The Idealism and Realism in Jane Austen’s Novels ——New Cinderella Stories.doc

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1、简奥斯丁小说中的理想主义与现实主义The Idealism and Realism in Jane Austens Novels New Cinderella StoriesContentsAbstract.1I Introduction.2II The Origin of Jane Austens Cinderellas Stories .2III Jane Austens Cinderella Stories.41. Cinderella in Disadvantages.42. Lovely Cinderellas.63. The Princes84. The Difficulties.

2、8IV Jane Austens Faith in Rationalism 9V Jane Austens Cinderella Stories-Combination of Idealism and Realism101. The Idealism Features of Austens Cinderella Stories.102. The Realistic Features in Austens Cinderella Stories.122. 1“Class” in Austens Novels .132. 2 “Money” in Austens Novels .15VI Concl

3、usion .17References.18The Idealism and Realism in Jane Austen s NovelsNew Cinderella Stories摘 要：在简奥斯丁大部分的小说中,灰姑娘情结都贯穿在婚姻主题之中.有人指出爱情问题上有两大模式，灰姑娘就是其中的一种。足见“灰姑娘”传说影响之深。奥斯丁在文学史上一向以理性而著称,但其灰姑娘情结在某种程度上却是一种对婚姻的理想主义的流露.但另一方面,奥斯丁对婚姻主题的处理并非仅仅局限于美好的理想主义,她的灰姑娘情结中依旧包含着理性的因素,故事中的现实性背景以及作者的严肃价值观等等.因此,奥斯丁的灰姑娘故事不同于传

4、统童话故事或白日梦,它们其实是理想主义与现实主义的结合体。关键词： 简奥斯丁 灰姑娘的故事 理想主义 现实主义 男主人公女主人公Abstract：This paper focuses on Austens Cinderella stories, which can be found its expression in dealing with the theme of marriage in each of her novels. Someone points out that there are two major modes on the love question; the Cinder

5、ella is one of them. It serves to show “Cinderella” influence deeply, it has become a part of peoples subconsciousness. Meanwhile, it is a piece of true features of the literary creation too; Jane Austen is famous for her neo-classic emphasis on common sense in literary history, but her Cinderella s

6、tories is to some extent the manifestation of her idealistic attitude towards marriage, on the other hand, she does not confine her presentation of marriage to pure idealism. Jane Austens Cinderella stories also involve some rational features, which can be found in the realistic setting of her Cinde

7、rella stories and her moral concern in the stories. Jane Austens Cinderella stories are no so idealistic as to be far away from social reality. The moral concern involved in Austens Cinderella complex also separates it from the traditional fairy story, or the conventional daydreams. So Jane Austens

8、Cinderella stories are different from the traditional ones in that it is the combination of idealism and rationalism. In the end, this paper also tries to trace the origin of Jane Austens Cinderella complex from a brand new point of view. Key words：Jane Austen Cinderella stories idealism realism her

9、o heroine I Introduction One of the most expressive of all literary genres is the realistic novel. In this genre, Jane Austen was the one to achieve the artistic perfection. Already in Austen, actions of consistent reality are set more or less in the present; little happens that is not likely to occ

10、ur in ordinary life. It is with Jane Austen that the novel assumes its distinctively modern character in the realistic treatment of unremarkable people in the unremarkable situation of everyday life. The characters she creates resemble real contemporary people. Her world resembles real contemporary

11、world, mainly the world of the country landed gentry, of which she makes a cool, unromantic, unsentimental assessment, it is usually assumed that her books express a generally rational view of life. However, when it comes to marriage, Austens favorite topic in her novels, her feminine nature of idea

12、lism is manifested, although in an unconscious and subtle way. Specifically speaking, Austen is obsessed with Cinderella complex in dealing with the theme of marriage in her novels. By comparing the heroines in Jane Austens novels with Cinderella in the traditional story, the readers can find that J

13、ane Austens heroines resemble Cinderella not only in “happy ending” of each novel, but in many other aspects all through the novels. Though Jane Austen is usually regarded as a novelist of neo-classicism which is marked by reason and rational sense, Austens novels are different from the traditional

14、view about her novels, Jane Austens novels also involve some idealistic features for as mentioned above; her Cinderella complex finds its expression all through each of her novels. On the other hand, although Cinderella stories are usually regarded as idealistic, my paper shows that Austen Cinderell

