An Analysis of Feminism in Pride and Prejudice 浅析《傲慢与偏见》中的女性主义An Analysis of Feminism in Pride and Prejudice小说《傲慢与偏见》是女性主义文学的代表作，作者简·奥斯汀成功地塑造了一名女性主义先驱——伊丽莎白。
伊丽莎白追求人格独立和平等权利，敢于同封建礼教相对抗，她不顾世俗，追求自由平等的婚姻关系，这些都体现了浓厚的女性主义思想。
但深究其内，作者所表达的女性主义思想是不全面的，这就使作品在不知不觉中又落入父权中心主义的窠臼。
比如作品中的平等观念以及阶级意识不够明确，故事的展开只能建立在“同一阶级”这一基础上, 而小说中所存在的反叛精神不够彻底的情况，以及趋于完美的婚姻设置等都是作者受父权中心主义影响的产物，当今女性主义文学的创作症结就在于深受男权意识影响。
本文通过分析《傲慢与偏见》中的女性主义，旨在为女性创作提供经验。
关键词：傲慢与偏见；女性主义；婚姻Pride and Prejudice is the representative work of feminist literature, the writer Jane Austen successfully shaped a feminist pioneer, Elizabeth. Her pursuit of independence and equality, going against feudal ethics, her disregarding of social conventions, the pursuit of freedom and equality of marriage, all of these are embodiment of strong feminism. But having a close look at it, the feminist expressed by author is not comprehensive, which makes it unconsciously fall into the trap of patriarchalism again. For example the concept of quality and class consciousness in the works is not clear; the unfolding of the story can only be based on “the same class”. And rebellious spirit of the novel is not thorough, and the pursuit of perfect marriage settings etc. are because the author is influenced by the patriarchalism, Nowadays feminist literary is greatly influenced by the patriarchalism, and the study of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of feminist can provide experience for female writing.Key Words: Pride and Prejudice; feminism; marriageContents摘要........................................................................................................................... I I Abstract. (III)Contents (1)1. Introduction (1)2. The Embodiment of Feminism in the Novel (1)2.1 The Pursuit of Independence and Equal Rights (2)2.2 The Opposition to Feudal Moral (3)2.3 The Pursuit of Freedom and Equality of Marriage (5)3. The Limitation of Feminism in the Novel (6)3.1 Unclear Concept of Equality (6)3.2 Incomplete Rebellious Spirit (8)3.3 The Pursuit of Perfect Marriage (10)4. Conclusion (11)Bibliography (12)Acknowledgements (13)1. IntroductionPride and Prejudice is a typical masterpiece of realism in the 18th century, which reflects the feminist thought and has attracted the attention of the readers. So many scholars have conducted extensive researches on it. The academic study of pride and prejudice from the perspective of feminism, with feminist criticism method, reflects the women in all aspects of independent thinking, but there are few articles mentioned the existing limitations of feminism in the novel. In the fiction, the author by creating new women image — Elizabeth, expressed dissatisfaction with the present situation of women at that time, showed advanced feminist awareness of the mainstream in the patriarchal society. Influenced by the society at that time, the awareness of male authority has been deeply embedded into the author‟s ideology, which also appears in the novel, and is common in today‟s feminist work.2. The Embodiment of Feminism in the NovelThe 19th century is the bud of feminism; in the meantime, “the UK has produced a large number of ideological deep, passionate, radical political writers. Their education and grow through writing to explore women, marriage, family, economy and other issues, both showed a sharp feminist thought.”(Chen, 2001:25) Therefore, Jane Austen has also been influenced by the trend. In the novel Pride and Prejudice, one of the most representative characters is Elizabeth with a rebellious spirit, who was different from other characters in the novel. Elizabeth is independent, with a strong self-esteem, dares to challenge the political correctness, to pursue their happy marriage of new women, and she is one of the most representative characteristics of feminism. In this work, the author presents the phenomenon of gender discrimination in British society, reveals the social restrictions on women and shows the advanced female consciousness from a special female perspective. The following contents will analyze the feminism of Pride and Prejudice from the pursuit of independent personality and equal right, the revolt against the feudal moral and the pursuit of freedom and equality of marriage.2.1 The Pursuit of Independence and Equal RightsIn Britain at that time, due to economic independence, women have been in a state of being dominant, thus become subservient to the men. “Women only in male pocket, men are dominated in family and society, and the center. In both physically and intellectually women are supposed to be the weak of the society, women do not enjoy equal rights with men”.