奥斯卡·王尔德社会喜剧中的女性角色
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摘要
奥斯卡·王尔德是一位引人注目且饱受争议的人物,他为英国,甚至世界文学史都做出了卓越的贡献。他的社会喜剧《认真的重要性》、《理想丈夫》、《温德米尔夫人的扇子》以及《无足轻重的女人》一直为人们所喜爱,可是无论在国内还是国外,它们都未得到应有的关注。本论文致力从女性主义批评的角度来分析这些社会喜剧中一系列的女性形象并探索她们的命运。
全文由五个章节组成:第一章简要介绍了王尔德的社会喜剧,学术界对他及其作品的研究,并结合伍尔夫以及肖瓦尔特的思想提出本文主要运用的研究方法——女性主义批评。第二章分析了恋爱中的少女角色:格温多琳勇敢而聪明,但她不能自主婚姻;赛茜丽在日记里主宰爱情,可是在现实中无能为力;而阿加沙小姐则是一个沉默的玩偶,放弃了选择的权利。这些少女们面对爱情和婚姻时必须得服从父母和监护人的意志。第三章分析了婚姻生活中的少妇角色。温德米尔夫人曾要求夫妻相互的忠诚,可是面对丈夫的背叛,她宁愿遗忘;奇尔顿夫人曾追求完美的丈夫,但是在他不光彩的过去面前,她选择原谅。少妇们曾经都坚守着自己关于婚姻的道德标准,但最后为维持家庭,她们不得不选择放弃信仰。第四章分析了社会中的夫人角色。厄林夫人聪明能干,可是没有男人们的帮助,她不能获得衣食无忧的生活;谢弗利夫人政治能力出色,可是要获得利益,她得依靠奇尔顿的帮助;阿布兹诺夫人没有在旧情人前向财富屈服,可是她在另一个金钱诱惑前折腰。尽管精明能干,中年妇女们最后也会在财富和现实面前屈服。第五章为结论,作者认为王尔德社会喜剧中的大部分女性角色开始具有女性意识,可是无论懦弱还是勇敢,贫穷还是富有,世故还是天真,她们都成为了是父权制度的受害者。因此,这些社会喜剧是女人们的悲剧。
Oscar Wilde, one of the most remarkable and controversial writers, contributed a lot to English literature or, indeed, the literature of the world. His social comedies: The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband, Lady Windermere’s Fan and A Woman of no Importance have always won the favor of people; however, they have not been given enough attention both home and abroad. Feminist criticism is employed in this thesis to analyze a series of women characters in these social comedies and explore their fates.
This thesis is composed of five chapters. In the first chapter, Wilde’s social comedies and the research on these works are introduced and the main research method employed in this thesis—feminist criticism, based on Woolf’s and Showalter’s ideas, is brought forward. In the second chapter, the characters of girls in love are analyzed. Gwendolen is of courage and wisdom, nevertheless marriage is quite beyond her control; Cecily takes control of her love in her diary, nevertheless she is feeble in reality; Lady Agatha who behaves like an aphasia doll abandons the right to choose. These girls have to obey their parents’and guardians’will when it comes to love and marriage. In the third chapter, the characters of young wives in marriage are analyzed. Lady Windermere once demanded mutual fidelity, but she has to ignore her husband’s betrayal; Lady Chiltern once pursued an unblemished husband, but she prefers to forgive his ignominious past. Young wives who once stuck to their principles on marriage give them up so as to maintain their family. In the fourth chapter, the characters of middle-aged ladies in society are analyzed. Mrs. Erlynne is intelligent and capable, but she will never gain a comfortable life without men’s support. Mrs. Cheveley has excellent political ability; however, she has to ask for Chiltern’s support to make profits. Mrs. Arbuthnot does not yield to wealth before her former lover, but she gives herself up to the monetary lure of another. Although they are intelligent and capable, they will surrender themselves to wealth and reality eventually. In the fifth chapter, it is concluded that most female characters in Wilde’s social comedies begin to have some female consciousness. However, infirm or courageous, poor or rich, sophisticated or innocent, they all become victims of the patriarchy. Therefore, these social comedies are the tragedies of women.