15、a stories are quite different from the traditional ones in that it is a combination of idealism and realism.II The Origin of Jane Austens Cinderellas Stories Being famous as a writer of realism, Austens idealistic thoughts are usually neglected or underestimated. To trace its origin, a glace at her

16、family background and experience is necessary. She once said, women have a dreadful propensity for being poor-which is one very strong argument in favour of Matrimony. Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775, at her fathers rectory at Steventon in Hampshire, the seventh in a family of eight childre

17、n. She lived with her parents until the death of her father in 1805, and then with her mother until the year of her own death. Her father, George Austen, was a scholarly gentleman of moderate income. He had ever done all in his power to increase his income by raising his tithes, etc. When he died, h

18、is widow and daughters were in straitened circumstances, Mrs. Austens income was not great and their total income was no more than two hundred and ten pounds, and the help of the son of family only made life possible for them. The household moved from Steventon to Bath in 1801, from Bath to Southamp

19、ton in 1806, from Southampton to the Hampshire village of Chawton in 1809, every change of address represented, on the whole, a downward social direction. Though all her short life, she had lived within a very narrow incomer. Just as most of the heroines in her novels, Austen herself was a Cinderell

20、a in a materially disadvantaged condition. Her parents never wealthy but had aristocratic connection. The very difference between the Austen and her heroines is that she had a good mother; all the Austens heroines are motherless. Her mother, Cassandra Austen, a lively, intelligent wife and mother, w

21、as a thrifty and sensible manager of her large family. She kept a few cows at Steventon and would certainly have had a well-stocked poultry yard. To add variety to meals for the family and visitors she and her husband worked hard in the vegetable garden and orchard. She was a great reader of novels,

22、 borrowed from a circulating library in Basingstoke, and she had a gift for writing verse and choosing words to rhyme a gift inherited by several of her children. Jane Austen never married. It is said that when Austen was on holiday at Dawlish and Teignmouth, she met a gentleman whose charm of perso

23、n, mind, and manners were worthy of possessing and likely to win her love. But the two did not meet again, and shortly it is heard that he had died. Among the gentry, the level of society into which she was born, single women were without status. As a parsons daughter with no hope of a dowry, she kn

24、ew that however attractive she may have been to the opposite sex, she had only a slender chance of finding a husband in the fairly restricted circle of acquaintances in Hampshire. Yet Cassandra, equally without money or property, fell in love and engaged to Tom Fowle, one of her fathers former pupil

25、s. But the following year came news that her dear and only love had died of yellow fever in St Domingo. She never married, though her life, she had very close relationship with Jane .so her influence to Jane cannot be neglected. It has been asserted that although Tom Lefroy was attracted to her, he

26、jilted Jane, a parsons daughter with no prospected of dowry. During a round of visits to Hampshire in 1802, Jane did accept a proposal of marriage from Harris Bigg Wither at Manydown, but during the night she changed her mind. He was six years younger than Jane, and if she was attracted by the prosp

27、ect of returning to Hampshire as mistress of Manydown she would have had to wait until 1813, when Harris father died and the property became his. So Janes true love can never base on the fortune and class. A letter Jane wrote to Fanny expresses the Janes comment on love:Your mistake has been one tha

28、t thousand of women fall into. He was the first young man who attached himself to you. That was the charm, &most powerful it iswhat is to be done? You certainly have encouraged him to such a point as make him fell almost secure of youAnd now, my dear Fanny, having written so much on one side of the

29、question, I shall turn round & not to think of you not to commit yourself farther, & not to think of accepting him unless you really do like him. Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marring without Affection. (Austen; letter; 1814) IIIJane Austens Cinderella Stories In Austens six nov

30、els, it is a common picture that each novel ends up with one or several happy marriage. In these happy marriages, we may delect the authors hidden Cinderella complex.In the fairy story, poor Cinderella is motherless, so she cannot get any advice or help from her mother in her growing up. The majorit

31、y children possibly hold one kind of contradictory manner to the mother, in certain aspects they thought the mother lovely extremely, but on the other hand, they discovered the mother is actually barrier of their desire; mother is the root of pain and the disappointment.In two of Austens novels, the

