, she should find the real self. By reminiscing and interpreting Mrs. Ramsay, Lily obtains her self-recognition. In her mind, Lily admires and respects Mrs. Ramsay. Meanwhile, however, she doesn't totally agree with her in many respects. [31] Lily^ Seeking for Self-recognition as a Woman 5When Mrs. Ramsay is alive, Lily can't understand her in a lot of aspects. So she doesnt know how to paint her and she feels depressed and begins to doubt that she can become an artist. ?A decade has passed. After Mrs. Ramsay's death, Lily returns to Mrs. Ramsays house. Haunted by the memories of the hostess, Lily starts to put pieces of her image together and understand the real Mrs. Ramsay. Now a real and distinct image appears in her mind, therefore, she can accomplish the long-delayed portrait. In the past, Lily believes that Mrs. Ramsay is dependent, lacking self-consciousness. She only sees one side of her: devoting herself to helping her husband and nurturing children, bearing no distinct and detached perception of her won. Lily thinks wrong. A decade later, Lily recalls 5Mrs. Ramsays self-consciousness. When she sits alone and quiet, she engages herself in free thinking. Gazing at the lighthouse, she contemplates her own marriage. She evaluates it from an independent woman's angle. She also has her assessment of people. She eyes the enchanting beauty in Lily. All these show that Mrs. Ramsay reveals another side of her personality. Lily 33 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman is once blinded to see it by the perfect image of Mrs. Ramsay. She has the potential to form her own perception of things and people surpassing the conventional stereotype. It only takes ten years for Lily to see that. Lily imagines that Mrs. Ramsay comes onto land from a boat with the help of her future husband. She is fond of connection between people, so she doesn't mind being helped by a man. And they even get to know each other, finally walking together into the sacred church. Lily, on the other hand, can't tolerate too much contact with people. She is worried that connecting with people will make her more dependent and confined. To avoid that, she hides herself. That is also the reason she doesn't show her paintings to people. She fears that other people would see through her by examining her paintings. So she always keeps distance from others. By contrast, Mrs. Ramsay knows it well to create connection between people. Only after she passes away does Lily notice the importance of her accomplishment in building connections. In Victorian era or even earlier, women were forbidden in most walks of life, not to mention art. Lily's artistic gifts are more or less suppressed by sexual discrimination in patriarchal society. All this firms her determination to find her own independence and to be the new woman. Art is still dominated by males. Masculinist Tansley, a character in the novel, proclaims that women and art don't mix. His denial of women’ ability to paint cuts Lily deeply. For a long period，she really can’t conduct artistic creation. She feels disgusted for these men. She hates to be a female one in family or society. She believes that women are made inferior to men. So she is unwilling to feel sympathetic for men, even respectable men deserving sympathy. Meanwhile，Tansley’s remark serves as a stimulus for Lily to rise up and to prove herself. She is determined to be a new woman to make men feel inferior through her seeking for art. Immortality is something everyone longs for, both layfolks and artists. Mrs. Ramsay wants to secure immortality in her family, but one daughter dies in swaddling clothes and a son is killed in war. How she wishes her family members could be immortal. Likewise, as the artist, Lily hopes that her paintings can be immortal, appreciated by people generation after generation. People die, eventually. But artistic works could be passed down, so Lily is determined to pursue her artistic career. Lily is somewhat a radical feminist character at the beginning. She hates to be a woman. She loathes marriage. All her resentment derives from the ideal image of Mrs. Ramsay. Lily notices Mr. Ramsay’s demands for his wife’s support physical and mental. In spite of her willingness, 34 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman Mrs. Ramsay is drained by her domestic job. Lily doesn’t want to follow her path. She also loathes this demanding husband and extends her hatred to all men whom she considers impossible to satisfy. It seems reasonable to show sympathy for the widower after his wife passes away, but Lily rejects to give any morsel of commiseration. However, the passage of a long time could change anything. Mr. Ramsay discards his apathy to become a patient and kind man. He doesn't expect sympathy form other. Meanwhile, Lily also undergoes her changes. Mrs. Ramsay’s philanthropy makes Lily see the preciousness of human relationships, especially that between two sexes. Now she is willing to give help and support to the widower. She once looks for Mr. Ramsay and his children, worrying their safety threatened by the bad weather. This detail indicates her concern about people. Then she gets to see the lighthouse. It serves as a symbol of her achieving the self-recognition. She is not a one-sided feminist any more，but a harmonious mixture of independent will and traditional feminine charm. She starts to admire and respect women's indispensible role in family and society and to eradicate her hatred of being a woman. This breakthrough in her perception greatly helps her find self-recognition so that she could freely express herself in art creation. 1.1.1 Lily's Seeking for the Truth of Life as an Artist Everyone who achieves new accomplishment benefits from traditions or the forerunners. Feminist literature and womens liberation are no exception. Woolf holds 35 Charter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman the view that female writers should draw nourishment from traditions in feminist literature. It's impossible for women writers to start from zero. Former generations* literary legacy is 5the coming female writers source of nutrients. The same is true of women's liberation. The previous generations set examples and provide nurturance for the later ones. It is just like 5that daughters spurn their mothers drawback while adopt their virtues. Women's traditions, as Woolf sees it, is just revealed in the relationship between the new woman, represented by Lily, and the ideal woman, explored the Mrs. Ramsay. Through her constant reminiscence of Mrs. Ramsay, Lily appraises the role objectively and comes to realize her own self-recognition. On one side, Lily despises the dutiful facet of Mrs. Ramsay. She will never choose to be that kind of woman. On the other side, Mrs. Ramsay^ latent art talents give Lily new horizon of the true meaning of life. Mrs. Ramsay is just like a mirror in which Lily could see part of herself. The more important thing is that Lily discovers her real identity she can't find in the mirror. In this sense, the new woman excels the ideal woman and women’s liberation is greatly promoted. There are only three chapters in this novel. The Mndow, chapter one, elaborately describes Mrs. Ramsay as a caring and tender character. She was the embodiment of ideal woman. The second chapter talks about the depressive atmosphere because of the death of Mrs. Ramsay and the duration is a decade. The new woman is introduced in the last chapter which brings vigor to the previously gloomy atmosphere. Lily, as the now woman, had a double attitude towards Mrs. Ramsay. She despised 5Mrs. Ramsays deference and sacrifice for her family. She thought that Mrs. Ramsay lost her own identity. But on the other hand, Lily respected her as a great mother. With this complicated attitude, Lily could complete the portrait of Mrs. Ramsay. Only when Lily really understood Mrs. Ramsay could she finish her painting. But Mrs. Ramsay had already died. By recalling Mrs. Ramsay, Lily tried to finish her portrait. However, Lily could not strike a balance in her mind. On one side, she wanted to achieve her own value as a person equal to men, not being limited by the stereotype of traditional women. On the other side, she was a woman and she could not get rid of the social pressure on her because her single effort to be an equal person was too weak in the patriarchal society. Stuck in this predicament, her mind was in a mess. Sitting in front of the canvas, Lily could not straighten out the confiision in her mind or present a vivid image on the canvas. She failed to understand the true meaning of life and art. This confiision prevents her from pursuing her art. But Lily was not stopped by the dilemma. Reminiscing Mrs. Ramsay gave her new thoughts and 36 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman faith. She resumed contemplating Mrs. Ramsay’s multiple personality: tenderness, kindness and virtuousness. Mrs. Ramsay was not an artist like who Lily was trying to be, but she was a so-called artist in life. She could sense mess and disorder and she could also artfully ease the chaotic life with her care and communication. She was good at communicating with people. She was an artist of human connection. As the main pillar in her family, she brought safety and harmony to other family members and extended them to other people she connected. Lily pursued art full of colors, shades and lines while Mrs. Ramsay pursued harmony through love, care and understanding. The two women could be called artists in that sense. Lily was once confused by the true meaning of life. By recalling Mrs. Ramsay's spectacular ability of connecting people, lily got to find proper answer to this puzzling question. Life had no exact definition. The whole world was chaotic. Every person was just like separated island. But these islands could be connected by some skillful people like Mrs. Ramsay. Every person was meaningful for some time. But when all the people were connected, the meaning of life turned into eternity. From Mrs. Ramsay, we learn that people should try to achieve personal happiness and grab bliss as possible as we can. As for Lily, she learned the true meaning of life and transferred it into her art. She became aware that life was written in water. Only when she put what she felt in life onto her canvas could she achieve eternity in her life. Thanks to reminiscence of Mrs. Ramsay, Lily succeeded in finding the way to obtain eternity. On the road of seeking for self-recognition, Lily gradually understood Mrs. Ramsay's devotion for her family. Mr. Ramsay was dependent on his wife for sympathy and consolation because he feared death, being afraid of weakness and helplessness. As for Lily, she also feared that nobody appreciated her paintings and 37 Chapter 6 The New Woman Excels the Ideal Woman became obscure. Both Lily and Mr. Ramsay were worried that they had no spiritual support. Fortunately for them, Mr. Ramsay had Mrs. Ramsay and Lily had her artistic work so that they could find spiritual shelter and hide away fonn the messy world. Finally, the Ramsays arrived at the Lighthouse. While the Ramsays were going to the lighthouse, Lily was trying to finish her painting. It seemed that Lily was divided into two parts. One was going to the lighthouse together with the Ramsays. The other was staying to complete the painting. By imagining accompanying the Raamsays to the lighthouse, Lily got a clear view in her mind to help her finish the painting. Gazing at the sea, Lily thought of Mrs. Ramsay. Suddenly, Lily came to become aware that the whole world lacked unity. People had to strive hard to establish unity as possible as they could. After imagining being at the sea, Lily shifted her concentration to focus on her work again. The imagination gave her inspiration. It seemed that she had arrived at the lighthouse with them. This gave her strength and confidence to paint in the middle of the canvas. As she painted, she imagined. The cleaner she imagined, the faster she painted. After a long time of suspension and uncertainty, she finally completed the portrait of Mrs. Ramsay. While she was recalling and rediscovering Mrs. Ramsay, Lily gradually changed her scunner towards Mr. Ramsay into a slight sympathy. She also accepted that Mrs. Ramsay played an indispensable role in supporting Mr. Ramsay and started respecting this role. This great 5transformation marked Lily^ self-transformation. When she complemented Mr. Ramsays boots, she heartily acknowledged that Mrs. Ramsay played an essential role in the family. By obtaining a real interpretation of Mrs. Ramsay during the process of reminiscence and rediscovery, Lily excelled Mrs. Ramsay as a new woman. Although when Lily perceived the real Mrs. Ramsay, she had been dead for ten years, her spirit haunted Lily's mind. Lily could feel her spiritual existence everywhere. With the understanding of Mis. Ramsay, Lily obtained a deeper insight into the relationships of people and the complicated reality. Eventually Lily got an image. Due to the image, she finished her artistic work. This image helped her find her self-recognition as a new woman in this men-dominating world and seek for the truth of life as an artist. Chapter 7 Conclusion The purpose of this thesis is to prove that Lily excelled Mrs. Ramsay. In To the Zig/i 38 Chapter 7 Conclusion 沩Woolf successfully established a virtuous female image in Victorian Age~Mrs. Ramsay, a perfect mother, wife and family organizer all in one. She was tender and kind to her children. She took care of her children's daily life, education and their delicate internal world. She understood and sacrificed to her husband. Whenever her husband needed comfort and conciliation, she was ready to meet his needs. She was sympathetic and kind to people. With her amazing ability to connect people, she could establish a harmonious aura for people to interact with each other. However, the perfect traditional woman was not totally severed from the new woman. Mrs. Ramsay reflected on her marriage when gazing the lighthouse afar. She formed her own thoughts on her marriage. She regarded Lily as a charming person which showed her separation from the patriarchal values of evaluating people. From this perspective, Mrs. Ramsay could not simply be defined as a traditional Victorian woman, because she could appreciate the advanced and independent qualities in Lily. It can be inferred that deep down in Mrs. Ramsay^ heart, she possessed certain features of the new women. Woolf created a complicated Mrs. Ramsay who had multiple personalities. The reason why Lily could not finish the portrait of Mrs. Ramsay was her failure to interpret the trae Mrs. Ramsay at first. Lily respected Mrs. Ramsay. But she despised her full devotion to the family and submission to men. Lily thought of that as loss of self. Actually Lily herself was entangled by her own recognition. She hated her own gender. She admired the privileges enjoyed by men. But gradually, by recalling the late hostess, Mrs. Ramsay, she realized that Mrs. Ramsay's qualities were respectful and admirable. She began to accept who she was because of the true understanding of Mrs. Ramsay. She succeeded in finishing Mrs. Ramsay^ portrait. She found her own identity. She began to respect and admire the ideal womens good qualities and at the same time she possessed the modern and novel qualities of the new woman. From this perspective, Lily excelled Mrs. Ramsay. Through describing the internal world of Lily, Woolf actually expressed her 39 Chapter 7 Conclusion own perspectives on the woman she wanted to be. Knowing that the Victorian women were restricted by the traditions in patriarchal society, Woolf advocated the equal right for women and encouraged women to fight for their own freedom. In the novel, Mrs. Ramsay was the predecessor of Lily. However, Lily did not deny the nourishment and inheritance she derived from Mrs. Ramsay. 