(Wang, 2004:17) But Jane Austen is strongly opposed to the roles of social consciousness, said that men and women should have the same rights, stupid, vulnerability is not only the exclusive terms of women. If women receive the same formal education as men, women can be as smart, rational as men.The so-called independent personality refers to p erson‟s independence, autonomy, creativity, which requires people not to depend on any external authority, and not attached to any real political power. In Pride and Prejudice, the writer shaped a beautiful, witty, bold and lively character—Elizabeth, who is different from the other women in the novel, she is sanity and reasonable new woman, who has her own judgment and independent consciousness and has her own original ideas. At the time of the society under the rule of patriarchy, Elizabeth is a very attractive woman. For the choice of marriage, she doesn‟t want to be limited by the lives of their parents and their arrangement. When the heir to the property of his father Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, though mother pressures to Elizabeth again and again, Elizabeth finally flatly refused. She doesn‟t want to be tied down by a secular marriage, refused to accept a marriage without love. However, when the hero Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, Elizabeth was angered by the arrogance of Darcy and straightforwardly refused Darcy‟s proposal. This behavior was very incredible at that time. Because of D arcy‟s property or social status is the most of women‟s dream at that time. But Elizabeth wants a marriage which is based on mutual admiration, mutual respect, rather than a class business marriage.Female subordination was very common in the 18th century of England, but in Pride and Prejudice the heroine Elizabeth had been striving for equal status between men and women. In the novel, Elizabeth is not inferior to men, so that the arrogant Darcy eventually abandons his arrogance and marries Elizabeth. At the same time,Elizabeth‟s performance is more rational, decisive than hesitant Mr. Bingley. Among them, the author also specially shaped love flattery, curry favor with powerful, silly Mr. Collins and simple, moody Mrs. Bennett to prove words like intelligent, reasonable etc. are not only synonymous with men. Both women and men have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, women should enjoy the same rights with men.2.2 The Opposition to Feudal Moral18th-century in Britain is covered by the patriarchal culture. Women don‟t have equal education rights, and their role in life was decided by men. The focus of the female life is housework and taking care of children, and be “the angel in the home”, which makes women gradually withdrew from the social stage. But Elizabeth is a typical rebellious character, who wouldn‟t be limited by the feudal creed and does not recognize the fact that woman has no talent and unwilling to become the victim of political correctness. As a result, the protagonist Elizabeth against ethical code can be divided into the following two aspects:One aspect is that the women‟s acceptance in education. At that time in Britain, men and women do not have the same education rights due to the influence of patriarchalism. The natural obligation of woman is attached to the man; take care of family and child. The wisdom of the woman should not be showed in knowledge or degree, but in singing, playing the piano, painting, doing housework, etc. In Pride and Prejudice, says Mr. Bingley, as long as women can decorate stage desk, adorn screen, woven bag, etc., can be defined as talented women. It is not hard to see, at the time of the society, women‟s“innocence”has achieved a tacit attitude in the men‟s minds, and became a kind of social identity. They don‟t want woman to accept normal education, also just put their training to their education to meet the requirements of the male ideal. But the heroine Elizabeth does not agree with it, and even showed a kind of defiance. Influenced by Mr. Benet, she loves reading. When the sisters are discussing a variety of men, she likes to stay in a quiet place alone with a book. In the novel Pride and Prejudice the opening scenes is Elizabeth holding a book in the home, while the other girl is not in play combat, but practicing the piano. Thus verifies whatMr. Bennett said, “They have none of them much to recommended them. They are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters”(Austen, 1993). When Elizabeth visits Lady Catherine, Lady Catherine asks Elizabeth about the girl family education, Elizabeth answers honestly. Actually, she can play piano, but she says she only knows a little. In Elizabeth‟s view, this is just a worldly game.The other aspect is in manners. “Self-control, lives in seclusion, roll with the punches, virtuous, at the time of the British is considered to be under patriarchy women shall abide by the code of ethics, also can saying is women should have a fair maiden quality”.