32、 heroines are motherless. In Persuasion, Anne Elliot lost her mother when she was only fourteen years old, “she had never since the age of fourteen, never since the lose of her dear mother, known the happiness of being listened to, or encouraged by any just appreciation or read taste”. (Persuasion;

33、39) In Emma, the heroine Emma is motherless when she is still young.In Austens novels, she still avoided to create a mother who can become her daughters friend. In Northang Abbey mother was busy in homework and looking after younger children; she is very good women, but her time is so much occupied

34、in lying in and teaching the little ones that her oldest daughter is inevitably left to shift for herself. In Sense and Sensibility, mother often adopted her daughters advice and judgment; in pride and prejudice, mother is just like Mrs. Bennet so stupid; in Mansfield Park, mother was died so earlie

35、r. Her name is given chiefly to her house and her servants, but she is a common who can take good care of almost nothingSo there is no satisfactory mother in Austens six novels. The heroines are just like Cinderella in that they cannot obtain any helpful guide or advice from their mother. When they

36、grow up and have to deal with the disadvantages they are in. 1. Cinderella in DisadvantagesIt is well-know that Cinderella is in great disadvantage before she becomes a princess. Her clothes are even shabbier than the servantsactually she is a servant without pay in the family. Her world is, most of

37、 the time, no bigger than the kitchen. Most of Austen heroines are also in some kind of material or social disadvantage, although not as great as Cinderella is with the exception of Emma Woodhouse who has a fortune of 30.000 pounds; all the heroines of her novels are short of wealth, and it is Emmas

38、 fortune that is the cause of her self-blinding complacency. Then Cinderella in this novel is Jane Fairfax. Her mother is dead and her father, a penniless army officer, has been killed in action, she has been adopted by her fathers commanding officer, Colonel Camphell, who has a daughter of his own.

39、 His resources do not suffice for more than bring her with an education sufficient to qualify her as excellent governess and such seems to be her inevitable destiny.In Persuasion, Anne Eliot is not in such a material disadvantage as Jane is. Her fathers Kellynch property is good, but not equal to hi

40、s apprehension of the state of the required in its processor. Actually, after his wifes death, he has been constantly exceeding his income; He is growing so dreadfully in debt that at last they move from Kellynch to a small house in Bath. But in spite of this, Ann is more in a family disadvantage th

41、an in a material disadvantage. Being allowed no voice on the family, “she was nobody with either father or sister: her word had no weight; her convenience was always to give ways -she was only Anne”. (Persuation;3) “Nobody”in her immediate family; She is at least “useful” in the neighboring Musgrove

42、 circle. There, others talk while she plays the piano. “she knew that when she played, she was giving pleasure only to herself, but this was no new sensations, excepting one short period of her life, she had never, since the age of fourteen, never, since the loss of her dear mother, known the happin

43、ess of being listened to, or encouraged by any just appreciation or read taste.” (Persuasion；39). Being neglected and even explored by her father and sister, Anne Eliot is a lonely Cinderella in her family.In Sense and Sensibility, the family is practically, though not legally, defrauded through the

44、 effects of the antiquated practice of entail, according to which the estate must descend Mrs. Dashwvod and her two daughters on the edge of poverty.In Pride and Prejudice, poverty is a future menace, and an entail is again the cause; the Bennet girls will see their fathers estate pass to their cous

45、in, Mr. Collins. -Hence, Mr. Bennets fluster and obsession with the problem of how to marry them off, if not profitably, at least securely besides material disadvantage, the Bennet girls are also in a family disadvantage, some of their vulgar relations, just as Darcy said, “must very materially less

46、en their chance of Marring men of any consideration in the world . In addition their mothers stupidity, their unguarded and imprudent manner also affect their respectability in the society. The material disadvantage is not very considerable in Northanger Abbey, but compared with Henry Tilney, she is

47、 still materially in disadvantage, when she is discovered to be less rich than she was supposed to be, she was driven out of the house by General Tilney without the consideration of even decent civility. Of all Austens heroines, Fanny Prince in Mansfield Park is the most disadvantaged. As a poor relation depending on her uncle, when she first came to Mansfield Park, the little visitor meanwhile was as unhappy as possible. Afraid of everybody, ashamed of herself, and longing for the home she had left, she knew not how to