5But based on Mrs. Ramsays heritage, Lily moved up to a new level. To draw a conclusion, Lily, as the new woman, excelled the traditional ideal women. Notes Notes 3.1A coterie of English writers, philosophers, and artists. The name was a reference to the Bloomsbury district of London, where between about 1907 and 1930 the group frequently met to discuss aesthetic and philosophical questions. Among the group were E.M. Forster, Lytton Strachey, Clive Bell, the painters Vanessa Bell (1879-1961) and Duncan Grant (1885-1978), John Maynard Keynes, the Fabian writer Leonard Woolf (1880-1969), and Virginia Woolf 3.2 Translation quoted from张京媛，《当代女性主义文学批评》，北京:北京大学出版 社，1995年10月。 3.3 Translation quoted from吴庆宏，《弗吉尼亚*伍尔夫与女权主义》。北京:中国社 会科学出版社，2005。 4 Translation quoted fiom马睿，《从伍尔夫到西苏的女性主义批评》。外国文学研 究，1999。 5Tanslationqutedfrom罗婷等著，《女性主义文学批评在西方与中国》，中国社 会科r〇 学出版社2004年版。 Bibliography 3.2.1 Beeton, Isabella. Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. London: Oxford University press, edited by Nicola Humble2000. 3.2.2 Bowlby, Rachel (ed.), Selected Essays: Woman's Essays, vol. 2. London: Penguin Twentieth Century Classics. 1993. ------Selected Essays: The Crowded Dance of Modern Life, vol. 2. London: Penguin Twentieth Century Classics. 1993. 3.2.3 Caughie, Pamiela L. Virginia Woolf and Postmodernism: Literature in Quest and Question ofltsel. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. 1991. 3.2.4 Clive, Bell.^rA London: Chatto&Windus. 1914. 3.2.5 Cooley, Mnnifred Harper. The New Womanhood. New York: Broadway Publishing Company. 1904. 3.2.6 Fry, Roger. Vision and Design. London: Chatto?&Windus. 1920. 3.2.7 Gorham, Deborah. The Victorian Girl and the Feminine Ideal. London: Croom Helm.1982. 41 Bibliography 3.2.8 Holroyd, Michael and Strachey, Lytton. A Critical Biography, I. New York: Publishierl967. 3.2.9 Kane, Penny. Victorian Families in Fact and Fiction. London: Macmillan. 1995. 3.2.10 Levenson, Michael (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Modernism, Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. 2000. 3.2.11 Lewis, Judith S. In the Family Way: Childbearing in the British Aristocracy, 1760-1860 .New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. 1986. 3.2.12 McKnight, Natalie. Suffering Mothers in Mid-Victorian Novels. New York: St. Martin’s. 1997. 3.2.13 Moi, Toril. Sexual/Textual Politics: Feminist Literary Theory. London: Methuen. 1985. 3.2.14 Roe, Sue and Sellers, Susan (ed.). 77ie Ccwi加Wge Com/wm’on to Mrgfw’fl 的 Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. 2001. 3.2.15 Ronchetti, Ann. The Artist, Society, and Sexuality in Virginia Woolf's Novels. New York & London: Routledge. 2004. 3.2.16 Shiman, Lillian Lewis. Women and Leadership in Nineteenth-Centtay England. London: Macmillan. 1992. 3.2.17 Showwalter, Elaine. A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists From Brownte to Lessing. Beijing: Foreign language teaching and research press. 2004. 3.2.18 Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. London: Hogarth Press. 1967. 3.2.19 柏棣，《西方女性主义文学理论》。桂林:广西师范大学，2007。 P0]张京媛，《当代女性主义文学批评》，北京:北京大学出版社，1995年10月。 1.1.2 高奋，鲁彦，《近20年国内弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫研究述评》，《外国文学评论》， 2004年第5期第36 — 42页。 1.1.3 吉娜•威斯克，《伍尔夫:到灯塔去》，宋应财译。大连:大连理工大学出版社， 2008。 1.1.4 马睿，《从伍尔夫到西苏的女性主义批评》。外国文学研究，1999。 1.1.5 瞿世镜，《伍尔夫研究》。上海:上海文艺出版社，1998。 1.1.6 王著，《论<到灯塔去>拉姆齐夫人的女性意识》，《武汉工程大学学报》，2008 年第5期第101 — 103页。 1.1.7 吴庆宏，《弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫与女权主义》。北京:中国社会科学出版社，2005。 1.1.8 程锡麟，王晓路著，《当代美国小说理论》，北京:外语教学与研究出版社， 2001 〇 42 Bibliography 1.1.9 丰华瞻《世界神话传说选》北京外国文学出版社1982年1月 1.1.10 弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫著，《到灯塔去》，瞿世镜译，上海:上海文艺出版社，2000。 P0] —《海浪》，曹元勇译，上海:上海文艺出版社，2000。 1.2.2 —《奥兰多》，韦虹、昊乐译，哈尔滨出版社，1994。 1.2.3 —《一间自己的屋子》，王还译，文化生活译丛，1992。 1.2.4 —《论小说与小说家》，瞿世镜译，上海，上海译文出版社，2000年12月。 古斯塔夫•施瓦布，《希腊古典神话》，曹乃云译，南京:译林出版社，2002 年 10月。 1.2.5 聂珍钊主编，《外国文学研究》，武汉:《外国文学研究》编辑部，2002年第 1期。 1.2.6 伍厚凯，《弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫:存在的瞬间》，四川:四川人民出版社，1999 43 Bibliogrzyhy 年i月。 1.2.7 叶舒宪著，《中国神话哲学》，中国社会科学出版社，1992年1月。 1.2.8 约瑟芬•多诺万，《女权主义的知识分子传统》，赵育春译，扬州:江苏人民 出版社，2003年1月。 1.2.9 袁坷，《中国古代神话》，北京:中华书局，1961。 1.2.10 林德尔•戈登，《弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫一一个作家的生命历程》，四川人民出 版社2000年版。 1.2.11 伍厚惜、王晓路译，《伍尔夫随笔》，四川人民出版社1998年版。 1.2.12 弗吉尼亚•伍尔夫，《伍尔芙随笔全集》，中国社会科学出版2001年版。 1.2.13 李银河，《女性权力的崛起》，中国社会科学出版社1997年版。 1.2.14 苏珊.艾丽丝.沃特肯斯，《女性主义》，广州出版社1998年版。 1.2.15 罗婷等著，《女性主义文学批评在西方与中国》，中国社会科学出版社2004 年版。 1.2.16 郭俊，梅雪芹，《维多利亚时代中期英国中产阶级中上层的家庭意识探究》， 《世界历史》，2003年第1期。 1.2.17 弗吉尼亚•伍尔芙，《伍尔芙日记选》，百花文艺出版社1997年版。 1.2.18 刘炳善编，《伍尔夫散文》，中国广播电视出版2000年版。 1.2.19 张岩冰，《女权主义文论》，山东教育出版社1998年版。 1.2.20 宋素凤，《多重主体策略的自我命名:女性主义文学理论研究》，山东大学 出版社2002年版。 1.2.21 马缨，《工业革命与英国妇女》，上海社会科学院出版社1993年版。 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to all those who helped me during the writing of this thesis. My deepest gratitude goes first and foremost to Professor Huang Hongling，my supervisor, for her constant encouragement and guidance. She has walked me through all the stages of the writing of this thesis. Without her consistent and illuminating instruction, this thesis could not have reached its present form. 45 新女性与完美女性:《到灯塔去》中的女性主义解读 LtJ 文献链接 作者: 曾妍 学位授予单位: 南昌大学 引用本文格式: 曾妍 新女性与完美女性:《到灯塔去》中的女性主义解读[学位论文]硕士 2012 分类号:1106.4 密 级:公开 U D C: ____________ 单位代号:10424 学位论文 Faith in Humanity: Thematic Interpretation of Silas Marner in Myth-Archetypal Perspective 人性的信仰:神话原型视角下的 《织工马南》主题阐释 钱瑞燕 申请学位级别:硕士学位专业名称:英语语言文学 指导教师姓名:张琳 职称:副教授 山东科技大学 二零一二年六月 论文题目: 人性的信仰:神话原型视角下的《织 工 马南》主题阐释 论文提交日期:2012年5月 论文答 辩日期:2012年6月 授予学位日期: ____________________________ 入学时间:2009年9月 研作者姓名:钱瑞燕 究方向:英国文学 职 专业名称:英语语言 称:副教授 文学 指导教师: 张琳 Faith in Humanity: Thematic Interpretation of Silas Marner in Myth-Archetypal Perspective A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF ARTS from Shandong University of Science and Technology by Qian Ruiyan Supervisor: Associate Professor Zhang Lin College of Foreign Languages June 2012 声明 本人呈交给山东科技大学的这篇硕士学位论文，除了所列参考文献和世所 公认的文献 外，全部是本人在导师指导下的研究成果。该论文资料尚没有呈交 与其他任何学术机关作 鉴定。 硕士生签名: 日 期: AFFIRMATIOIN I declare that this thesis, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master of Arts in Shandong University of Science and Technology, is my own work except the parts indicated in the references. The document has not been submitted for qualification at any other academic institution. Signature: Date: 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 摘要 摘要 乔治•爱略特是维多利亚时期杰出的、具有哲思倾向的小说家。她的作品以生动展 现维多利亚时期的宗教现实和乡村风貌而著称，其小说不但秉承了维多利亚文学创作的 精华，而且在很大程度上实现了革新与突破。其凝涵哲思寓意的小说《织工马南》触及 19世纪英国落后、教条的宗教现实，长久以来被誉为追求人本主义宗教观的佳作。从神 话原型视角看，该小说在主题、人物刻画以及故事情节等文学要素上都带有神话原型叙 事的特色，两个男主人公都具有原型特色，马南和戈弗雷集中代言了爱略特所推崇的人 本主义信仰。本论文分三章，立足于神话原型理论，结合爱略特的人本主义信仰追求， 对小说主题进行神话原型视角的挖掘。 第一章主要识别小说的神话原型主题，简述神话原型理论，讨论原型叙事策略下主 人公追求信仰的波折历程，从而发现作者的创作意图。爱略特的作品中经常出现“基督 徒”和“天使”式的人物类型，带有原型的深层含义，对圣经文化传统背景的运用使小 说主题富有内在的宗教情怀。这在一定程度上折射了爱略特追求人本理想的历程，也说 明爱略特对维多利亚小说道德说教创作传统的继承。因此，《织工马南》的原型主题是爱 略特人本理想的具体阐释。第二章结合对《织工马南》的文本细读，逐步探究文本中原 型情节的文化含义与艺术功能，不论是构建富含神话色彩的复杂故事情节，还是对神秘 巧合事件的运用，都是作者创作手段中的客观关联物，目的是展现命运的强大与多变性， 并揭开巧合背后深藏的人性罪恶。在人物类型设置上，爱略特刻意突出两位男主人公截 然不同的性格和悬殊的命运，突显马南的单纯质朴个性与其历经坎坷，重归真善美的传 奇;与之对照，戈弗雷则代言了人性的复杂、伪善，他在各种考验下人性泯灭，终遭美 好摒弃。两个男主人公的故事传递出的是不同的维多利亚意识形态，揭示人性中的善恶 沉浮，展现其因果报应及真爱救赎的观念。主人公马南最终以人性的回归完成蜕变的历 程，恰似爱略特在生活和作品中均力求改进旧宗教，追求科学理性信仰的经历。第三章 综合上述分析，聚焦爱略特的人本宗教理想。马南的坎坷生平反映了爱略特在反对旧宗 教时存在的现实困难，爱略特虽然批判揭露旧宗教的伪善和冷酷，但是她对宗教的道德 教育作用怀有不可割舍的情愫。作为维多利亚时代的女学者，爱略特反对愚昧的教条， 寄希望于文学作品的教育功能，无论是在文学创作上，还是现实生活中，她都坚持自己 的独特追求。可以说强烈的宗教情怀，加之严肃的哲学思考，构成了爱略特的艺术创作 1 摘要 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 初衷。 总之，爱略特在这部作品中展现的两种宗教观折射了她生活时代信仰多样性的现实。 她的文学创作信念与维多利亚人特有的浓厚的宗教情怀密不可分，她的哲学思考及在现 实社会中改革旧观念、寻求真诚信仰的理念是其人文关怀的深刻体现。这是一部关于善 恶冲突，关于信仰成长，关于人性升华的杰作。爱略特对人性的关注和现实主义摹写， 在当时的维多利亚社会无疑具有积极的社会意义和永恒价值，也是她的作品之所以赢得 无数读者的重要原因之一。 关键词:原型主题;善恶冲突;罪与赎;人本理想;现实主义观照 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Abstract Abstract George Eliot, whose novels are famous for the vivid expressing of the religious reality and rural life of England, is a remarkable novelist with philosophic thinking in Victorian Era. Eliot not merely embraces the good parts of the Victorian literature tradition, but also makes some ibreakthroughs to some extent. Silas Ma^^ner, a story which embodies her philosophic thoughts thand deals with the backward and dogmatic religion of 19 century England, has long been praised as a masterpiece of her pursuit of faith in humanity. From the myth-archetypal perspective, the theme, characterization and plot in the novel all have the archetypal features. In Silas Marner, Eliot characterizes the two heroes Marner and Godfrey with intensive myth-archetypal features to embody her humanistic ideals. The body of the thesis is divided into three chapters based on the myth-archetypal criticism, and combining with Eliot humanistic ideal this paper will have an archetypal study of the theme in the novel. Chapter One intends to identify the archetypal theme in the novel. With a brief discussion of the myth-archetypal criticism and the archetypal characteristic of Silas Marner, Chapter One analyses the hero pilgrimage in belief so as to reveal the writer intention of creation. People who frequently emerge as hristian?and ngel?in Eliot works have archetypal significance. The theme of the novel is full of religious sentiment by adopting the traditional Bible culture. To some extent, it reports the process of Eliot pursuit of faith in humanity. Besides, it proves that Eliot inherits the tradition of Victorian literature. Therefore, the archetypal theme of Silas Marner concretely interprets Eliot humanistic ideal. Chapter Two expounds the cultural meaning and art function of the myth-archetypal plots based on the reading of Silas Marner. Both the structure of the complicated mythological plots and the usage of mythic coincidences are the objective correlative of creation method, which aim to reveal the power and variability of fate and unravel the sins under the coincidences. In character design, Eliot intentionally emphasizes the two heroes?differences in personality and fate. On the one hand, she highlights Marner unsophisticated personality and his legend of undergoing hardships and returning to the trueness, goodness and beauty. On the other hand, she depicts Godfrey as a representative of the complicacy and hypocrisy of human nature. He iii 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Abstract 5is abandoned by goodness for his lost of humanity under trials. The two heroes experiences, ,which represent different Victorian ideologies, have shown Eliots view of nemesis and 5redemption by true love. The protagonist Marners eventual regression of humanity is similar to Eliot experience of pursuing a more scientific and rational belief both in life and works. Chapter Three goes further to touch upon Eliot ideal of faith in humanity. Marner frustrated life reflects Eliot difficulty in fighting against the dogmatic religion. Although criticizing the hypocrisy and cruelty of the formalized religion, Eliot still has a profound sentiment on the instructional function of the religion. As a Victorian female scholar, Eliot fights against the folly dogma, but she holds hope in the educational function of literature works. In addition, no matter in literature creation or life, Eliot insists on keeping her distinctive dreams. All in all, Eliot strong religious sentiment and philosophic thought have formed the original intention of her art. In short, Eliot displays two religions in the novel which exactly reflect the diversity of religion in her age. Eliot ideal of creation is inseparable from Victorian peculiar religious sentiment. With philosophic thought, Eliot insists on perfecting the old perceptions and seeking a sincere belief, which have profound meaning to her humanistic ideal. This is a great work about the opposition of good and evil, the growth of faith and the subliming of humanity. Eliot concern for humanity, which undoubtedly has significance and eternal value to Victorian society, is one of the important reasons why her works win the numerous readers. Key Words: archetypal theme; good/evil opposition; sin and redemption; humanity ideal; realistic contemplation Contents 摘要 .............................................................................................................................................. i Abstract.......................................................................................................................................iii iv 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Contents Contents ....................................................................................................................................... v Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner ............................................................................ 5 3.1.2 ....................................................................................................................................... 3.1.3 ....................................................................................................................................... 3.1.4 ....................................................................................................................................... M yth-Archetypal Criticism .......................................................................................................... 5 [1] [2] [3] Jung archetypal theory.................................................................................... 6 [4] [5] [6] Frye archetypal criticism ................................................................................ 7 3.1.5 ....................................................................................................................................... 3.1.6 ....................................................................................................................................... 3.1.7 ....................................................................................................................................... T heme in Silas Marner ............................................................................................................... 8 Motif of sin and redemption .............................................................................. 9 Pilgrimage in belief..................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot ........................................................ 