【作者】 张洁；

【导师】 李美华；

【作者基本信息】 厦门大学 ， 英语语言文学， 2007， 硕士

【副题名】《欢乐之家》的女性主义解读

【摘要】 伊迪丝·沃顿是世纪之交一位多产而又富有创意的女作家,在美国文坛占有重要地位。她的大部分作品以她所熟悉的19世纪末20世纪初的老纽约为背景,描绘了当时上流社会女性的真实处境。她的成名作《欢乐之家》奠定了她在美国文学史上的地位。这部小说自从1905年出版以来,吸引了大量评论家对其进行多角度研究,受到广大读者的欢迎。本论文从女性主义文学批评的视角出发,通过分析莉莉如何在男权社会中成为“无足轻重的他者”,探讨了作者生活时代女性生活的现状。本文由五部分组成,前言部分对全文作了总体综述,结论部分则对全文作了概括。主体部分共分三章。第一章研究了莉莉如何成为男权社会中“无足轻重的他者”。在当时社会,婚姻是上流社会妇女唯一的职业。为了在上流社会占有一席之地,莉莉不得不把找一个有钱的丈夫当成自己的生活目标。莉莉和故事中几位主要男性角色的关系进一步说明了她的物化身份。在塞尔登眼里,她是一件美丽的艺术品;在罗斯戴尔看来,她是一件可供买卖的商品;而对于粗俗的特里诺等人来说,莉莉只是一个性爱对象。面对恶毒的流言,莉莉毫无还击之力。女性话语权受到压抑。第二章探讨了莉莉对其男权社会中的从属地位所作出的矛盾反应。她的双重性格决定了她的矛盾态度。一方面,她向社会妥协,努力找一个有钱人作丈夫;另一方面,她又厌恶这种空虚的生活,对社会强加在她身上的角色进行反抗。在追求物质享受的同时,她真实的自我不时影响她在关键时刻作出的决定。她精神方面的追求和她的道德感使她三番五次拒绝富商贵族的求婚。莉莉实际上并不愿意成为上流社会贵族家庭里的女主人。第三章以西方文学中典型的女性形象为背景,探讨了莉莉是否符合任何一个典型形象。莉莉既不是温顺无私的“家庭天使”,也不是自私歹毒的“女巫”。但她又不具备成为“新女性”的条件。在这种社会中,莉莉无法过一种独立而又有意义的生活。莉莉在男权社会毫无立锥之地,最终只能走向死亡。通过分析莉莉复杂的身份,本论文旨在呈现当时社会里女性的困境。虽然莉莉无法逃脱社会对女性的约束,但她的反抗本身颇具意义,值得人们关注。更多还原

【Abstract】 Edith Wharton, a versatile and creative woman writer at the turn of the century, occupies a prominent place in the history of American literature. Most of her works are set in old New York, where Wharton herself was born and brought up, and expose women’s situation in the cruel and irresponsible aristocratic society at the turn of the nineteenth century into the twentieth century. Her first important novel The House of Mirth, which marks the turning point in her writing career, establishes her position in American literary canon. Since its publication in 1905, it has drawn scores of critics’multiple comments and is popular among readers. Even today, it is still read by thousands of readers. The focus of this study is Lily Bart, the heroine in The House of Mirth. By drawing upon a feminist reading of the story which portrays Lily as the“nonsignificant Other”in the patriarchal society, this thesis explores Wharton’s representation of women in that historical period.This thesis is composed of three chapters with an introduction and a conclusion. Chapter One studies how Lily becomes“nonsignificant Other”in the patriarchal society. Since marriage is the only vocation available to her, Lily has to work hard to sell herself into a good marriage so that she can secure her place in the upper class. An analysis of her relationships with the male characters in the story shows her objectified identity as a woman. She is an artistic object to Selden, a changeable commodity to Rosedale and a sexual object to Trenor. Moreover, Lily is unable to defend herself against malicious gossips. Female discourse is silenced in the patriarchal society.Chapter Two explores Lily’s reaction to her subordination in the patriarchal society. Her ambivalent character determines her contradictory attitude towards it. On the one hand, she makes compromise with the society, making every effort to find a rich husband; on the other hand, she revolts against it by frequent rejection of marriage proposals. Disturbed by her true self, Lily refuses to sell herself and does not want to conform to her fixed role as a hostess in the higher society.Chapter Three examines Lily against the background of women’s stereotyped images in the history of literature, namely, the Angel in the House and the Witch. Lily’s complicated identity determines that she belongs to neither category. And she’s not yet a New Woman. She can not have an independent existence in the society. With no place in the world, she has no choice but to die.Through the exploration of Lily’s complicated identity, the thesis aims to give a vivid picture of women’s plight at that time. Though Lily can not escape the confining restrictions in the frivolous society, her revolt itself is significant and worth our attention.更多还原