论维多利亚家庭女教师小说中的两位女教师形象——贝基和简
摘要
19世纪40年代,英国的家庭女教师数量激增,因而出现了许多的维多利亚家庭女教师小说。维多利亚家庭女教师小说主人公一定要是一位家庭女教师。作者通常把家庭女教师当作一个阶层的代表,描述其尴尬的社会地位和脆弱的经济基础,并且刻画她们战胜重重困难并逐渐成熟的过程。小说结尾家庭女教师往往通过婚姻从雇佣地位解脱出来。
威廉·M·萨克雷的作品《名利场》中的贝基·夏普是一位敏感而早熟的女孩。她通过教法语赢得受教育的机会,然后成为毕德爵士两位女儿的家庭女教师。尽管她很有才华,她并不是一位尽职尽责的教师因为教书只是她的权宜之计。她的目标是成为上流社会的一位受人尊敬的女士。她想通过婚姻来达到目的,但婚后的生活并不如她所愿。她成为一位焦躁不安的妻子并且仍然为寻求经济保障不断挣扎。由于贪图名誉,她试图在时髦的社交圈占一席之地。她一步一步往上爬,生活充满艰辛。尽管她最后大大改善了生活,但她的生活总难如她所愿。她未能被维多利亚时期的社会完全接受。
夏洛蒂·勃朗特的作品《简·爱》中的简·爱是一位叛逆的女孩。她反抗她表哥对她的身体伤害,反抗她舅妈对她的心理伤害,她还反对布罗克赫斯特先生对宗教的假虔诚。作为一名劳渥德学校的学生,她非常勤奋并在该校获得教师职位。随后,她成为罗切斯特先生家的家庭女教师,最后还在一所农村小学教书。不管什么时候,只要是教书,她都是一位尽职尽责的老师。作为一名孤儿,她更渴望爱,因此寻求亲情,友情和爱情。当面临爱情、婚姻时,她的反抗意识再一次得到体现。为了遵守维多利亚时期的道德,她拒绝了罗切彻斯特先生的求爱;为了实现自我满足,她拒绝了圣·约翰的求爱。最后,她在自我实现和传统之间找到了平衡。她是一位有反抗意识的传统女性。
传统的19世纪小说中妇女的典型形象:顺从,依赖性强,美丽却无知。而贝基和简都具有独立的精神和不屈不挠的意志,是“新”女性。她们试图利用自己的才华在社会中获得认可。她们承受痛苦并且奋力抗争。她们不是“天使”,而是维多利亚时期的妇女,同时具有人的优点和缺点。
The number of governesses increased sharply in the 1840s in England. Thus many Victorian governess novels appeared. The writer often takes governess as a class and portrays the embarrassment of governesses’social position and their economic vulnerability, and narrates a governess’s maturation and triumph over difficulties. And the novel often has a happy ending that typically frees the governess from employment through marriage.
In William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, Becky Sharp is a sensitive and precocious girl. She earns her education by teaching French and then becomes a governess to Sir Pitt’s two daughters. Intelligent as she is, Becky is not a dutiful teacher for she teaches only as expediency. Her goal is to be a respectable lady in the genteel class. She wants to achieve her goal by marriage, but after marriage the life is not what she expects. She becomes a restless wife and still has to struggle for economic security. Greedy for admiration, she tries to settle herself in the fashionable society. She climbs the social ladder step by step and her life is full of hardship. Though she greatly improves her life finally, her life is never what she expects. She can’t be fully accepted by the Victorian society.
In Charlotte Bront?’s Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre is a rebellious girl. She rebels against her cousin’s physical hurt, her aunt’s psychological hurt and against Mr. Brocklehurst’s religious hypocrisy. As a student in Lowood, she is diligent and becomes a teacher there. Then she becomes a governess in Mr. Rochester’s household. Later she also teaches in a village school.
Whenever she teaches, she is a dutiful teacher. As an orphan she longs for love more and she seeks kinship, friendship and love. Her rebellious spirit appears again when it comes to love and marriage. She refuses Mr. Rochester’s proposal to follow the Victorian mores and refuses St. John’s proposal to fulfill herself. She finally finds balance between the self-fulfillment and tradition. Ultimately, she is a rebellious traditionalist.
Both Becky and Jane are“new”women rather than traditional nineteenth-century fictional stereotype women: submissive, dependent, beautiful, but ignorant. They have an independent spirit and an indomitable will. They try to seek acceptance in the society with their talents. They suffer and struggle. They are not angels but Victorian women with both merits and faults of human beings.