(Liu, 2009(03):4) But the heroine Elizabeth is against “women‟s”for many times, such as the opposition regardless of her family at that time, walking in the rain to visit her sick sister, although very mess, even being laughed at by Miss Bingley; She doesn‟t attach herself to people in power, such as she repulse Mr. Darcy‟s offer of marriage, though he is rich; She is not makes up to dignitaries as their agents, when she is in Mrs. Catherine‟s home, everybody curries favor with lady Catherine, but Elizabeth sits there quietly. For Mrs. Catherine‟s ironic question, Elizabeth also refuted, face to face without hesitation to maintain the dignity of the family.Due to the time that the women do not have family property inheritance, so Mrs. Bennett is eager to let five daughters marry, and under the condition of the oldest daughter is not married, the rest of the four daughters have been went out for social intercourse at the same time. In the 18th century England, this kind of behavior is a very unreasonable, but Elizabeth‟s is not agree with it. So when Catherine asked Mrs. Elizabeth‟s younger sister, Elizabeth was not afraid to tell Mrs. Catherine her sisters are already out communication, Mrs. Catherine said something pretty incredible, but Elizabeth said, “If only because the elder sister can‟t marry early, or don‟t want to marry early, can‟t do sister out social and entertainment, it is too bitter. The smallest and the largest also have the right to digest the youth. I don‟t think it can do that promote sisterly true feelings, also can‟t form a gentle character.”(Austen, 1993) Elizabeth‟s clever; irony answer expressed her opposition to Mrs. Catherine‟sdecadent ideas, and dissatisfaction with the feudal ethical code and contempt.2.3 The Pursuit of Freedom and Equality of MarriageIn the beginning of Pride and Prejudice, “all bachelors with property must need to marry a wife, and it has become a universally acknowledged truth.”In Jane Austen‟s times, women‟s marriage is not based on “lov e”,but based on the “economy”. This kind of marriage with utilitarian color is opposed by the author, and then the author, shaping the heroine Elizabeth, conveys her calls for opposition with secular opinions about love.In the novel Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth‟s marriage is built on love, on the basis of mutual respect for each other. So when she hears that Charlotte will marry to Collins, she feels very sad. She doesn‟t believe this utilitarian marriage can bring happiness to her friend. At the same time, on impulse, her sister Lydia elopes with Wickham; Elizabeth hated this kind of behavior, too. In her view, only the marriage based on love can be happy forever.In the novel, we can see money, status and power are playing a decisive role among female marriage. This marriage, apparently does not involve feelings, is pure economic problem. Social elites are valued not for their moral character and behavior, social role, but for their money, farms, houses, furniture, carriage, garden and so on. Darcy‟s cousin, colonel William is an earl‟s younger son, who can‟t inherit property and the title. He said frankly to Elizabeth, profligate spending, money has become the important factor in his marriage. Regardless of the mother‟s objection, Elizabeth resolutely rejected her family heir Mr. Collins‟s proposal. She is not willing to accept the settling of marriage. Because of Mr. Darcy arrogance, Elizabeth chose to refuse Mr. Darcy‟s proposal.By shaping the character of Elizabeth, the author suggests that marriage should not be dominate and influenced by others. Women should adopt a positive attitude to the secular marriage challenges, and dare to break through the connective with secular opinions about love, brave to pursue their own happiness, get rid of the marriage built on money, status, realize the equality between men and women in marriage.3. The Limitation of Feminism in the NovelIn the novel Pride and Prejudice, the representative figure --Elizabeth, although is constantly with feudal political correctness, her happiness eventually established on the basis of marrying a rich man, which clearly shows that the author compromise on the society. “Since childhood grew up in the living environment and the influence of parents, Jane Austen‟s novel material always locate in the English countryside and neighborhood middle class life, she described the characters in the novel life are very familiar with”. (Yu, 1997:296) Social reality makes Jean Austen can‟t walk out of the country life, and her view is not very open, and real life didn‟t give the author an open space. So some critics considered works of Jean Austen material single, conservative, and they also think that some of her work too feminine. In the fiction, it is not hard to see that the traditional patriarchalism or can control w omen‟s lives, females have to succumb to the male oppression. “In politics, economy, society and life and so on many aspects still have no voice.”