全文由五个章节组成:第一章简要介绍了王尔德的社会喜剧,学术界对他及其作品的研究,并结合伍尔夫以及肖瓦尔特的思想提出本文主要运用的研究方法——女性主义批评。第二章分析了恋爱中的少女角色:格温多琳勇敢而聪明,但她不能自主婚姻;赛茜丽在日记里主宰爱情,可是在现实中无能为力;而阿加沙小姐则是一个沉默的玩偶,放弃了选择的权利。这些少女们面对爱情和婚姻时必须得服从父母和监护人的意志。第三章分析了婚姻生活中的少妇角色。温德米尔夫人曾要求夫妻相互的忠诚,可是面对丈夫的背叛,她宁愿遗忘;奇尔顿夫人曾追求完美的丈夫,但是在他不光彩的过去面前,她选择原谅。少妇们曾经都坚守着自己关于婚姻的道德标准,但最后为维持家庭,她们不得不选择放弃信仰。第四章分析了社会中的夫人角色。厄林夫人聪明能干,可是没有男人们的帮助,她不能获得衣食无忧的生活;谢弗利夫人政治能力出色,可是要获得利益,她得依靠奇尔顿的帮助;阿布兹诺夫人没有在旧情人前向财富屈服,可是她在另一个金钱诱惑前折腰。尽管精明能干,中年妇女们最后也会在财富和现实面前屈服。第五章为结论,作者认为王尔德社会喜剧中的大部分女性角色开始具有女性意识,可是无论懦弱还是勇敢,贫穷还是富有,世故还是天真,她们都成为了是父权制度的受害者。因此,这些社会喜剧是女人们的悲剧。
Oscar Wilde, one of the most remarkable and controversial writers, contributed a lot to English literature or, indeed, the literature of the world. His social comedies: The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband, Lady Windermere’s Fan and A Woman of no Importance have always won the favor of people; however, they have not been given enough attention both home and abroad. Feminist criticism is employed in this thesis to analyze a series of women characters in these social comedies and explore their fates.
This thesis is composed of five chapters. In the first chapter, Wilde’s social comedies and the research on these works are introduced and the main research method employed in this thesis—feminist criticism, based on Woolf’s and Showalter’s ideas, is brought forward. In the second chapter, the characters of girls in love are analyzed. Gwendolen is of courage and wisdom, nevertheless marriage is quite beyond her control; Cecily takes control of her love in her diary, nevertheless she is feeble in reality; Lady Agatha who behaves like an aphasia doll abandons the right to choose. These girls have to obey their parents’and guardians’will when it comes to love and marriage. In the third chapter, the characters of young wives in marriage are analyzed. Lady Windermere once demanded mutual fidelity, but she has to ignore her husband’s betrayal; Lady Chiltern once pursued an unblemished husband, but she prefers to forgive his ignominious past. Young wives who once stuck to their principles on marriage give them up so as to maintain their family. In the fourth chapter, the characters of middle-aged ladies in society are analyzed. Mrs. Erlynne is intelligent and capable, but she will never gain a comfortable life without men’s support. Mrs. Cheveley has excellent political ability; however, she has to ask for Chiltern’s support to make profits. Mrs. Arbuthnot does not yield to wealth before her former lover, but she gives herself up to the monetary lure of another. Although they are intelligent and capable, they will surrender themselves to wealth and reality eventually. In the fifth chapter, it is concluded that most female characters in Wilde’s social comedies begin to have some female consciousness. However, infirm or courageous, poor or rich, sophisticated or innocent, they all become victims of the patriarchy. Therefore, these social comedies are the tragedies of women.
引文
[1] Abrams, M. H. (2005). A glossary of literary terms. Peking: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
[2] Archer, W. (1893). William Archer on A woman of no importance. In K. Beckson (Ed.), Oscar Wilde the critical heritage (pp. 144-148). London, Boston and Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
[3] Barry, P. (2002). Beginning theory. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press.
[4] Beerbohm, M. (1900). Max Beerbohm on Wilde as a dramatist. In K. Beckson (Ed.), Oscar Wilde the Critical Heritage (pp. 230-232). London, Boston and Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
[5] Cave, R. A. (2005). Wilde’s plays: Some lines of influence. In P. Barry (Ed.), The cambridge companion to Oscar Wilde (p.220). Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press.
[6] Delamora, R. (2001). Bataille/Wilde an economic and aesthetic genealogy of the gift. Angelake Journal of the theoretical humanities, 6 (2), 91-100. Retrieved December 14, 2008, from EBSCO database.
[7] Doody, N. (2002).‘An echo of some one else’s music’: The influence of Oscar Wilde on W. B. Yeats. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 175-182). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[8] Farrell, K. (2002). Wilde and the penalties of modernism. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 25-34). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[9] Fisher, T. (2000). The mysteries of Oscar Wilde. History Today, 18-20. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from EBSCO database.