威廉·M·萨克雷的作品《名利场》中的贝基·夏普是一位敏感而早熟的女孩。她通过教法语赢得受教育的机会,然后成为毕德爵士两位女儿的家庭女教师。尽管她很有才华,她并不是一位尽职尽责的教师因为教书只是她的权宜之计。她的目标是成为上流社会的一位受人尊敬的女士。她想通过婚姻来达到目的,但婚后的生活并不如她所愿。她成为一位焦躁不安的妻子并且仍然为寻求经济保障不断挣扎。由于贪图名誉,她试图在时髦的社交圈占一席之地。她一步一步往上爬,生活充满艰辛。尽管她最后大大改善了生活,但她的生活总难如她所愿。她未能被维多利亚时期的社会完全接受。
夏洛蒂·勃朗特的作品《简·爱》中的简·爱是一位叛逆的女孩。她反抗她表哥对她的身体伤害,反抗她舅妈对她的心理伤害,她还反对布罗克赫斯特先生对宗教的假虔诚。作为一名劳渥德学校的学生,她非常勤奋并在该校获得教师职位。随后,她成为罗切斯特先生家的家庭女教师,最后还在一所农村小学教书。不管什么时候,只要是教书,她都是一位尽职尽责的老师。作为一名孤儿,她更渴望爱,因此寻求亲情,友情和爱情。当面临爱情、婚姻时,她的反抗意识再一次得到体现。为了遵守维多利亚时期的道德,她拒绝了罗切彻斯特先生的求爱;为了实现自我满足,她拒绝了圣·约翰的求爱。最后,她在自我实现和传统之间找到了平衡。她是一位有反抗意识的传统女性。
传统的19世纪小说中妇女的典型形象:顺从,依赖性强,美丽却无知。而贝基和简都具有独立的精神和不屈不挠的意志,是“新”女性。她们试图利用自己的才华在社会中获得认可。她们承受痛苦并且奋力抗争。她们不是“天使”,而是维多利亚时期的妇女,同时具有人的优点和缺点。
The number of governesses increased sharply in the 1840s in England. Thus many Victorian governess novels appeared. The writer often takes governess as a class and portrays the embarrassment of governesses’social position and their economic vulnerability, and narrates a governess’s maturation and triumph over difficulties. And the novel often has a happy ending that typically frees the governess from employment through marriage.
In William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, Becky Sharp is a sensitive and precocious girl. She earns her education by teaching French and then becomes a governess to Sir Pitt’s two daughters. Intelligent as she is, Becky is not a dutiful teacher for she teaches only as expediency. Her goal is to be a respectable lady in the genteel class. She wants to achieve her goal by marriage, but after marriage the life is not what she expects. She becomes a restless wife and still has to struggle for economic security. Greedy for admiration, she tries to settle herself in the fashionable society. She climbs the social ladder step by step and her life is full of hardship. Though she greatly improves her life finally, her life is never what she expects. She can’t be fully accepted by the Victorian society.
In Charlotte Bront?’s Jane Eyre, Jane Eyre is a rebellious girl. She rebels against her cousin’s physical hurt, her aunt’s psychological hurt and against Mr. Brocklehurst’s religious hypocrisy. As a student in Lowood, she is diligent and becomes a teacher there. Then she becomes a governess in Mr. Rochester’s household. Later she also teaches in a village school.
Whenever she teaches, she is a dutiful teacher. As an orphan she longs for love more and she seeks kinship, friendship and love. Her rebellious spirit appears again when it comes to love and marriage. She refuses Mr. Rochester’s proposal to follow the Victorian mores and refuses St. John’s proposal to fulfill herself. She finally finds balance between the self-fulfillment and tradition. Ultimately, she is a rebellious traditionalist.
Both Becky and Jane are“new”women rather than traditional nineteenth-century fictional stereotype women: submissive, dependent, beautiful, but ignorant. They have an independent spirit and an indomitable will. They try to seek acceptance in the society with their talents. They suffer and struggle. They are not angels but Victorian women with both merits and faults of human beings.
引文
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[2] Alleva, R. Jane Eyre[J]. Commonweal, 1996(June 1): P18. From Gale Literature Centre [DB/OL].
[3] Baugh, A.C. (ed.). A literary History of England[M]. London: Routledge & K. Paul, 1967.
[4] Blackburn, Ruth H. Charlotte Bront?’s Jane Eyre[M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 1997.
[5] Bomarito, J. & Whiteaker, R. Jane Eyre[A]. Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism (Vol.155) [C]. Detroit: Gale, 2005. From Gale Literature Center [DB/OL].
[6] Bront?, C. Jane Eyre[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001.
[7] Calder, J. The Victorian Home [M]. London: B. T. Batsford Ltd., 1977.
[8] Chesterton, G. K. Charlotte Bront?1816-1916[A]. In Harris, Laurie (ed.). A Centenary Memorial (Vol. 8) [M]. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. From Gale Literature Resource Center [DB/OL].
