理智与情感(张志宏)

1.Introduction

For more than 200 years Jane Austen has been considered as one of the most influential novelists in the world. And her novels also gain great significant position in literature and history. Although she was not welcomed by some critical realist writers, Mark Twain even said that a library would not be a good one if there was a Jane Austen’s novel. She and what she had written still had been attracting thousands of people’s attention. In Jane Austen’s time, civilization had been greatly influenced by tremendous change of politics and economy, but Wu J ingwen argues that “in Jane Austen’s novels, young people should insist equality and dignity in love and marriage, which is importan t part of happiness in one’s life, although money is necessary in life.” And according to Li Y anshu “Jane is a woman who has obstinate heart which means that she will never accept a marriage without love, and she does not marry because there is no proper m an for her.” As we all know, Jane Austen just did what she thought, plus in her own works she exploited ironic wit of language to express her unique view of marriage in her six novels.

2.Analysis of the general view of marriage of Jane Austen

2.1 The view of marriage in Jane Austen’s time

At the turn of 18th and 19th century, the united United Kingdom was in economic growth.The principal contradiction of this period was in latency stage, compared with the development of economy. And at this time, especially in the middle class of countryside, it was filled with a thriving weather, showing a sense of peace and tranquil landscape. Jane Austen’s living place was in the south of England, which was not influenced much in the industrial revolution. Northbound-century Britain was a high birth rate high mortality country. A couple with eight or even ten children was widespread. However, because of high mortality, a wealthy person who had no children before his death, suddenly thought of his little contact or near distant niece, nephew, and wanted them to inherit his estate. This kind of thing was commonplace. In the era of Jane Austen's life, marriage was the necessary safeguards for a woman. If a woman didn’t marry, she would not have income, and she was for bidden to work to support herself, and could not inherit from their parents. All these facts made the women keen on marriage. Love and marriage seemed irrelevant to each other, while marriage linked closely with money, social status, and class.

In such a society, the husband meant to be the backbone of his wife. Because men had economic resources, while women did not, therefore, the affection between men and women in marriage seemed not important as their economic conditions. Nineteenth century British social and cultural realities decided the property elements must be taken into account in marriage. In that social environment men took the dominate position and women could not be independent in economy, even had no right to take an important political posit ions, and even was difficult to find a decent job. Women’s

life was under the control of men, first their father, brothers, male relatives, and then their husbands. Thus, the goal of life was to find a husband and rely on him. If a woman decided to remain single, she would be subjected to be ridiculed by the people around. Women must marry in order to survive. At the special circumstances, making best efforts to marry a rich man was also a common sense, and can be socially acceptable.

In addition to economic considerations, marrying a rich man could also bring glory for a woman's families. A single old maid without a husband could not be socially acceptable; they and their families would be discriminated by whole society. Thus, marrying to a man with wealth and the social status could not only provide women a living, but also could bring satisfaction and happiness for her families.

2.2 Jane Austen’s own life and her view of marriage in her novels

Austin was born in 1775 in Hampshire in United Kingdom. Her father was a respected scholarship in charge of a parish priest and property and tax Rector and her mother was a good housewife. Jane never took formal education but received nice family education. Her parents had eight children, six son and two daughters, Jane is the younger one. Some of the six brothers served in the Navy, and some had done as a pastor; an elder brother inherited from a relative a large property, and became well known as the rich gentleman. Although at the time of the British society, the main emphasis for girls was religious and moral education, Jane and her sister; Cassandra had a good childhood family education and edification: reading, writing poetry, painting, music and dance. It should be said, Jane, had a warm home: the parents knew that their sons and daughters loved each other and helped each other. Due to the death of Cassandra’s fiancé, Jane’s sister never married in her rest life, who became Jane’s best friend and spiritual life-long partner. In the quiet countryside, the family lived a simple life. They were engaged in various household chores, visiting relatives and friends, which were the center of their lives. They went to participate in dance ball and in this way they could kill time. After their father died, the family moved to another county. Relying on meager legacy left by his father and her brothers’ help, Jane, her sister and their mother were able to sustain their living. During the rest years of Jane’s life, her works were published and she was abl e to earn some royalties. Jane died in 1817 at the age of 41 years. After she died, she left the whole estate and £ 150 for her sister.

The circumstances surrounding the two heroines of the mate choice kicks off. Revealed that the British capitalist society at that time. In order to marry a woman to seek economic security, and improve the economic sta …… 此处隐藏：16830字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……