14 Surface Plot of Mythic Coincidences........................................................................................ 14 Blindness in Lantern Yard .......................................................................................... 15 Retribution in Raveloe ................................................................................................ 16 v 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Contents Marner life of twists and turns ................................................................................ 18 Deep Significance of Morality................................................................................................. 20 Sin and punishment..................................................................................................... 20 Faith and redemption ................................................................................................. 22 Chapter 3 Eliot Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner ................................................................... 25 Faith in Literature ................................................................................................................. 25 False religion in LanternYard .......................................................................... 25 True faith in Raveloe .................................................................................................. 27 Faith in Reality..................................................................................................................... 29 Religious sentiment in Victorian Era.......................................................................... 29 Eliot pursuit of humanity ........................................................................................ 31 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 34 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 36 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... 39 vi 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Contents Main Work Achievement of the Author during Working on Master Paper .............................. 40 vii 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Abstract Introduction George Eliot (1819-1890), a great woman writer and ideological pioneer in Victorian Era, is regarded as one of distinguished novelists for her free thinking and profound thought about religion. Her novel s not primarily a picture of life, capable of deriving a high value from its form, but a moralized fable, the last word of a philosophy endeavoring to teach by example?(qtd. 5in Handley, 1990: l6). Silas Marner has a special importance to Eliots works, which loses the 5first phase of George Eliots creative life?(Leavis, 1948: 64). The novel is something of the fairy tale in a certain extent, which derives a high value in its theme. he mythical novel?(Qian, 2005: th340) shows dramatic changes of the common people and reflects the true religion fact in 19 century. Therefore, it is usually regarded as the representative work of Eliot pursuit of faith in humanity. For her concerning of rural life and religion problems in literary creation, Eliot earlier stage novels are generally acknowledged to works of pursuit of faith in humanity commentary. The researching achievements of Eliot and her works are abundant at abroad than at home. During her lifetime, Eliot has a rich and colorful literary life such as to be an editor, book reviewer, translator, and attempts many styles of that time to write novels, short stories, poem, etc., but what made her high reputation came to be novels. In Victorian age, Eliot is regarded as one of the most important woman writers, as Anthony Trollope admits, t the present moment George Eliot is the first of English novelists?(qtd. in Haight, 1954: 150), this is a high evaluation of Eliot literary status. About her intelligence Deakin says, n delineation of character and human emotion George Eliot most deserves to be compared with Shakespeare, while in dealing with the human conscience, Shakespeare himself scarcely surpasses her?(64). In short, critics th admire her intelligence and praise her works. By the 20century, Henry James says that Eliot is a remarkable philosopher (Zhu & Qiao, 2001: 217), therefore, Eliot outstanding power of observation and thinking are praised by many critics. For instance, Virginia Woolf praises her novel is ne of the few English novels written for grown-up people?(172). Leavis in The Great Tradition regards her as one of the four great traditions, and says, er high standing as a novelist, Silas Marner admired as a profoundly and essentially moral imagination?(64). Besides, the serious and realistic theme in the novel attracts most of the readers?attention. iv 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Introduction As a Victorian writer, Eliot is one of the most widely translated of novelists, the one who igets more attentions in resent years. She writes many famous novels such as The Mill on the Floss, Adam Bede, Silas Marner, and Middlemarch, etc. She also leaves behind a lot of letters and commentaries. She proves herself xcelling in languages, translated in music and anxious to develop a broad understanding of all the ideas of her time?(Edwards, 2003: 172). Her works has been criticized, interpreted. And Leavis says she as too full and strong a sense of the reality, she sees too clearly and understandingly, sees with a judging vision that relates to everything to her profoundest moral experience?(111). With the development of modern literary theory, Eliot novels have been criticized in various ways such as new historicism, narrative strategy, psychological criticism, feminism analysis, etc. Eliot is a fierce critic of the religion condition of Victorian society. Scholars at abroad and home highly appreciate her realistic contemplation. For one hundred years, there are uninterrupted comments on Eliot and her works. And Joan W. Cross in George EliotS li/e as Related in her Letters and Journals (1884) gives a good beginning of comment on Eliot. The serious study foundation is laid by Gordon S. Height who has edited The George Eliot Letters th(1954-1955) and later published George Eliot: A Biography (1968). In the 20 century, F. R. Leavis in The Great Tradition (1948), ranks Eliot as he great tradition of the English novel?(41), and remarks that er best work has a Tolstoyan depth and reality?(154). And David R. Carroll Silas Marner: Reversing the Oracles o;f Religion (1967) has a high evaluation of its rigorously intellectual structure and gives more valuable information of the plot and characters of the novel (167). Silas Marner illuminates the foolish old religion which arouses scholar attentions all along. Eliot is born in a traditional Christian family writes her middle ages with a view to revealing the hypocrisy mask of the dogmatic religion and exposing the inhumanity of the evil people. As Andre Maurois (1960) writes, he need to express oneself in writing springs from maladjustment to life, or from an inner conflict which one cannot resolve in action?(7-8). This novel shocks readers with its mystery plots and religious theme, meanwhile, pursuit of faith in humanity is the basic clue of the story. Since its publication, Silas Ma^^ne^r has attracted attentions of scholars from a wide variety v 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Introduction of critical fields: new historicism, psychological criticism, feminism and so forth. In preceding research, studies on this novel usually concentrate on the nemesis and the moral function of Victorian society. However, Silas Marner is actually a novel to reveal the good and evil opposition of human beings. Joseph Wiesenfarth in Dem少thologizing.. Silas Marner (1970) pays more attention to the mystery of the story, and gives a detailed analysis of the triangle relationships included in the story (95). But this only focuses on the subjective aesthetic feeling not touches upon the essence of the theme. Showalter in A Literature 〇f Their Own (1977) regards Eliot as the long tradition of female writers (104). Domestic studies also concern about its religion theme in Silas Marner, applying the analysis of the frustrated life of Marner and the moving story of the ordinary people. Cui Dong (2000) thinks that Eliot courageously exposed her view on religion in this novel (99-103). Many readers think that the mystery feature makes Silas Marner a good reputation, however, the harmony of mythological plots and realistic contemplation in Silas Marner verify Eliot advancement in ideology. As a representative realistic writer in Victorian Era, to some extent, Eliot really delineates a more realistic picture of religious situation of England society in Silas Marner. Nevertheless, because of the influence of social, cultural and religious reasons, Eliot cannot abandon the religious sentiment completely. The Victorian largely focus on the influence of Bible, especially the middle class has a deep sentiment to religion; moreover, Eliot is a writer who has a confused attitude to religion, Silas Marner reveals her mature consciousness of faith in humanity. In short, it is meaningful to reexamine this fiction under the guidance of myth and archetypal theory for its special outlook and deep observation of reality. Archetypal criticism is an approach to literary analysis which applies the theories of Carl Jung, Northrop Frye, and other critics to literary analysis. Archetypal critics study images or patterns of repeated human experience. People in Victorian period are influenced deeply by the biblical culture, especially the intellectuals have a complicated feelings to this classic, therefore, their creations could not break away from the biblical culture. Archetypes found within a specific text and common to other works of art. Jung believes that the mind is composed of three parts: The personal conscious, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious…Formed vi 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Introduction through the repeated experiences of humankind, this knowledge can be tapped through images of birth, death, rebirth, the seasons, and so forth, within a text and can cause profound emotions to surface within a reader. (Bressler, 2004: 262) The recurring images in the literature are the archetype consciousness of the author. With the popularity of myth-archetypal theory since 1950s and the advancement of literary criticism, it is feasible to investigate the fiction from the perspective of myth-archetype. In order to reveal the deep meaning of the text, borrowing from myth-archetypal theory, this thesis will have a detailed iexamination of the surface plots in Silas Ma^^ner. Eliot has long been noted for her remarkable wisdom and pursuit of faith in humanity, which is well expressed in Silas Marner. The archetypal plots in this novel should deserve attentions of the critics. Furthermore, the approach of religious theme in this thesis will help pushing forward the researches on the myth-archetypal theories, too. The analysis of the novel from myth-archetypal perspective may shed light on the researches of other fictions from this perspective. And the idea of the combination of mythic coincidences and realistic contemplation may give hints in understanding some modernist novels. And the analysis of Eliot faith in literature and reality may help readers in gaining a better understanding of the novel. To sum up, Eliot works are usually concerned with reality and humanity. As a Victorian novelist, with a restless spirit and struggling heart, Eliot accepts the immutability of the conflicts between good and evil. Although she cannot get rid of the tradition of praise good and punish evil, she understands her time deeply and has the sense of responsibility to society, Eliot delivers her humanistic ideals in the novel, with a philosophic attitude, she makes the religion a new sense, so she is an authentic Victorian writer. vii 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner George Eliot, one of the most indispensable English novelists, is generally considered as a significant realistic writer in Victorian period, whose novels are characterized by attacks on rural life, religions, and social evils. Behind her description of the quiet life in the countryside, she uncovers the gloomy picture of the hypocrisy of the dogmatic religion and the evil sect of human beings. The prominent literature critic F. R. Leavis (1895-1978) says that he is a great novelist, and has achieved her triumphs of creative art?(47). As a remarkable novelist, Eliot novels indeed present the complex religion facts and her humanistic ideal and later generations highly praise its realistic style. The myth-archetypal criticism holds the opinion that there are as many archetypes as there are typical situations in life (Zhu, 2001: 130), and Eliot works are deeply reflected by her religion, he is deeply religious and yet rejects all religious doctrines?(Cooke, 2004: 183). Therefore, as the result of cultural and reality influences, she follows the British literature tradition and creates many typical archetypal images to show her opposition to the old faith. Meanwhile, suffering, redemption, revolt and pursuing are recognized as the keynotes of Victorian novels. As a typical Victorian writer, Eliot is influenced by traditional religious ideology. Besides, she has read a great deal of advanced books, so she has her own style in literary creation. Silas Marner, one of her representative works which concerns her religious ideal is a story about love, growth and humanity. The two religions in the novel prove the influence of the cultural. Therefore, it has a new significance to study Silas Marner from the perspective of myth-archetype. Myth-Archetypal Criticism As an important trend of criticism, myth-archetypal criticism prevails in the west in 1950s and 1960s. It is considered by some critics that myth-archetypal criticism is one of the three most important critical trends together with Marxism and Psychoanalytical criticism in western literary criticism (Wang, 2001: 40). Archetypal criticism is an approach to literary analysis that applies the theories of Carl Jung, Northrop Frye, and other critics to literary analysis. Jung and Frye are closely related to the myth-archetypal criticism, they are considered as the representative critics in the theory of Myth-Archetypal criticism. The modern 8 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner concept of archetype appears in the late nineteenth century, referring to the recurring literary phenomena such as motifs, themes, and narrative designs (Zhu, 2001: 128). To date, though the myth-archetypal criticism is not the latest criticism genre, as one of the most authoritative criticisms, it has a great space for development. 