(Lin, 2004:15), In short, the novel to a certain extent, reflects that Austin is influenced by conservative patriarchal ideology, the feminism she wants to express still has some limitations, which includes the following aspects: 3.1 Unclear Concept of EqualityFrom the novel Pride and Prejudice, the author‟s sensitive class consciousness can be seen, and her characters also have a distinct class sense of hierarchy. Although in the novel, the author did not describe the intense class conflict, the author‟s class consciousness can be expressed through her negative attitude for marry into a proper family and mercenary marriage. The characters in Pride and Prejudice basically belong to three classes: at the top is Darcy and his aunt who is a duchess with power, they represent the noble class; In the middle class is Mr. Bingley, he represents the emerging upstarts, known as the “new”; and at the bottom of the class is Mr. Bennett, representing the ordinary gentleman. The combination of Elizabeth and Darcy represents the noble class with ordinary gentleman “marriage”.Despite the striking reality in every social class in the eyes of Jane Austen, by shaping the characters of Elizabeth and Darcy, the author has tried to jump the class nature of social disorder,which contributed to the combination of “pride”and “prejudice”, strived to achieve the equality between men and women. But in the novel the author advocates the equality of men and women status, as well as on the social class relations not real beyond the equality of the bourgeois class.First of all, in pursuit of equality between men and women, the protagonist Elizabeth and Darcy in both property and social status have certain disparity. The hero Darcy in the nobility of the society, have the hereditary property, the farms, with revenues of ten thousand pounds a year. And the heroine Elizabeth is just an ordinary ge ntleman‟s daughter locating at the bottom of the society, who gets only “4 per mile of one thousand pound”from her mother. However, Darcy doesn‟t care the gap between him and Elizabeth, and marries to the lower gentleman‟s daughter. Compared with Darcy, on the contrary, Lady Catherine is thrusting, and does not forget the rank order. When she learns that her nephew proposes to the lower gentleman‟s daughter Elizabeth, she goes to Elizabeth‟s home, looks down on Elizabeth and her class origin, and points out that the class differences between her and Darcy. But Elizabeth‟s says, “He is a gentleman, I am a gentleman‟s daughter, at this point we are equal.”(Austen, 1993) Clearly, in the novels of Jane Austen, although the author has been striving for equal social status between men and women, the author just said they are “basi cally”belonging to the same class. Elizabeth and D arcy‟s equality establish in the same class under the background of the implementation of equal, namely with the gentlemen class, and this is the reason why Elizabeth can stand erect before Darcy and Lady Catherine these noble. Thus it can be seen that the author‟s advocating of equality of men and women‟s status is not thorough enough, the author has not really pursued this equality in the various social aspects, just looking for compromise and retrogression.Secondly, performance in aligning with upper class; there are three levels in the novel: the noble class, the “nouveau riche”class, the gentleman class. Mr. Darcy, aristocratic class in society, the first time he comes out, and people are widely rumored that he has an income of ten thousand pounds a year, the male guest praised his wisdom, and the female guests praised his good looks. In the whole party, all people looked at him with love almost half a night. Finally they discovered he isarrogant, looks down on people, so everyone begins to dislike him. Although everyone has the negative emotions about Darcy, he has the authority that no one dares to challenge. On behalf of the newly rich Bingley trust the representative of the aristocracy Darcy, even his marriage happiness is controlled by Darcy. Darcy‟s cousin Fitzwilliam and Darcy‟s sister Georgiana also obey the arrangement of Darcy. Among them, when Elizabeth asks Colonel Fitzwilliam when to leave, his answer is listening to Darcy. All of them reflect Darcy‟s authority. Elizabeth refuses to Darcy because of his arrogance, but when she finds herself has been deep in love with Darcy, says: “He is proud, not like the pride of the ordinary people. Such a good youth, good family, and have money, everything is better than somebody else, it is no wonder that he pride. As I said, he had the right to pride.”