[9] Cokal, S. Poor, Obscure, and little[J]. The New York Times Book Review, 2008 (May 25): Book Review Desk: p6 (L).
[10] Digby, A. The Victorian governess[J]. The English Historical Review, 1996(2): P233.
[11] Drabble, M. The Oxford Companion to English Literature[M]. Beijing:外语教学与研究出版社, 1993.
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[19] Harris, L. L. (ed.). Nineteen-Century Literature Criticism (vol.14) [M]. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company Book Tower, 1981.
[20] Havely, C. P. Troubles with men[J]. The English Review, 2006(Nov.): 21. From Gale Literature Centre.
[21] Hensher, P. The uneasy world between[J]. Spectator, 2005(3): 48.
[22] Johnson, R. (ed.). Overview: Jane Eyre[A]. Authors Digest: The World’s Great Stories in Brief (Vol. 3). New York: The Authors Press, 1908. From Gale Literature Centure [DB/OL].
[23] Lecaros, C. W. The Victorian Governess Novel[M]. Lund: Lund University Press, 2001.
[24] Magill, F. N. (ed.). Critical Survey of Long Fiction (19-20 century) (Vol.3) [M]. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, c 1987.
[25] Mangum, T. Sheridan le Fanu’s ungovernable governesses[J]. Studies in the Novel, 1997 (summer): 214. From Gale Literature Center [DB/OL].
[26] Markley, A. A. An Overview of Jane Eyre[A]. Literature Resource Center. Gale, Cengage learning. Detriot: Gale, 2008. From Gale Literature Center [DB/OL].
[27] Mitchell, S. The Victorian governess[J]. Victorian Studies, 1994 (winter): 354.
[28] Moi, T. Sexual/ Textual Politics[M]. London and New York: Routledge Taylor Francis Group, 2002.
[29] Napierkowski, M. R. (ed.). Novels for Students (Vol. 4) [DB/OL]. Detrot: Gale, Cengage Learning, 1998. From Gale Literature Resource Centre [DB/OL].
[30] Patrik, D. Chambers’s Cyclopaedia of English Literature, J. Liddel Geddie (ed.) [M]. New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, c1901.
[31] Rose, Marie(ed.). Jane Eyre[A]. Napierkowskil (Vol.4). Detroit: Gale, 1998. From Literature Resource Center.
[32] Scott-Kilvert, I. (ed.). British Writers (Vol. 5) [M]. New York: Scriber, c1979-c1984.
[33] Showalter, E. A Literature of Their Own[M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2004.
[34] Snodgrass, M. E. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature[C]. New York: Facts on File, c2006.
[35] Teachman, D. Understanding Jane Eyre[M]. Beijing: China Remin University Press, 2007.
[36] Thackeray, W. M. Vanity Fair[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001.
[37] Tucker, M. (ed.). The Critical Temper[M]. New York: Ungar,1969-1989.
[38]Victorianweb.org,http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/waller1.html2008(11).
[39] Victorianweb.org, http://www.victoiranweb.org/author/gaskell/61n s7.html 2008(11).
[40] Victorianweb.org, http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/pva50.html 2008(11).
[41] Victorianweb.org, http://www.victorianweb.org/history/census.html 2008(11).
[42] Whitson, K. J. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature [M]. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2004.
[43]梁巧娜.性别意识与女性形象[M].北京:中央民族大学出版社, 2004.
[44]林琴.两种追求,两种命运—简·爱与蓓基·夏泼之比较[J].东华大学学报, 2005(12): 67-71.
[45]齐艳.维多利亚时期小说中的家庭女教师典型—简·爱与瑞贝卡·夏普之比较[J].成都大学学报,2006(3): 59-66.
[2] Alleva, R. Jane Eyre[J]. Commonweal, 1996(June 1): P18. From Gale Literature Centre [DB/OL].
[3] Baugh, A.C. (ed.). A literary History of England[M]. London: Routledge & K. Paul, 1967.
[4] Blackburn, Ruth H. Charlotte Bront?’s Jane Eyre[M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 1997.
[5] Bomarito, J. & Whiteaker, R. Jane Eyre[A]. Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism (Vol.155) [C]. Detroit: Gale, 2005. From Gale Literature Center [DB/OL].
[6] Bront?, C. Jane Eyre[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001.
[7] Calder, J. The Victorian Home [M]. London: B. T. Batsford Ltd., 1977.
[8] Chesterton, G. K. Charlotte Bront?1816-1916[A]. In Harris, Laurie (ed.). A Centenary Memorial (Vol. 8) [M]. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. From Gale Literature Resource Center [DB/OL].