91.1.1 Jungs archetypal theory Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), a Swiss psychiatrist, is almost devoted one half of all his life to studying archetypes and writing books about archetypes. In 1919, Jung first raises the conception of rchetype?in Instinct and the Unconscious, and he says that instinct come from collective unconscious as well as archetype. In 1922, he takes rchetype?for a further use in literary study, and he believes that rchetype?is the source and power of creation, which opens a good way for the study of literature archetype. Referring to Jung theory framework, rchetype?is the indispensable important segment. Besides, the collective unconscious is both the core of his psychological theory and the key to understand the concept of rchetype? Jung says that collective unconscious is mainly profit from inheritance, the main part of collective unconscious is archetype (Qiu, 2006: 114), and there are as many archetypes as there are typical situations in life (Zhu, 2001: 130). It is well known that most of the western writers tend to find inspiration from the B^ible, and the writers in Victorian age are without exception. Reading the representative works of some important Victorian novelists, it is not difficulty to find out that the images or plots are the reflections of archetype. In critical practice, archetypal critics intend to discover all kinds of images, narrative structures and character types and find the basic forms for them. These critics emphasize the mythical archetypes in literary works and the basic method of myth-archetypal criticism is to trace the archetype through art images. In addition, Silas Marner, the most representative work of Eliot, is closely concerned with her ideal of faith in humanity. Studying the theme from the perspective of myth-archetypal is a new way to explore Eliot profound thinking of social belief crisis in her time and her responsibility to the society, especially, her pursuit of faith in humanity, which is spread in the work. 9 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner 9Fryes archetypal criticism 5Northrop Frye, who is born in Canada in 1912, grows up in a Methodist family. In Fryes early years, he is strongly influenced by William Blake, Carl Jung and Freud. He is devoted to practicing of literary criticism theory and pays more attention to the role of the creative imagination in human culture. In the Anatom;y o;f Criticism, he introduces his systematic approach to literature. Frye continues to use the conception of archetype, but there is somewhat different from Jung theory, he mainly focuses on the viewpoint of literature, and using archetype in a critical 5way. Frye turns Jungs theory from psychology to literary criticism. In The Great Code, Frye illustrates archetype: We have spoken of the repeating quality in literature, its allusiveness and its almost obsessive respect for tradition. One of the first things I noticed about literature was the stability of its structural units: the fact that certain themes, situations, and character types, in comedy let us say, have persisted with very little change from Aristophanes to our own times. I have used the term rchetype?to describe these building blocks, as I thought in its traditional sense. (Lin, 2004: 7) He wants to put forward a feasible principle for literary criticism and tries to give literary criticism an independent status and makes it to be an independent, systematic science. Myth is an astonished reflection of ancient people to the mythic natural phenomena, for they can not give an explanation to what they have observed, for instance, the sunrise and sunset, the fall of rain and snow, or even the birth and death of living things. In order to find an answer to these strangely phenomenon, they create a series of tales by the imagination. Gradually, the natural phenomenon becomes mystery. As time passes, these inherit from generation to generation as a collective unconscious. In another way, myth is the foundation of Frye study theoretical system. Zhu Gang in Twentieth Centur;y Western Critical Theo^^es (2001) says ?myth?in its most ordinary meaning refers to stories of gods of other supernatural beings handed down from ancient times?(128). Therefore, literature is connected with culture and writers are influenced by some uncertain factors under the deep conscious when they are devoted to literary creating. 10 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner Moreover, archetypal critics study images or patterns of repeated human experience. Archetypes could be found within a specific text and common to other works of art. The archetype criticism aims at discovering and decoding the password in literary works so as to make an easy understanding (Liu, 2004: 146). Therefore, it feasible and meaningful to investigate the theme of the novel from the perspective of myth-archetype. Through the analysis of the thematic implication, the study discovers the mythological motifs within the novel. The pilgrimage in belief of the hero implies that the novel is an innovative work to subvert the old beliefs. Jung and Frye think that the literary creation is not the artist personal creation but the production of literary tradition (Qiu, 2006: 119), so Jung archetypes and the essentialist connotations give a new perspective to analyze Eliot novels. Theme in Silas Marner As a great literary master, Eliot holds an important position in reference to faith in humanity and philosophic reflections. Her insightful psychological novels pave way to modern character portrayals. On the one hand, the novels of Eliot include many classical Greek and Roman mythologies and religious images or Biblical images (Ma, 2007: 89). On the other hand, her work has deeply reflected by her religion, he is deeply religious and yet rejects all religious doctrines. No writer of her century has given religion a more important relation to human interests or made it a larger element in his creative work, yet no other literary artist has so completely rejected all positive belief in God and immortality?(Cooke, 2004: 183) Eliot has a confused attitude to Christianity. In a sense, she highly praises the teaching function of religion and claims to discard the hypocritical old religion, which is evidently in Silas Marner. Moreover, the element of mystery in the novel touches one of the mainstreams of the thinkers in her time. It is acknowledged that religious and mythological motifs embed in Silas Marner. Eliot sense of reverence, her commitment to the society and ideal of belief in humanity make her to take human love and sympathy as a religion, which is included in all her works. Born in 1819, Eliot witnesses the change of England from pleasant, rurality to grimy urbanity by the swift 11 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner machine age, ithin the realistic and rationalistic social atmosphere, Eliot struggled to maintain a belief in value, feeling and idealism?(Zhang, 2006: 78). Therefore, her works reflect the religion facts in different degrees. As time goes on, Eliot optimism to religion turns into distrust, and the myth-archetypal motifs and plots appear in her works gradually. 1.2.1 Motif of sin and redemption Religion is the dominating theme of Silas Marner, which is relate to archetypal motif. In Victorian England, religion problem has turned into a big social problem. Eliot says, he common people I described could become nobles through a fable narrative form?(Ma, 2007: 87), so she brings this wide concern problem into Silas Marner and narrates the common people belief life. Jung divides the archetype into types of figures and types of situations (Qiu, 2006: 114), so we find the motif of sin in the novel and it also sets the scene of paradise lost, paradise regained, the temptation and redemption. By using of displacement of archetypes, Eliot shows the belief condition of Victorian society and reveals her condemnation of traditional Christianity in that time. Most importantly, she shows her concern on reality and to pursuit of her humanistic ideal. The good and evil opposition is the main clue through the novel and it commonly regards as a story of Marner life journey. The experiences of her own life, her education, her belief, her literary career ll the memory are so indelibly and deeply impressed in Eliot mind that she never forgets to explore a new way to faith. Silas Marner portrays the common people foolish belief in that time. The novel is described by Eliot herself as story of old ashioned village life?? and it conveys some realistic pictures such as the blind faith, the inhumanity between people, the evil action, etc. The early novels of Eliot tend to describe rural life, therefore, the story in Silas Marner, also happens in England countryside. It onsists of two separate stories, those of Silas himself and of Godfrey Cass. These two stories, which are given equal weight in the novel, interlock briefly but crucially?(Hutchinson, 1996: 141). Marner begins his life in the religious community, Lantern Yard, which is influenced by Industrial Revolution. Then, with some mishap, he arrives at a new place, Ravelove, in which begins his lifeless time. Both the two villages have the strong religious sense, but the faith which people believe in is totally different. 12 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner Marner, the typical victim in the novel is under the public great sympathy for his ups and downs life. Marner, efore he came to Raveloe, had been filled with the movement, the mental activity, and the close fellowship, he was believed to be a young man of exemplary life and ardent faith?(14). However, he is framed by William, with whom they have gone in and out together for nine years. When the minister announces Marner has stolen the money, the loyal man says od will clear me?(18) for three times. He has never thought that the intimate friend would betray him and becomes so cold-blooded. His best friend becomes a slander, and he becomes a thief. Then, for the guilty, the woman that he is going to marry casts him off and marries William later. With the shattered life and heart broken he leaves Lantern Yard. Owing to these reasons, the devout young Marner becomes a man without vigorous. Marner, the title character, from a perfect Christian who trusts God turns to doubt about the justice of God. By using of Marner unsophisticated, William does evil thing to him. This experience in Lantern Yard gives expression of good and evil conflicts. This is a common phenomenon in a village which has a complex ideology. The original sin is the classical memory for western people. According to the depravity in Garden of Eden, people are born to atone for their sin. Even the faithful Christian should endure the punishment. From the two stories and the description of the characters in Silas Marner, we learn that Eliot inspiration of literary creation is influenced by the biblical culture. The story of Marner connects to gold which has something ambience of Midas, the man who demands to Dionysus, rant that whatever I touch shall be turned into gold?(Frye &Macpherson, 2004: 312). Midas wishes everything that he touches turning into gold while Marner is actually storing gold in his daily life. Marner works day and night to earn gold which is a performance of sin, because he has lost humanity and responsibility to the society at that time. In Silas Marner, there is another hero?Godfrey who is supposed to be the first hypocrite. He is the oldest son of the local squire; he marries a poor girl secretly on impulse, and then gives birth to a daughter. In order to get the right of inheritance, Godfrey does not frank to his father about this marriage. However, his younger brother Dunstan wants to reveal his despicable behavior so 5as to gets more money from him. Obviously, this brings up the two brothers conflicts in fame, position and money. 13 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner Eliot tends to use a series of turnings to portray Godfrey life. The situation begins to change when Molly Farren odfrey first wife who comes to Raveloe in a falling snow night. For the drug seizures Molly falls down in the snowfield and then dies leaving the child. This child climbs to Marner home, then, holding the child Marner goes to for some help. It is a great shock for Godfrey to meet his daughter. After an inside struggling, and assure that Molly is dead, Godfrey decides not to take in the daughter, because he wants to propose to Nancy Lammeter. Marner adopts the girl finally. And Godfrey has no other child in his latter life. Though he marries Nancy and gets the property what he has wanted. This is the sin of Godfrey, he has a conflict in his inner world, and truly, that is the opposition of good and evil in his heartland. The sin of Godfrey is caused by temptation; he has something alike Adam, the famous creature of the Bible, who is the father of sin and redemption. In a word, this is the nemesis for the sin. At the end of the novel, Godfrey realizes that everything will restore to its original self. Though he wants to claim his own daughter Eppie and gives her a rich life, Eppie refused. As Eliot describes that: The nemesis is a very mild one…It came to me first of all, quite suddenly, as a sort of legendary tale, suggested by my recollection of having once, in early childhood, seen a linen eaver with a bag on his back; but, as my mind dwelt on the subject, I have became inclined to a more realistic treatment. (Haight L III, 1954: 382) For this reason, Godfrey lives a life with self-reproach. As a matter of fact, the nemesis to Godfrey is seriously for his irresponsibility and evil action. Pilgrimage in belief With a deep religious sentiment, Eliot intends to create a character with religious feature. Marner, the typical character who represents her religion aspiration in the novel experiences three unusual changes through his lifetime. As a result of those experiences, Marner gets a skeptical mind to his faith. As a realistic character with some mystery experience, Marner becomes the dazzling part of the novel. As a typical Christian, Marner nce filled with the movement, the mental activity, and the 14 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner close fellowship?(14), however, he is framed by William sooner. From a young man of exemplary life and ardent faith, Marner turns into a thief. At the same time, the trustful God does not speak in defense of Marner. What makes the matter worse, his fiancee breaks their engagement which puts his last hope into disillusion. Despair of all the things, he leaves Lantern Yard. As a good young man, Marner suffers from abandon of his community. This is the first change in his life, to Marner, which is a huge impact to the faith. He begins to suspect the religion that he always trusts before. As an outcast, Marner lives a life of walking corpse. When Marner arrives at Raveloe, he is weaving day and night and accustomed to storing gold. he gold had asked that he should sit weaving longer and longer, deafened and blinded more and more to all things except the monotony of his loom and the repetition of his web?