(Austen, 1993) Darcy and the heroine finally married. And Elizabeth‟s elder sister Jean marry to Mr. Bingley, who representative the “new class”. From here, it is easy to see that Elizabeth, Jane on behalf of ordinary gentleman class is gradually close to the noble class. Jane Austen still doesn‟t get rid of the limitation of noble ideas, is still affected by the traditional consciousness of noble.3.2 Incomplete Rebellious SpiritIn Pride and Prejudice, the heroine Elizabeth is an independent personality that dares to break through the representative of the secular bondage, and braves to pursuit of happy marriage. For example, when she hears that Jane was ill, walking in the rain to Netherfield to visit sick sister despite of her family‟s opposition; when Darcy expresses love to Elizabeth for the first time, she decisively rejected, refused to accept the charity of marriage and so on. Through those things, it is not hard to see Elizabeth‟s contempt and discontent for feudal political. And she is a typical representative of rebellious spirit who not willing to marry based on money and social status.However, Elizabeth‟s defiance is not thorough. First of all, it performs at women depend on men on economy. In the 19th-century of Britain, women with no economic foundation has been under the oppression of patriarchy society. “Economic foundation determines superstructure”, which directly tell people that economicindependence is unavailable to status in the society. Similarly, in pride and prejudice, because of women‟s economic independence, women have to rely on his father as well as the future husband, which makes them lose the right of speech at home and in marriage life, so that ultimately Elizabeth did not escape the arrangement of social reality because of her economic dependence, and married Darcy who comes from wealthy family. During this period, because women have no real property inheritance, women still depend on men. Women‟s status is obviously low. In Pride and Prejudice, the role of Elizabeth defined by the author did not consider going out to find a career to get economic independence, to change her present situation, but just stay at home. Facing that the closest relatives of blood relationship inherit the property, she has never questioned, but slowly accepted it. In this case, for the hard choices of the unknown future life, the heroine could only marry a man who has financial security and respected status in society. Obviously, Elizabeth does not get rid of the control of man on economy and the subordinate status to get real independence. Our protagonist Elizabeth from beginning to end are not out of her own home, which shows that at last the author did not establish the independent female consciousness.Second, the performances of the women have been in a passive waiting for status. In Britain at that time, women are in a disadvantageous position both in class and gender. In the novel, the only way of social activity for women is dance. Mrs. Bennett has been urged their daughters to take part in all kinds of ball in order to be able to let his daughter have a good home to return to, and the protagonist Elizabeth also went to the PROM consciously for the same purpose. Elizabeth is snubbed by Darcy at a party and in the following Darcy‟s first proposal is vehemently refused. In the novel, Elizabeth is hostile to Darcy intentionally, though she had another kind of feeling from the beginning, she dare not to admit this kind of feeling. “When Darcy proposed to her for the first time, she was actually pleasantly and surprised, but she performance was angry, and these angry though Jane and Wickham as an excuse, but true on Darcy, Elizabeth at both hate and love the contradiction in the mood.”