[10] Guerin, W. L. (2004). A handbook of critical approaches to literature. Peking: Peking University Press.
[11] Heilmann, A. (2002). Wilde’s new women: The new woman on Wilde. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 135-145). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[12] Jays, D. (2000). Wilde disappointment. New Statesman, 61-63. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[13] Lange, S. (2002). Wilde’s concept of love. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.),The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 147-157). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[14] Millet, K. (1970). Sexual politics. N. Y.: Ballantine Books.
[15] Morgan, S. (2007). A victorian woman’s place: Public culture in the nineteenth century. Victorian studies, 50, 3. Abstract retrieved February 23, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[16] Nassaar, C. (2000). Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s fan and Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s profession. American University of Beirut, 91-92. Retrieved February 19, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[17] Nassaar, C. (n.d.). Wilde’s The importance of being earnest. American University of Beirut, 78-80. Retrieved February 12, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[18] Nassaar, C. (n.d.). Wilde’s The picture of Dorian Gray and Lady Windermere’s fan. American University of Beirut, 20-24. Retrieved February 21, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[19] Parker, D. (2003). Oscar Wilde’s great farce The importance of being earnest. University of Malaya, 73-186. Retrieved December 8, 2008, from EBSCO database.
[20] Raby, P. (Ed.). (2001). The cambridge companion to Oscar Wilde. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
[21] Rose, D. C. (2002). Oscar Wilde: Socialite or socialist? In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp.35-55). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[22] Rosen, R. (2005). Women’s studies in the academy—origins and impact. Beijing: Peiking University Press.
[23] Schwandt, W. (2002). Oscar Wilde and the stereotype of the aesthete: An investigation into the prerequisites of Wilde’s aesthetic self-fashioning. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 91-109). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[24] Shanks, E. (1924). Edward Shanks on Wilde’s literary reputation. In K. Beckson (Ed.), Oscar Wilde the critical heritage (pp. 406-417). London, Boston and Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
[25] Showalter, E. (2005). A literature of their own—British women novelists from Bronte to Bessing. Beijing: Foreign language Teaching and Research Press & Princeton: Princeton University.
[26] ------------------ (1979).‘Toward a feminist poetics’women writing and writng about women. In M. Eagleton (Ed.), Feminist literary theory: A reader (pp.254-257). Cornwall, Bodmin: Hartnolls Limited.
[27] Varty, A. (2005). A preface to Oscar Wilde. Peking: Peking University Press.
[28] Whittington-Egan R. (n.d.). Oscar Wilde in the twentieth Century. Contemporary Review, 89-100. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[29] Whittington-Egan, R. (2001). Oscar Wilde: A centennial wreath of memories. The Barbian Art Gallery, 287-291. Retrieved January 14, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[30] Wilde mania. (1998). National Review, 19-20. Retrieved February 21, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[31] Wilde, O. (1997). The colleted works of Oscar Wilde. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited.
[32] ------------- (1887). To Wemyss Reid. In R.Hart-Davis (Ed.), Selected letters of Oscar Wilde (pp. 67-69). London: Oxford University Press.
[33] ------------- (1887). To Helena Sickert. In R.Hart-Davis (Ed.), Selected letters of Oscar Wilde (pp. 69-70). London: Oxford University Press.
[34] Woolf. V. (2005). A room of one’s own. In Selected novels of Virginia Woolf. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Ltd.
[35]王晓焰(2007).《18-19世纪英国妇女地位研究》.北京:人民出版社.
[36]吴学平(2000).女性的声音--《莎乐美》新论.广州师院学报.第12期:39-42.
[37] ------(2007).国外王尔德喜剧研究述评.广州大学学报.第4期:79-84.
[38]杨霓(2006).试析王尔德的女性观.云南师范大学学报.第6期:106-110.
[2] Archer, W. (1893). William Archer on A woman of no importance. In K. Beckson (Ed.), Oscar Wilde the critical heritage (pp. 144-148). London, Boston and Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
[3] Barry, P. (2002). Beginning theory. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press.
[4] Beerbohm, M. (1900). Max Beerbohm on Wilde as a dramatist. In K. Beckson (Ed.), Oscar Wilde the Critical Heritage (pp. 230-232). London, Boston and Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
[5] Cave, R. A. (2005). Wilde’s plays: Some lines of influence. In P. Barry (Ed.), The cambridge companion to Oscar Wilde (p.220). Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press.