(154). He is familiar with the gold he has possessed, meanwhile, he does not know how empty of his spirit. Lived with money, Marner never wants to take part in any church activities, even refuses the neighbor care. Living lifelessly for fifteen years, another unfortunate thing happens to Marner. One night, his gold is stolen by Dunstan Cass who is Godfrey greedy brother with a penchant for alcohol and manipulation. This sad thing makes Marner painfully in the following days. During that time, he loses his faith completely. And Dunstan Cass crime and Marner numbness life prove the evil parts of humankind; in another way, the story shows us the opposition between good and evil. The most subversive change in Marner life is the appearance of Eppie who changes his attitude towards life. When she first comes to Marner home, Marner takes her as his lost gold because of her golden hair; he decides to keep the child and names her Eppie. And the girl guides his life from dark to dawn, as the author describes that, ppie called him away from his weaving and made his think all its pauses a holiday, reawakening his senses with her fresh life?(154). Marner changes his life in a way which is comfortable; he no longer focuses his eyes on work but to take care of the child. He begins to communicate with the neighbors and attend the church. He hopes this girl grow up as a cultivated person, e overcomes with convulsive joy at finding his treasure again?(157). In his eyes, even the winter flies warming him into joy because she is joyful. Marner is an ordinary tender person without evil mind; however, he is discarded by his colleagues and gets a life in a terrible mess. He is eager for shield by the God in his inner world, 15 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 1 Archetypal Theme in Silas Marner but he is neither diplomatic nor crafty, so his vitality life becomes gloomy. Just as the words written in this book en are led away from threatening destruction; a hand is put into theirs, which leads them forth gently towards a calm and bright land, so that they look no more backward; and the hand may be a little child (?160). By the continue mystery changes with the life, Marner, from a faithful man lives in his paradise to a person who loses his original life, and finally regains in vigorous. As Eliot writes to Blackwood: I should not have believed that anyone would have been interested in it but myself (Since Wordsworth is dead) if Mr. Lewes had not been strongly arrested by it. But I hope you will not find it at all a sad story, as a whole, since it sets r is intended to set n a strong light the remedial influences of pure, natural human relations. (Haight LIII, 1956: 382) She creates for expressing the relationship between man and man. Marner thereby becomes an agent of his own eventual salvation. The lost faith is gradually picked up through the process of raising daughter. To sum up, Marner experiences prove that the essence of religion not lies in the mystery God, it depends on the true feeling between man and man (Ma, 2007: 16). Eliot has long been regarded as a great author whose novels expose the dogmatic religion facts and common people crisis in the process of industrialization. Eliot moral greatness comes from er infinite capacity for mental suffering and her need of human support, and so disciplined and elevated?that the novels are holly without morbidity in any disguise?(Showalter, 1977: 111). Though he experiences the twists and turns of faith, Marner achieves his change from evil to good through the love between man and man. In short, Eliot reveals the objective truth in her work and also conveys her ideal of faith in humanity. 16 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot The myth and archetypal critics intend to discover all kinds of images and character types, especially in literary works. It is a basic method to trace the archetype through art images or the iitype of situations. The appearances of Marner and Godfrey in Silas Ma^ner are the good interpretation to Eliot creative inspiration, and the coincidence plots are the proper explanation for the theme. Consequently, as a realist, Eliot cannot abandon her cultural knowledge and social influence; therefore, she processes the novel in a realistic way. Theme is the purpose which the novel presents the plot, so Eliot pays more attention to deal with the motif of the novel. Silas Marner, is to be the last work in which Eliot is to draw an idealized portrait of her earliest circle. It is full of admirable sketches from the squire to the poor weaver (Hutchinson Vol. II, 1996: 23-24). And from the archetypal plot, the reader could understand the contradiction between realistic and the author ideal of religion, and fully understand the significance of good and evil conflicts. Surface Plot of Mythic Coincidences Most of the critics think that Silas Marner is a fairy story, and even Eliot herself says, t is a moral fable of the nemesis of character and the regenerative influence of a child?(Haight LIII, 1956: 382). For this reason, we can easily find that the story has somewhat mythic elements. She is writing no longer either to please others or her, but to teach, to warn, to exhort, to exemplify (Hutchinson Vol. II, 1996: 141), so her novels have somewhat praise of good and critique of evil. In Silas Marner, Eliot demonstrates a story which has a deep significance under the simple surface. In the novel, Eliot shows common people life and reveals a social reality. Marner and Godfrey have absolutely different family backgrounds and grow up in distinct situations to form their disparate manners and habits. Eliot describes these two characters in different ways. For Marner, she employs Lantern Yard as his birthplace while she invites Raveloe to depict Godfrey life. However, Eliot describes a series of unexpected circumstances to the two different characters, and both the innocent Marner and the sophisticated Godfrey all have the archetypal features. 17 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot 2.1.1 Blindness in Lantern Yard Marner is described as an alien who appears in a mystery atmosphere at the beginning of the 5novel. Most of Eliots novels, she turns her attention to the provincial life of her time; she is herself, historically, one of the most important figures in the social life of the mid-Victorian Era, and her books are, historically, also invaluable guides to the Victorian attitude of mind (Hutchinson Vol. II, 1996: 144), this feature adapts in creating many fresh and lively characters. Among them, Marner is by no means a hero, but he has an extraordinary life, so he appears as the title character. Mystery returns to he human level where it originated?(Wiesenfarth, 1970: 242). The major events in the novel demonstrate a lot of coincidences, with which Eliot paves a preparation to the theme. Readers often take Marner as a fairy-tale character for his legendary life; moreover, the mystery color in the story makes people think twice about the reality. The coincidence which includes in the course of the event is the most thrilling thing. verything is softened from the fact, as far as art is permitted to soften and yet to remain essentially true?(Haight LII, 1954: 54). The uncanny plots intend to reproduce a vivid scene of that society. At the beginning of the story, Marner receives his first dramatic change which denounces him as a thief. Lantern Yard, a countryside which has a strong religious sense, the inhabitants in there are pride and jealousy in spiritual, which could be seen from William Dane who has nine years friendship with Marner. Eliot tries to disclose the persistent belief of Lantern Yard which has an unpredictable destructive force. She does something highly unconventional, but she would do it in the most decorous way possible; and she would regard her voluntary bonds with as much respect as any bonds knotted in a church (Sackville-west, 1996: 131), and she sets many coincidences in the novel to spread her story. It is not difficult to find some coincidences happens in Lantern Yard. The deacon is dead but Marner does not conscious of that at the beginning; meanwhile, William does not come to change shifts that night. When others make search of the church money, Marner knife is found in the place where the little bag of church money have lain, and the empty bag which is tucked behind 5the chest of drawers in Marners chamber is found by William Dane. At that moment, instead of providing an explanation for his friend, William says, ow do I know what you may have done 18 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot in the secret chambers of your heart, to give Satan an advantage over you??(18) When Marner does not admit to stealing the money, they are bound to take other measures for finding out the truth. According to ny resort to legal measures for ascertaining the culprit was contrary to the principle of church?，and they resolves on raying and drawing lots?(19). Relying on God formal intervention, the lots declare Marner is the guilt. Marner belief is destroyed and he shouts that here is no just God that governs the earth righteously, but a God of lies, that bears witness against the innocent?(20), and his trust in man have been cruelly bruised (19). Based on this, he leaves home hopelessly. In fact, there is a huge conspiracy behind these coincidences. In order to drives away Marner and gets his fiancee, William maps out a plot to cast the load on Marner. In summary, Eliot describes a backward world which is full of darkness, people who live in there are ignorant and lack of enlightenment. They uphold to punish wickedness and encourage virtue, but they have no ability to distinguish clearly what is right and wrong, or recognize the brutal reality. Eliot thinks that realism in art, therefore, depends on the workings of a selective and associative imagination, not an indiscriminate, copying from reality (Hutchinson Vol. IV, 1996: 301); therefore, she creates a world with a series of coincidences. In a word, the blindness in Lantern Yard is Eliot exploration of the reality, so the detailed description of the process of drawing lots clearly states her critic of this ignorance behavior. By using of this foolish behavior, Eliot employs a new way to her humanistic ideal. Retribution in Raveloe As a realistic novelist, Eliot advocates the good parts in life, at the same time, despises the evil parts in life. Therefore, she is good at creating some situations to punish evil things and seeking retribution for the bad people in the novel. Contrast with Marner, Godfrey dwells at a comfortable material life; he is the local squire son lives in a big room and has a good opportunity to inherit property. However, as a young man, he is flighty to some extent. There is a story about original sin in the bible stories, the story of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve, according to the Genesis, are the first man and woman. God plants the Garden of Eden. God puts Edam to look after the Garden of Eden and allows Adam and Eve to eat from any 19 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot tree in the garden, except one, the tree of life. The serpent persuades Eve to disobey and eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Eve eat and treats Adam to it. Then God punishes them, and Adam and Eve is driven from the Paradise... (Wen, 2007: 8-10) iEliot creates a similar plot to Adam and Eve in Silas Ma^^ner; with the displacement of this archetypal plot, Eliot tells the story about Godfrey who is the son of the local Squire Cass. Godfrey has a secret marriage with Molly Farren who is of low birth and addicted to opium. The fall of Godfrey and Molly is similar to Adam and Eve for they cannot stand temptation, and they have a child at last. However, Godfrey is a person without responsibility. In order to get his inheritance, he conceals the marriage and refuses to claim his own daughter. Though he is threatened by his brother Dunstan, from the heart, he never wants to admit the marriage. Let alone, he wants to propose to Nancy Lammeter. On one Christmas Eve, Molly tries to make her way into Raveloe with the child to prove that she is Godfrey wife, but for her addiction to drugs, she is freeze to death in the snow. The little girl creeps to Marner home, and Marner regards the girl as his lost and found gold. When verify that Molly is dead, Godfrey chooses to keep silence and gives up his daughter. Since then, Godfrey marries Nancy and he is longing for a better life. Moreover, the more incredible thing happens to Godfrey that he has no child in his later marriage life. Actually, even the evil character also has the good sect which needs people sympathy in Eliot work (Du, 2006: 256). In the novel, Godfrey says, t part of my punishment, Nancy, for my daughter to dislike me. I should never have got into that trouble if I been true to you f I hadn been a fool. I no right to expect anything but evil could come of that marriage ?and when I shirked doing a father part too?(211). It is obviously that Godfrey is punished for abandon his wife and daughter, and essentially for human evil. There is another mythic plot in Raveloe that also could be a very good proof of retribution for evil. Dunstan Cass who is Godfrey greedy brother, with a penchant for alcohol and manipulation, raffish and loafing around all day. When he does not have money to pay the debt, he tries to blackmail his elder brother Godfrey firstly, and uses the secret marriage to threaten him. 5And at the same time, he attempts to steal Marners gold. He successfully robs Marner money in a foggy night; however, he never imagines that he does not have the opportunity to spend 5Marners money, because he is drowned in the stone pit at that night. Dunstan is a representative 20 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot of the villain figures who does a great many evil doings that like the embodiment of evil and obtains his deserved come-uppance at last. In short, Eliot gives a detailed depiction of these bit parts to review the evil hidden in human heart. The coincidence of Dunstan death makes Godfrey a bright future for he can hide his secret marriage and carry on the family wealth logically. But the lost gold shocks him deeply which puts Marner into an extremely spirit pain. Eliot gives punishment to the people who commit a crime; it seems to be some coincidences in surface, actually, it is her analysis of human evil. 9Marners life of twists and turns According to Carl Jung theory, there exist some experiences which inherits from the primeval and the ancestors 一the collective unconscious, which usually lies deep in every normal person mind, and by way of symbols, realizes its outer dorm as external and palpable substance, which is named rchetype?