(Pan, 2004:256) Next after Darcy has made a series of changes, and corrected the too much arrogance attitude, Elizabeth begins to regret her former attitude. But she doesn‟t fightfor her own happiness, just waiting for Darcy‟s proposal again. Visible, in contact with Darcy, the hero Elizabeth has been in a passive position. During this period, Elizabeth is familiar with Wickham, and attracted by his gentility, but she doesn‟t express her love, too. Her sister Jane also is in a passive position. When Jane meets Mr. Bingley at a party, she is deeply attracted by Mr. Bingley, but due to the so-called “lady” character, Jane does not dare to express her thoughts too much, so that almost missing her love. Thus it can be seen that women in the novel all follow the custom of the typical patriarchal society, quietly waiting for the pursuit of men. “Visible, in the author‟s mind, patriarchal ideology, women are not fundamentally getting rid of the economic dependency on men, failed to get rid of by men subordinate position of choice”. (Chen, 2012, (04):4)3.3 The Pursuit of Perfect MarriageIn Pride and Prejudice, the center of the novel is marriage. So the book is talking about the marriage and money, marriage and position and marriage and love. In Pride and Prejudice, because of the relationship between money and marriage that makes the young men‟s course of love is full of frustration. But because of the happy endings in Pride and Prejudice, it is unavoidable for people to ask, “Does this kind of perfect marriage really exists in British at that time? The bondage of marriage really can span class differences?”In the novel, Mrs. Be net‟s life is to marry his daughter, for the daughters to seek a better husband. In this regard, Be net‟s five daughters have their own strongpoint: gentle Jean, smart and lively Elizabeth, wooden Mary and flirtatious Lydia. The author is like a god who assigns the ideal husband to her favorite characters as a reward, but for those little girls in improper behavior has an unhappy marriage or lives alone. For example, the eldest daughter Jane who is kind, meet and gentle, is a representative of the fair maiden. She has strong self-control but lack of self judgment, and beauty and character is her superiority, and obtaining B ingley‟s love is the reward for her. The second daughter, Elizabeth, is the author‟s favorite role. She is the only one who has a clear understanding for their own family and the weakness of this class, and her beauty, independent self-esteem, lively to win the love of Darcy. She got abigger reward - become the capable mistress of Pemberley manor. And beautiful and frivolous Lydia is completely not disciplined, who lacks of education and there is no shame in her mind. She is controlled by lust and flirting with officers unscrupulously. Finally she marries to Wickman who is humble and extravagant. And third daughter Mary who is wooden, average intelligence want to prove her talent everywhere, until at the end of this novel she is unable to find their own “Mr. R ight”. Above all, in A usten‟s novels, as long as women own the wisdom, manner, independence can across the social barriers and get together with there beloved. Hero‟s ingenuity seems to be a kind of tool that helps them to find their fare, and does not have effects on other ways.In general, because of the living environment makes Jane Austen can‟t walk out of the country, and her social activity confined to the gentle class and within the church. “Excluded from certain kinds of life experiences, so her …three or four families of rural village‟, is not so much her artistic talent, she consciously in art and helpless choice, she just lucky noted down her era” (Lefroy, 2002:90).4. ConclusionJane Austen‟s feminist consciousness has been clearly analyzed in her masterpiece Pride and Prejudice. Austen uses woman‟s unique observation to describe a small word around her, especially among the ladies marriages and love affairs. The heroine, Elizabeth is full of wisdom and independent of thinking that embodies feminist consciousness. But the feminist expressed by author is not comprehensive, which makes it unconsciously fall into the trap of patriarchalism again. For example the concept of quality and class consciousness in the works is not clear. And rebellious spirit of the novel is not thorough, and the pursuit of perfect marriage settings and so on are because the author is influenced by the patriarchalism, Nowadays feminist literary is greatly influenced by the patriarchalism, and the study of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of feminist can provide experience for female writing.Bibliography[1] Duckworth，Alistair．The Improvement of the Estate：A S tudy of Jane Austen’sNovels. Baltimore：The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1971.[2] Helen Lefroy. Jane Austen. Beijing, Foreign Language Teaching and ResearchPress, 2002:90.[3] Jane Austen. Pride and prejudice, London, Wordsworth Editions limited, 1993[4] Jane Austen.王科一译.傲慢与偏见[M].上海：上海译文出版社,2006.[5] 陈惠君.论女性主义的彰显与不足[J].湖北经济学院学报,2012,(04):4.[6] 陈晓兰.外国女性文学教程[M].上海:复旦大学出版社,2011:25.[7] 刘畅.傲慢与偏见中女性主义思想解读[J].成都大学学报,2009(03):4.[8] 林树明.多维视野中的女性主义文学批评[M].北京:中国社会科学出版社,2004:15.[9] 潘一何.故事与解释[M].上海:学林出版社,2004:256.[10] 王晓英.她世界[M].合肥:安徽人民出版社,2004:17.[11] 余秋雨.形象与韵律[M].石家庄:石家庄出版社,1997:296.。
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