[9] Cokal, S. Poor, Obscure, and little[J]. The New York Times Book Review, 2008 (May 25): Book Review Desk: p6 (L).
[10] Digby, A. The Victorian governess[J]. The English Historical Review, 1996(2): P233.
[11] Drabble, M. The Oxford Companion to English Literature[M]. Beijing:外语教学与研究出版社, 1993.
[12] Elton, O. A Survey of English Literature (1830-1880) [M]. London: Edward Arnold (Publidhers) Ltd, 1923.
[13] Glen, H. The Cambridge Companion to The Bront?s[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2004.
[14] Frost, R. The fable of the poor orphan child[A]. The English Review, 1999(Nov.): 10. From Gale Literature Resource Center.
[15] Gillespie, J. T. & Naden, C. J. Characters in Young Adult Literature[M]. Detroit: Gale, 1997. From Literature Resource Center[ DB/OL].
[16] Godfrey, E. Jane Eyre, from governess to girl bride[J]. Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, 2005 (Autumn): 853. From Gale Literature Resource Centre [DB/OL].
[17] Harris, L. L. (ed.). Nineteen-Century Literature Criticism (Vol.3) [M]. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company Book Tower, 1981.
[18] Harris, L. L. (ed.). Nineteen-Century Literature Criticism (Vol.5) [M]. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company Book Tower, 1981. From Gale Literature Resource Centre[DB/OL].
[19] Harris, L. L. (ed.). Nineteen-Century Literature Criticism (vol.14) [M]. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Company Book Tower, 1981.
[20] Havely, C. P. Troubles with men[J]. The English Review, 2006(Nov.): 21. From Gale Literature Centre.
[21] Hensher, P. The uneasy world between[J]. Spectator, 2005(3): 48.
[22] Johnson, R. (ed.). Overview: Jane Eyre[A]. Authors Digest: The World’s Great Stories in Brief (Vol. 3). New York: The Authors Press, 1908. From Gale Literature Centure [DB/OL].
[23] Lecaros, C. W. The Victorian Governess Novel[M]. Lund: Lund University Press, 2001.
[24] Magill, F. N. (ed.). Critical Survey of Long Fiction (19-20 century) (Vol.3) [M]. Pasadena, Calif.: Salem Press, c 1987.
[25] Mangum, T. Sheridan le Fanu’s ungovernable governesses[J]. Studies in the Novel, 1997 (summer): 214. From Gale Literature Center [DB/OL].
[26] Markley, A. A. An Overview of Jane Eyre[A]. Literature Resource Center. Gale, Cengage learning. Detriot: Gale, 2008. From Gale Literature Center [DB/OL].
[27] Mitchell, S. The Victorian governess[J]. Victorian Studies, 1994 (winter): 354.
[28] Moi, T. Sexual/ Textual Politics[M]. London and New York: Routledge Taylor Francis Group, 2002.
[29] Napierkowski, M. R. (ed.). Novels for Students (Vol. 4) [DB/OL]. Detrot: Gale, Cengage Learning, 1998. From Gale Literature Resource Centre [DB/OL].
[30] Patrik, D. Chambers’s Cyclopaedia of English Literature, J. Liddel Geddie (ed.) [M]. New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, c1901.
[31] Rose, Marie(ed.). Jane Eyre[A]. Napierkowskil (Vol.4). Detroit: Gale, 1998. From Literature Resource Center.
[32] Scott-Kilvert, I. (ed.). British Writers (Vol. 5) [M]. New York: Scriber, c1979-c1984.
[33] Showalter, E. A Literature of Their Own[M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2004.
[34] Snodgrass, M. E. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature[C]. New York: Facts on File, c2006.
[35] Teachman, D. Understanding Jane Eyre[M]. Beijing: China Remin University Press, 2007.
[36] Thackeray, W. M. Vanity Fair[M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001.
[37] Tucker, M. (ed.). The Critical Temper[M]. New York: Ungar,1969-1989.
[38]Victorianweb.org,http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/waller1.html2008(11).
[39] Victorianweb.org, http://www.victoiranweb.org/author/gaskell/61n s7.html 2008(11).
[40] Victorianweb.org, http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/pva50.html 2008(11).
[41] Victorianweb.org, http://www.victorianweb.org/history/census.html 2008(11).
[42] Whitson, K. J. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature [M]. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2004.
[43]梁巧娜.性别意识与女性形象[M].北京:中央民族大学出版社, 2004.
[44]林琴.两种追求,两种命运—简·爱与蓓基·夏泼之比较[J].东华大学学报, 2005(12): 67-71.
[45]齐艳.维多利亚时期小说中的家庭女教师典型—简·爱与瑞贝卡·夏普之比较[J].成都大学学报,2006(3): 59-66.