(Jung, 1959: 4-5). There is a story in B^ible, which is similar to Marner experiences. In the land of UZ there lives a man whose name is Job. This man is blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. The Lord also enjoys his loyalty. But Satan suggests the Lord to test Job. Firstly Job lost everything in a short time, but he complains nothing…When Job is tortured by the illness beyond recognition, Job opens his mouth and curses the day of his birth. His friends persuade him give up his faith, but Job insists that he admit the Lord power and believe God distinguish the good from the evil. At last, God gives him some of more previously things than before. (Chen, 2004: 151-155) From the story we find that Job experiences a course in belief. From a faithful man to the Lord becomes a person questions the Lord, and Job has a firm confidence to his faith finally. In 5Silas Ma^^ne^r, as the plot goes on, the character Marners pilgrimage in belief can be regard as the displacement of this archetypal plot. 5Similar to Job, there are dramatic changes in Marners life. Especially, the first and second experiences of Marner are very sad encounters. When he lives in Lantern Yard, he is framed up 21 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot by his best friend and force to leave his home then settles in Raveloe where he lives an isolate life for fifteen years. When lives in this England countryside village, Marner is weaving day and night, and almost isolates from the original life and n his truthful simple soul, not even the growing greed and worship of gold could beget any vice directly injurious to others?(54). He becomes a man without faith, without communication and without happiness. And storing gold is his only favorite thing. More unfortunately, his gold lost mysteriously which puts him into the brink of spirit collapse. Actually, in the former two experiences, he respectively lost home and gold which are necessary for a common person. It is a helpless scene of Marner rough life, but the conception 5of Silas Marner helps us to understand the nature of Eliots realistic art, for its genesis is described as anything but that of a realistic novel relying for its effect on an exact copying of a certain milieu (Zhang, 2006: 47). It is for the unusual experience and in the repressed environment, Marner shapes as a walking corpse. During the days in Raveloe, Marner helps others to cure the sickness. As a matter of fact, despite of his behavior, he is a very kind person in deed. As Eliot says that y own experience and development deepen every day my conviction that our moral progress may be measured by the degree in which we sympathize with individual suffering and individual joy?(Cross, 1884: 240-241). Therefore, though Marner stays in an extremely painful state, he never means with compassion and love to others, which is similar to Job behavior after the disasters. The third experience, for Marner, has a special significance. Eppie coming proves that f human nature is the highest nature to man, then practically also the highest and first law must be the love of man to man?(Feuerbach, 1957: 271). She awakes Marner love heart and helps him to abandon the past lifeless life. Eliot images of individual human life perform imaginative actions: they image, generalize, relate, harmonize, unify, sympathize, invent, and make. This is to generalize actions which the novelist particularizes: since George Eliot is a psychologically realistic novelist, she creates a large range of human variations and mobile particularization of the motions of the mind. (Hutchinson Vol. IV, 1996: 318) 22 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot By means of this famous story, Eliot strengthens the theme of her novel. To sum up, those coincidences are the guiding for the author to explore the good and evil sense in human heart. The action and mind of the main characters are converting between good and evil. No one is absolutely correct as well as no one is absolutely wrong, people just do specific things under a certain environment. The author creates those coincidences to discuss the essence profound connotation of life from the phenomenon of reality. The realistic style with the twists and turns plots are truthfully emersion of the social situation at that time. rt must be either real and concrete, or ideal and eclectic. Both are good and true in their own way, but my stories are of the former kind. I undertake to exhibit nothing as it should be; I only try to exhibit some things as they have been and are?(Haight, 1954: 427). Eliot observes carefully of the social contradictions and sensitivity to perform it in her novel. Deep Significance of Morality The major works of Eliot usually describe rural social phenomena, foolish and terrible events, which aim at discussing moral issues and presenting readers the opposition between good and evil. Both in her life and thought, Eliot is a woman with the highest integrity. As a writer, she fulfills the idea she expressing when she writes with Carlyle in mind e awakes men from their influence to the right and wrong, he nerves their energy to seek the truth and love up to it what iever cost?(Pinion, 1981: 46). So in Silas Ma^^ner, she interlaces the good and evil, and trying to find somewhat balance of this eternal discussing theme. 2.2.1 Sin and punishment Eliot is often called realistic writer, to a large extent, it depends on the style of her works. rt always aims at the representative of reality, and no departure from truth is permissible?(Ioan, 1975: 136), and Eliot personal life eems to have strengthened her belief in the good of the world?(Zhang, 2006: 78). She is a writer who can distinguish good and evil, as she says, y own experience and development deepen every day my conviction that our moral progress may be measured by the degree in which we sympathize with individual suffering and individual joy?(Cross, 1884: 240-241), therefore, she creates for morality and real. 5Lantern Yard, a symbol place of evil which has a foolish method to judge humans crime. 23 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot When the drawing lots judge Marner as the theft, the desperate man says, ou stole the money, and you have woven a plot to lay the sin at my door. But you may prosper, for all that: there is no just God that governs the earth righteously, but a God of lies, that bears witness against the innocent?(20). This is a huge attack to his trust on God, as the novel representation, here is a general shudder at this blasphemy?(20). Such a direct critique to God is seldom to be seen in Victorian novel. By using of the mouth of Marner, Eliot expresses her critic of old religion, and she connects William moral hypocrisy and religious hypocrisy together to expose the essence of religious hypocrisy thoroughly (Cui, 2000: 101), she thinks that hypocrisy is the real evil, and sin must be punished at the end. Marner leaves Lantern Yard ith that despair in his soul hat shaken trust in God and man, which is little short of madness to a loving nature?(20). He lives a lonely life, without communicating with others and never goes to the church. Only the gold is his best partner. He lives in this psychological unbalance state for as long as fifteen years. As archetypes usually include myths (tales, rituals, totems, etc.) and gold often exists in literature as an archetype of both destruction and rebirth, Marner keen on the state of gold deposit can find somewhat similarity to the famous story of M-idas' To^uch which is a myth story in Greece. One day, Wine-god Dionysus, who fat drunken old tutor Silenus fell asleep in the garden of King Midas of Phrygia, Midas recognized Silenus and made much of him. In gratitude to Midas, Dionysus promised him whatever gift he should ask a reward, and Midas hastily demanded, rant that whatever I touch shall be turned into gold?…When the food and wine became solid metal the moment they touched Midas mouth, he began to complain bitterly and to implore Dionysus to take back the cruel gift…(Frye & Macpherson, 2004: 312) Midas?greedy is equal to Marner gold storing behavior, from which we realize that people should not live in his own world and money could never be the only wealth to human. hroughout her career, George Eliot desire to be faithful to the conditions of actual existence clashed with her efforts to transcend or dignify the meanness of those conditions?(Knoepflmacher, 1968: 34-35), this plot shows that a kind person who lost humanity also should be punished. 24 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot There is another protagonist, Godfrey who is struggling on the brink of agony through his life. odfrey was an essentially domestic nature, grows up in a family where the hearth have no smiles, and the daily habits are not chastised by the presence of household order. His easy disposition made him fall in unresisting with the family courses…” (41). The living environment made him a person without certain belief and fall easily. What worse, he does not pay responsibility to his fault. He gets the punishment that he has no child after he marries Nancy. Finally, Godfrey, the irresponsible person, is aware of his guilt and undertakes a thorough self-examination in his old age. In brief, the situation and atmosphere of the characters are different, but the author standpoint is the same one. Great art dwells on all that is beautiful; but false art omits or changes all that is ugly. Great art accepts nature as she is, but directs the eyes and thoughts to what is most perfect in her (Hutchinson Vol. IV, 1996: 300). Eliot hopes everything will be better. he was, it must be remembered, the irst great godless writer of English fiction,?and in those far off days the problem of finding a substitute for religion was intense and acute?(Hutchinson Vol. II, 1996: 142). Through the displacement of the biblical and Greek mythology, Eliot not only tells her story, but also gives a deep moral valuable to the common activities (Ma, 2007: 90). We comprehend the author idea that the humankind can only gain salvation from the pure love between human beings. Faith and redemption Look forward to good sect is the eternal theme of human beings, and Eliot is no exception. Eliot is so desperate at the difficult days that she turns er mind to the past, to the country village, to the quiet and beauty and simplicity of childish memories and away from herself and the present?(Woolf, 1979: 154). he always recognized the necessity for some kind of faith; she breaks with established Christianity…Her rejection of what she considered the restrictiveness of mere forms had a profound influence on her personal life (Hutchinson Vol. IV, 1996: 201), and her thought has a deep influence to her literary creation; Marner is just the hero who represents her viewpoint of pursue a new faith. 5The most significant plot in the novel is Eppies appearance. She is like the angle who leads 25 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot the suffering people to felicity. Eliot says, t is a moral fable of the nemesis of character and the regenerative influence of a child?(Haight LIII, 1956: 382). Just as the words write in this book en are led away from threatening destruction; a hand is put into theirs, which leads them forth gently towards a calm and bright land, so that they look no more backward; and the hand may be a little child ?(160), a child of pure thought is able to save the suffering weaver. William Wordsworth states in his reface to Lyrical Ballads?that only by keeping the sweet memories in our childhood can we achieve spiritual health, and recalling the post is a good medicine for purifying one soul (Henry, 2002: 89), so Eliot tells the pure sentiment of human being. After adopting Eppie, Marner has a new feeling for life, as he says, ou e i?the right, Mrs Winthrop ou e i?the right. There is good in this world e a feeling o?that now; and it makes a man feel as there a good more or he can see, i?spite o?the trouble and the wickedness. That drawing o?the lots is dark; but the child was sent to me: there dealings with us here dealings? (175) From these words, it is not difficult to realize that Marner finds a new direction to life; he finds the love to God, to human and to himself. It is easily to think that Marner and Godfrey story exists side by side in the novel for the intersecting are not so clearly, however, it is opinionated to have such a superficial impression. From Eppie, Marner regains happiness while Godfrey gets punishment. Profiting from the good application of conflicts, with several plots, and two main heroes, Eliot expresses her opinion of humanism perfectly. We find the religion of humanity in Silas Mar~ner, the ne comprehensive church whose fellowship consists in the desire to purify and ennoble human life, and where the best member of all narrower churches may call themselves brother and sister in spite of difference?(Cross, 1884: 624). Marner has a selfless paternal love for Eppie, and regains his status in the communality and friendship with other members of the society. In summary, good morality have a profound impact to the relationship between man and man. This novel explores the issues of redemptive love, the role of religion and morality of 5 human beings. While religious devotion plays a strong part in this text, the other scholars 5thoughts about relationship between life and character are different from that of Eliots. In Silas 26 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 2 Thematic Revelation Through Archetypal Plot Marner, she explores the tragedy and comedy parts of life in the backward rural communities. In her early works, Eliot turns her mind to the past, to her native country village, to the quiet, beauty and simplicity of childish memories (Zhang, 2006: 47). Good and evil opposition is universally belongs to human beings. The ups and downs of good and evil in human nature and the sin in the 5external world are well expressed in the novel. Marners regression from miser and Godfrey confession for his sin are the representative of human morality conversion between good and evil. Eliot shows us two different stories to reach the theme that people should be saved by the nature pure love between man and man. Eliot pays attention to morality of people who are under the turning moment in life, and she tells about the conversion of human between good and evil, and the good will win the last victory. 27 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 3 Eliots Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner Chapter 3 Eliofs Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner As one of representative writers in Victorian period, Eliot pursuit of faith in humanity has been deeply influenced by the society. At Victorian age, people are influenced by skepticism, pessimism and hedonism, how to find new ways to solve the problems of social evil and faith crisis are the main questions explored in Eliot mind (Du, 2006: 65). The understanding of the reality and their own literary accomplishment which make the writers become the leaders in ideological, they penetrate the society entering into a new phase and seek a change in mind, actually they devote to searching a faith of their own. With Feuerbach eligion of humanity?，Eliot writes in 1854, everywhere agree?(Ashton, 1983: 11). The novel is a typical work, in which Eliot bravely expresses her questioning mind to the old faith which is a rare innovation in Victorian novels. As the sociologist, James Livingston (1993) explains, ituals are found in every human community and are a primary means of social communication and cohesion?