[6] Delamora, R. (2001). Bataille/Wilde an economic and aesthetic genealogy of the gift. Angelake Journal of the theoretical humanities, 6 (2), 91-100. Retrieved December 14, 2008, from EBSCO database.
[7] Doody, N. (2002).‘An echo of some one else’s music’: The influence of Oscar Wilde on W. B. Yeats. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 175-182). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[8] Farrell, K. (2002). Wilde and the penalties of modernism. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 25-34). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[9] Fisher, T. (2000). The mysteries of Oscar Wilde. History Today, 18-20. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from EBSCO database.
[10] Guerin, W. L. (2004). A handbook of critical approaches to literature. Peking: Peking University Press.
[11] Heilmann, A. (2002). Wilde’s new women: The new woman on Wilde. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 135-145). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[12] Jays, D. (2000). Wilde disappointment. New Statesman, 61-63. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[13] Lange, S. (2002). Wilde’s concept of love. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.),The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 147-157). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[14] Millet, K. (1970). Sexual politics. N. Y.: Ballantine Books.
[15] Morgan, S. (2007). A victorian woman’s place: Public culture in the nineteenth century. Victorian studies, 50, 3. Abstract retrieved February 23, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[16] Nassaar, C. (2000). Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s fan and Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s profession. American University of Beirut, 91-92. Retrieved February 19, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[17] Nassaar, C. (n.d.). Wilde’s The importance of being earnest. American University of Beirut, 78-80. Retrieved February 12, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[18] Nassaar, C. (n.d.). Wilde’s The picture of Dorian Gray and Lady Windermere’s fan. American University of Beirut, 20-24. Retrieved February 21, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[19] Parker, D. (2003). Oscar Wilde’s great farce The importance of being earnest. University of Malaya, 73-186. Retrieved December 8, 2008, from EBSCO database.
[20] Raby, P. (Ed.). (2001). The cambridge companion to Oscar Wilde. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
[21] Rose, D. C. (2002). Oscar Wilde: Socialite or socialist? In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp.35-55). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[22] Rosen, R. (2005). Women’s studies in the academy—origins and impact. Beijing: Peiking University Press.
[23] Schwandt, W. (2002). Oscar Wilde and the stereotype of the aesthete: An investigation into the prerequisites of Wilde’s aesthetic self-fashioning. In Boker.U., Corballis, R., & Hibbard, J.(Eds.), The importance of reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde during the last 100 years (pp. 91-109). The Netherlands: Amsterdam-New York.
[24] Shanks, E. (1924). Edward Shanks on Wilde’s literary reputation. In K. Beckson (Ed.), Oscar Wilde the critical heritage (pp. 406-417). London, Boston and Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
[25] Showalter, E. (2005). A literature of their own—British women novelists from Bronte to Bessing. Beijing: Foreign language Teaching and Research Press & Princeton: Princeton University.
[26] ------------------ (1979).‘Toward a feminist poetics’women writing and writng about women. In M. Eagleton (Ed.), Feminist literary theory: A reader (pp.254-257). Cornwall, Bodmin: Hartnolls Limited.
[27] Varty, A. (2005). A preface to Oscar Wilde. Peking: Peking University Press.
[28] Whittington-Egan R. (n.d.). Oscar Wilde in the twentieth Century. Contemporary Review, 89-100. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[29] Whittington-Egan, R. (2001). Oscar Wilde: A centennial wreath of memories. The Barbian Art Gallery, 287-291. Retrieved January 14, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[30] Wilde mania. (1998). National Review, 19-20. Retrieved February 21, 2009, from EBSCO database.
[31] Wilde, O. (1997). The colleted works of Oscar Wilde. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited.
[32] ------------- (1887). To Wemyss Reid. In R.Hart-Davis (Ed.), Selected letters of Oscar Wilde (pp. 67-69). London: Oxford University Press.
[33] ------------- (1887). To Helena Sickert. In R.Hart-Davis (Ed.), Selected letters of Oscar Wilde (pp. 69-70). London: Oxford University Press.
[34] Woolf. V. (2005). A room of one’s own. In Selected novels of Virginia Woolf. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Ltd.
[35]王晓焰(2007).《18-19世纪英国妇女地位研究》.北京:人民出版社.
[36]吴学平(2000).女性的声音--《莎乐美》新论.广州师院学报.第12期:39-42.
[37] ------(2007).国外王尔德喜剧研究述评.广州大学学报.第4期:79-84.
[38]杨霓(2006).试析王尔德的女性观.云南师范大学学报.第6期:106-110.