(105). Therefore, Eliot is the representative person who is searching for a new belief both in literature creation and life. Faith in Literature As is well known, the Victorian novel is specifically featured by the realistic portrayal of the British society, especially the depiction of people religious belief condition. Eliot is credited in her lifetime with coining the world eliorism?to define the belief that the world can be improved by human effort (Gilmour, 1986: 127). In Silas Marner, Eliot describes two beliefs in two unlike places, Lantern Yard and Raveloe. Lantern Yard, a complex rural community, which is affected by the industrial revolution, while Raveloe, a traditional England village, which keeps the simplicity of local custom. Eliot chooses the two places to show different religions under different environments. 3.1.1 False religion in Lantern Yard Eliot is deeply influenced by religion and philosophic thinking in life which are always reflected in her novels. In her novel, he portraits, indeed, are so vivid as to convince us of their 28 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 3 Eliots Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner fidelity; but she has selects the less ugly, and takes the point of view from which we see mainly what is wholesome and kindly in the little village community?(Hutchinson Vol. II, 1996: 24-25). Though there are a great many repulsive and brutal elements in the rustic world, Eliot just touches some slight parts of the society. Lantern Yard, a place which is influenced by the British industrial revolution, people live in there have a kind of complex thought, they usually follow the formalized Christianity and do something foolish and unfair, they trust God in a blind way. They judge things by perceptual instead of intelligence, and they have no sympathy to the weak. Each of Eliot novels is the product of a kind of spiritual agony. Some consequences, good or bad, of Eliot method will become conspicuous (Hutchinson Vol. II, 1996: 25). In Silas Marner, Dane behavior and the Christian doctrine force are the beneficial evidence to disclose the hypocritical quality of the formalized religion in that time. No one has read that remarkable story of Silas Marner without being interested in the pitiful Marner. He is a victim of the dogmatic religion and establishs a foolish faith. In Lantern Yard, Marner remains nearly stationary and his daily habits present scarcely any visible change, but he as highly thought of in that little hidden world, known to itself as the church assembling in Lantern Yard; he was believed to be a young man of exemplary life and ardent faith; and peculiar interest had been centered in him ever since he had fallen, at a prayer-meeting, into a mysterious rigidity and suspension of consciousness, which, lasting for an hour or more, had been mistaken for death? (14) And Marner symptom is cunningly used by William who attempts to gain his fiancee Sarah. As a matter of fact, Marner has aware of this intention, after William occasional presence in their Sunday interviews, he finds arah manner towards him began to exhibit a strange fluctuation between an effort at an increased manifestation of regard and involuntary signs of shrinking and dislike?(17). However, he never puts those situations together; oppositely, it his great delight that Sarah is not object to William appearance. As a scheming person, William designs a theft case of the church money and imputes it to Marner. When Marner is denial of the crime, they resolve on praying and drawing lots which is a stupid way to find the fact in Lantern Yard. There is nobody who wants to use the intelligence to 29 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 3 Eliots Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner solve problem, even the sane and honest man, Marner nelt with his brethren, relaying on his own innocence being certified by immediate divine interference?(19). There is a sorrow result that he is the guilt and his trust in man is cruelly bruised. Marner, a person who is always loyalty to God shouts that here is no just God that governs the earth righteously, but a God of lies, that bears witness against the innocent?(20). Though he dopes out that William lays the sin at his door, he has no evidence to prove himself, and he blames this unfair to his faith instead of thinking twice about the cause of the event. Poor Marner leaves Lantern Yard ith that despair in his soul 一that shaken trust in God and man, which is little short of madness to a loving nature?(20). His heart full of anguish of the disappointed faith, and the cruel reality makes him have no place to live in. As Marner recalls the situation at that time y own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, 5had lifted up his heel again me, and worked to ruin me?(173), this is the most painful memory to him. In brief, ost of George Eliot work is that of a thorough realist, with scarcely more than 5the least possible admixture of idealism. rt is the nearest thing to life, she says, and she rigidly excludes from her books anything that will make them unlike life?(Hutchinson Vol. II, 1996: 65), the truly description of life is the most famous feature of Eliot work, the dogmatic religion bring about anguish to human beings. So the mystery and ambiguity belief in Lantern Yard shocks the reader who should rethink it seriously. True faith in Raveloe Contrast with Lantern Yard, he inhabitants of Raveloe were not severely regular in their church-going, and perhaps there was hardly a person in the parish who would not have held that to go to church every Sunday in the calendar would have shown a greedy desire to stand well with Heaven,…(98). There is a simplicity faith that people trust God, but they are not contaminated and never follow the formalized Christianity blindly, they have the primitive feeling on God. People in Raveloe have enthusiasm and sympathy to the weak and judge things by 5intelligence. The stolen of Marners gold is the most shocking event in Raveloe. When Marner goes to for help for his lost money, they show solicitudes for his misfortune. Especially Dolly Winthrop who has great sympathy and consolation to Marner. She is the incarnation of a faith 30 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 3 Eliots Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner which is simple and rational. Afterwards, she persuades Marner to adopt Eppie, and helps him to bring up the child, which is Dolly most significant action. As a new comer, Marner lives a mechanical life, he gold had kept his thought in as ever-repeated circle, leading to nothing beyond itself; but Eppie was as object compacted of changes and hopes that forced his thoughts onward, and varied them far away from their older eager pacing towards the same blank limit arried them away to the new things that would come with the coming years(153). However, with the help of neighbors, Marner regains vitality at the end. This direction of Marner story can be conveniently explained by Feuerbach view, he incarnation is the love of God to Man and this is the love of Man to himself?(Feuerbach, 1957: 289), inhabitants in Raveloe show care for others, so they represent the love between man and man. Eppie coming is the turning point of Marner life; she is like an angle to lead Marner back to the human nature. ilas Marner has inn it, in its solid way, something of the fairy tale. That olid?presents itself because of the way in which the moral fable id realized in terms of a substantial real world?(Leavis, 1948: 62-63). After suffering, Marner is closely connected with the Raveloe while Eppie is the best reward for his good deed, as Eppie says, e taken care of me and loved me from the first, and I l cleave to him as long as he lives, and nobody shall ever come between him and me?(206). As a matter of fact, this mythical redemption is the pure human love between man and man, ith reawakening sensibilities, memory,?Marner once again enters into the church. To sum up, through the two different scenes, the author sets two completely different beliefs which give us a deep inspiration of Silas Marner liot greatness as a realistic novelist arose not from the rightness or otherwise of her political commitment, but from her grasp of, and accuracy in portraying the operative factual determinants of human life?(Hutchinson Vol. IV, 1996: 291). Marner gets a new faith which is simplistic and purity and opposite with his earlier one. Leslie Stephen says n truth the whole story is really conceived in a way which makes a pleasant conclusion natural and harmonious?(Leavis, 1948: 62-63), besides, in Eliot literary career, she is a simply great artist great novelist, with a great novelist psychological insight 31 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 3 Eliots Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner and fineness of human valuation (Leavis, 1948: 74). Eliot gives us a good ending in this novel and her pursuit of faith in humanity always tends to the good element of life. The good and evil opposition belongs to human in common. Eliot makes use of her work to reveal the ups and downs of good and evil opposition in human nature so as to explore the evil sect of the outer world. The main character Marner return of humanity from gold storing and Godfrey confess for his evil, are the good morality of human nature. Faith in Reality Following the realism literature, the novelists in Victorian period pay close attention to the ordinary people life, especially to the religious life. Eliot, with a rich belief experiences in her whole life, has her own transcend opinion to the religion problem. Eliot herself once sincerely believed in religion in her earlier days, with the growth of experiences and the insight to the society, she begins to suspect the formalist Christian which is embodied by her works. Generally speaking, Silas Marner has a special importance in Eliot career, particularly for her lifetime pursuit of faith in humanity. Eliot choice of the place, the time for her story and the character moral experience which are similar to her owns. The Victorian period is celebrated by its advocating morality and modesty. Silas Marner, to some extend, is the reflection of her own religion experience. 3.2.1 Religious sentiment in Victorian Era Born in Victorian Age, Eliot witnesses all the significant changes of that time, especially the Industrial Revolution which marks an all-important turning point in British society, the effects spread to every aspect of people daily life, among which the change in the ideology is inestimable. In this period of time, the Victorian novelists mostly focus on the economy, culture, and living condition of the people, a large number of vivid pictures of society are presented spontaneously, which are the reflection of the Victorian writers?realistic contemplation. As a Victorian, Eliot is strongly influenced by the religion sense from B-ible which is the requisite reading for each family. very community met to worship the highest good (which is understood to be expressed by god) carries me along in its main current?(qtd. in Zhang, 2006: 68). However, accompany with the development of the industrial revolution and the material life 32 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 3 Eliots Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner prosperous, people spiritual life become deficient and the moral decline is more obviously. Therefore, Eliot novels represent the essence of her thought. The Victorian novels largely focus on the characterization of people religion tendency. Eliot creation could be called a collection of intelligence, philosophic reflection and belief. hroughout her career, George Eliot desire to be faithful to the conditions of actual existence clashed with her efforts to transcend or dignify the meanness of those conditions?(Knoepflmacher, 1968: 34-35). Therefore, she creates something transcend the time but also has the distinctive character of her time. nd Eliot attitude toward humanism, we note that the background is the fight made by the rationalists of the mid-nineteenth century upon the humanistic training offered by the English universities?(Hutchinson Vol. II, 1996: 126), Eliot pursuit of new faith is affected by her own belief experiences and philosophic thinking of life. Eliot pursuit of faith in humanity is influenced by the Victorian social atmosphere, which is hard to part with her religious feeling. She is a learned woman familiar with the bible story and has her own thinking on many matters. That Eliot allies herself with the rationalists in her outspoken, opposition to humanism, calling it to account for the futility of lives devoted to humanistic study and for the moral deterioration that she thinks inevitable upon exclusive acceptance of Greek ethical standards (Hutchinson Vol. II, 1996: 126). To some right moral standard, she has a support attitude, and devotes herself to find some more humanization. In Silas Marner, Eliot emphasizes interpersonal trust between man and man in the novel. There are some proper words to prove Eliot thought, And all as we got to do is to trusten, Master Marner o do the right thing as fur as we know, and to trusten. For if us as knows so little can see a bit o?good and rights, we may be sure as there a good and a rights bigger nor what we can know ?I feel it i?my own inside as it must be so. And if you could but ha?gone on trustening, Master Marner, you wouldn ha?run away from your fellow reatures and been so lone. (175) These words says by Dolly Winthrop, the pure kind woman who represents the new humanity 5faith in the novel. W.J. Harveys summary of Eliot criticism is that he novels are seen as a form 5of reative therapy, through which George Eliot either atones for her sins or compensates, 33 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 3 Eliots Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner through projection of her private fantasies, for the pains and deprivations of her life?(296). All in all, she keeps her religious sentiment in Victorian era. In another way, she tries to find a new world which has a wisdom belief for people. In short, the social changes in Victorian Age bring unrest to the society which becomes the catalyst of an evil heart. Eliot sense of something to reverence, her commitment to the ideal of development and belief in the good sect of the world establish her humanity religion of love and sympathy. As a representative work which has a deep Victorian sentiment, Silas Marner has an immense force which is the achievement of Eliot incomparable intelligence. Eliot pursuit of humanity Eliot is an intelligent free thinker in Victorian Age, her thought of art is the nearest thing to life which has a great influence to later generations. She is a great novelist, and has achieved her triumphs of creative art. At her best she has the impersonality of genius (Leavis, 1948: 47); Silas Marner is a work with a high degree of authenticity which includes Eliot mature, knowledge and rational idealogy. George Eliot is the pen name of Mary Anne Evans, who is born at Arbury Farm in Warwickshire in 1819. Evangelicalism has the prevail position in the early nineteen century. Her father, Robert Evans is a faithful Christian who often brings Mary Ann to church ceremony, and teaches her strict religious formalities, therefore, the young Mary Ann who has somewhat similar to Marner in Lantern Yard gets a faithful religious sense of Christianity. Mary Ann is sent to a boarding school at the age of five. Under the influence of her teacher Miss Lewis, she as considerably shaken by the impression that religion was not requisite to moral excellence?(Cross, 1884: 624). She gets a great enthusiasm to religion and reading, which is a preparation for her profound culture background later. At the age of her youth, the Victorian period is under challenge; different kinds of idea emergence into that period, people in succession begin to doubt their beliefs. In 1841, she and her father move to Coventry where she acquaints Charles Bray and read An Inquiry Concerning the Origin of Christianity, and she begins to doubt the story in Gospel, against the hypocrite worship. And in 1842, she declares a break up with religion and refuses to go to church and does not 34 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 3 Eliots Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner believe in Christian thereafter. This behavior can be regarded as a template of Marner in her novel, for Marner never goes to church for fifteen years after he sets down at Raveloe. In 1854, Eliot translates Feuerbach The Essence of Christianity which makes a great change to her life. She tells her friend Sara Hennel excitedly when she is translating his The Essence of Christianity, and she is influenced deeply by Feuerbach philosophic thinking. Based on her approval to Feuerbach point of view, she has a more profound thinking of the relationship between man and religion. The imaginative sympathy, identify to morality and judgment to the values are relate to humanity bring her a new way to faith in humanity. John Purkis (1985) once explains the term he religion of humanity?: the religion of humanity was a widely used in the nineteenth century. On the one hand, it could be used to refer precisely to the new religion invented by Comte, and on the other hand to various post hristian attempts to salvage the ethical percepts of the old religion while abandoning entirely its supernatural basis. (45) Eliot accepts some viewpoints of the contemporary philosopher , through her own thinking which rise to a new faith for human beings. To be an atheist in Victorian Era is out of the question, let alone Eliot who has a strong religious sentiment from her earlier age. So she could not cast off the long-lasting influence of Christian. Eliot, a very compassionate writer, never gives up the teach function of novel, ll the great religions of the world historically considered, are rightly the objects of deep reverence and sympathy hey are the record of spiritual struggles which are the types of our own…And in this sense I have no antagonism towards any religious belief, but a strong out^ow of sympathy. (Haight, 1954: 426) She is adapt in thinking instead of following blindly, so she finds that people need a spiritual belonging and the Christian sometimes is a good moral guide to the society. As a model of sympathetic, Marner gives the reader a deep impression of his misfortune; win a large sympathy from the reader. In brief, child as a message of redemption leads to a pure and holy end in Silas Marner. 35 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Chapter 3 Eliots Humanity Ideal in Silas Marner By seeking what is needful for Eppie, and sharing the effect that everything produced on her, he had himself come to appropriate the forms of custom and belief which are the mould of Raveloe life; and as, with reawakening sensibilities, memory also reawakened, he had begun to ponder over the elements of his old faith, and blend them with his new impression, till he recovered a consciousness of unity between his past and present (172). She has the same character with Marner, which is the pursuit of a new faith when their lives are under changing. The past things could not be changed, but the future should be expected. Eliot directly declares her view of faith in humanity. To faith, she refuses to abandon and try to find a rational one, which represents the balance between good and evil and the harmony between family and society. Actually, it is a kind of attitude that never gives up. 36 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Conclusion Conclusion George Eliot is a remarkable representative of philosophic and metaphorical novelists in the great tradition of English fiction. Her novels in succession have offered a vivid picture of the iEngland religion facts of her age in Victorian period. Silas Ma^^ner, narrating heavily allegorical stories is a powerful expression of Eliot thematic concern in morality with an incisive, exposure of the impassiveness, hypocrisy and finally futility of Victorian morality. Eliot delivers her faith in humanity, making it a new religious and philosophical attitude, and converse her reflection in her art of fictions. With a restless spirit and struggling heart, Eliot probes the psychological world of mortals and communicates her findings in Silas Marner to illustrate the universal pathway for spiritual salvation. Eliot is not only a sincere and sagacious thinker but also a creative master in novel writing. She gives her eyes on momentous issues of her age and well perceives the hidden crisis of social life. Besides, she never posits a detached manner to human sufferings, but sympathetically shares all the bitterness and blessing of the spiritual odyssey of a sincere heart. Silas Marner perfectly embodies Eliot moral and artistic ideal in her narrating a Victorian experience in a mythical way. The remarkable points in the novel are the mystery plots which show the author intention of good and evil in conflicts, the archetypal plots are the symbol of both destruction and rebirth which carry Eliot optimism to the reality. And the plots finally prove her pursuit of faith in humanity which is an ideal to purify and ennoble human life. Influenced by cultural and religious circumstances, Eliot thinks that the most effective way to save people soul is to love with a purity heart; actually, this could not be achieved in a complex society. As a result, Eliot inherits the Victorian tradition and transmits her ideal towards the common people by highlighting Marner purity. Eliot constructs a fictional situation to proclaim the essence of good and evil confliction which is the eternal motif in literature history. The complicated plots in Silas Marner have a sense of myth-archetypal; through the displacement of archetypal plots and characters, Eliot gives an evaluation to the people morality. The characters are put into a conflict vortex so as to 37 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Conclusion reveal somewhat belongs to humanity, besides, Eliot does her utmost to praise good parts of human beings. In Silas Mar~ner, the foolish dogmatic faith in Lantern Yard is what the author rejected, while the pure and harmony in Raveloe is the things she praised. Furthermore, a mythic plot proves Eliot extraordinary talent in art creation; with the help of literature, she could achieve her purpose of criticizing the evil and praising the good. As one member of the society, Eliot not only reveals objective reality but also delivers her humanistic ideals. People in Victorian period have a deep religious sentiment which could never be abandoned; Eliot loves her class, her traditions, her education and her faith, therefore, she tries to giving the dogmatic religion a new sense which is her faith in humanity. Eliot is a person who has challenged tradition both in action and mind. The description of Marner twists and turns life expresses human helpless to reality. After a philosophic thinking, Eliot accepts the immutability of good and evil oppositions. The myth and archetypal criticism brings a new way to creation and context, which is necessary for us to study Silas Marner from this perspective, therefore, she writes a story about the opposition of good and evil, the growth of faith and the subliming of humanity. Generally speaking, Eliot does not walk away from the path of good and evil opposition and she knows her time well and practicing a positive exploration, so she is a real Victorian novelist. 38 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Bibliography Bibliography Ashton, Rosemary. George Eliot. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983. Bressler, Charles. Literar;y Criticism. Beijing: Higher Education Press, 2004. Cooke, George W. George Eliot: A Critical Study of Her Life, Writings and Philosophy. Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing LLC., 2004. Cross, J. W. George Eliot Life as Related in Her Letters and Journals. ^New York Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Publishers, 1884. Carroll, David R. ilas Marner: Reversing the Oracles of Religion，，. Literary Monographs Vol. I, ed. Eric Rothstein and Thomas K. Dunseath. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1967: 167. Deakin, Marry Hannah. eorge Eliot on Imagination?，Ed. Stuart Hutchinson. George Eliot Critical Assessments. Vol. 2. Mountfield: Helm Information Ltd. 1996: 64. Eliot, George. Silas Marner. London: Penguin Books Ltd. Press, 1994. Edwards, Mike. George Eliot: The No^vels. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Frye, Northrop &Macpherson, Jay. Biblical and Classical Myths: the Mythological Framework of Western Culture. University of Toronto Press, Toronto Buffalo London, 2004. Feuerbach, Ludwig. The Essence o;f Christianity. Trans: George Eliot. New York: Harper Torch Book, 1957. Gilmour, Robin. The Novel in the Victorian Age: A Mode^^ I~ntroduc^^o^. London: Edward Arnold Ltd, 1986. Hardy, Barbara. The Novels of George Eliot: a study i^ f^^~m. London: The Athlone Press, 1959. Hardy, Barbara. eorge Eliot on Imagination?，Ed. Stuart Hutchinson. George Eliot Critical Assessments, Vol. 4. Mountfield: Helm Information Ltd. 1996. Handley, Graham. State of the Art: George Eliot. Bristol: The Bristol Press, 1990. Haight, Gordon S. Selection from the George Eliot Le^te^. Haven and London, 1954. Henry, Nancy. George Eliot and the British Empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University 36 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Bibliography Press, 2002. Harvey, W. J. eorge Eliot? Victorian Fiction: A Guide to Research, ed. Lionel Stevenson. Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1966: 296. Hutchinson, Stuart. George Eliot Critical Assessments, Vol I-IV. Mountfield: Helm Information Ltd. 1996. Ioan, Williams. The Realist Novel in England: a study in development. YiXsbmgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1975. Jung, Carl G+ rchetypes of the Unconscious? The Collected Works of C.G Jung. Vol. 9. Ed. Herbert Read. Trans. Hull R. F. C. London: Routledge &Kegan Paul. Ltd., 1959: 4-5. Knoepflmacher, U. C. George Eliots Early Novels: the Limits of Realism. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968. ndLivingston, James. Anatomy of the Sacred: an Tntroduction of Religion. 2 ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1993: 105. Lin Zhoujing. rchetypes in Lordo;f the Flies'? Liaoning Normal University, 2004. Leavis, F. R. The Great Tradition. New York: Doubleday & Company, INC., 1948. Maurois, Andre. The Art of Writing. New York: Dutton, 1960. Nestor, Pauline. Female Friendships and Communities: Charlo^^e Bronte, George Eliot, Elizabeth Gaskell. UK: Clarendon Press Oxford, 1985. Pinion F. B. A George Eliot Companion. London: Macmillan Press, 1981. Purkis, John. A Preface to George Eliot. Harlow: Longman Group Limited, 1985. Showalter, Elaine. A Literature of Their Own. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1977. Sackville-west, Vita. eorge Eliot?，Ed. Stuart Hutchinson. George Eliot Critical Assessments, Vol.2. Mountfield: Helm Information Ltd, 1996. Woolf, Virginia. A Room of Ones Own. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. Woolf, Virginia.George Eliot. Ed, Michele Barrett. In Virginia Woolf: on Women & Writing : Her Essays, Assessments and Arguments. London: The Women Press Ltd., 1979. 37 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Bibliography Wang Ning. rye: Pioneer of Modern Cultural Criticism? Foreign 2001 (3): 40. Wiesenfarth, Joseph. Demythologizing Silas Ma^^e^. ELH, Vol. 37, No. 2, (Jun., 1970): 226-244. Zhu Gang. Twentieth Century Western Critical Theories. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001. Zhang Jinfeng, George Eliot: Harmonizing and Synthesizing Idealism and Realism. Kaifeng: Henan University Press, 2006. 亨利.詹姆斯:《小说的艺术》，朱雯乔泌等译。上海:上海译文出版社，2001年。 陈蕾蕾:“乔治.艾略特早期作品的新历史主义解读”，《外国文学研究》，(1) 2002: 54-60。 陈科方编译:《圣经故事》。北京:中国妇女出版社，2004年。 崔东“从《织工马南传》看艾略特的宗教思想”，《外国文学研究》，(1)2000: 99-103。 : 杜隽:《乔治•艾略特小说的伦理批评》。上海:学林出版社，2006年。 李维屏宋建福等著:《英国女性小说史》。上海:上海外语教育出版社，2011年。 刘思谦等著:《文学研究:理论方法与实践》。开封:河南大学出版社，2004年。 马建军:《乔治•艾略特研究》。武汉:武汉大学出版社，2007年。 钱青主编:《英国19世纪文学史》。北京:外语教学与研究出版社，2005年。 邱运华主编:《文学批评方法与案例》，第二版。北京:北京大学出版社，2006年。 闻逸编著:《圣经故事》，2版。成都:四川文艺出版社，2007年。 38 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements I am deeply indebted to a number of people who helped me in my writhing of this thesis. First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my warmhearted supervisor, associate Professor Zhang Lin, both for her excellent academic guidance and encouragement during the research and writing of this thesis. It is she who leads me into English literature and George Eliot studies. During the study, she provided me with quite a lot of materials on my research and gave me many valuable and critical suggestions. Without her help, the present work would not have been possible now. Also, I would like to thank Professor Peng Jianwu, Professor Song Jianfu and all other my teachers in the School of Foreign Languages who kindly offered me some valuable advice on understanding foreign literature and broadened my mind. Three years learning in our university is my precious wealth. Last but not the least, I would like to take this chance to offer my earnest thanks to all my classmates, friends and my loved parents for their constant encouragement and support throughout the course of the research, and also to those people who dedicated their time and energy to reading my thesis. 39 山东科技大学硕士学位论文 Main Work Achievement of the Author during Working on Master Paper Main Work Achievement of the Author during Working on Master Paper 发表论文: 《从社会语言学角度试析方言节目存在的符号意义》，(独立)，《青年文学家》，2010年 第 14期。 《织工马南》中原型模式置换，(独立)，《青年文学家》，2010年第15期。 《织工马南》中陌生化视角下的圣经原型 反思 小班合家欢主题反思小班合家欢主题审议反思小班合家欢反思恩怨历尽后的反思下载恩怨历尽后的反思下载 ，(独立)，山东科技大学学报增刊，2010 年 6月。 40 人性的信仰:神话原型视角下的《织工马南》主题阐释 作者: 钱瑞燕 学位授予单位: 山东科技大学 引用本文格式: 钱瑞燕 人性的信仰:神话原型视角下的《织工马南》主题阐释[学位论文]硕士 2012