英国文学史论文The Bronte Sisters and Feminine Literary

The Bronte Sisters and Feminine Literary

Chapter1 Introduction

The feminine literary creation in England has a long history,but the feminine

literature in its true sense started from Victoria Period in the 19th century, when the

feminine consciousness began to awaken and rose to an unprecedented

feminism novel appeared during the late nineteenth century, and primarily expresses

women’s view to the world, interests in life and values of themselves. They are

written in a vivid language and full of personal feelings, certainly for justice or

equality and against prejudice or abuse from men.

When G.K. Chesterton said, “The novel of the nineteenth century was female”, he

must have been referring to the emergence of a number of brilliant woman writers

whose works gave voice to the feelings and aspirations of the educated women of

their age. The Bronte Sisters appealed for the establishment of women's independent

character and turned the relationship of women's dependence on men to its

great achievements for emancipation of women are not an accident but

root deeply in society and sisters' family. They are so intellectual and diligent to

engage into creative writing. They intend to set up three different social cell modes for

people to make a choice which are male chauvinism, equality of men and women and

feminism.

As an English major students we should have well knowledge of Bronte sisters

and feminist novel. So I collected as much information as I can on this aspect and

read these novels once again. And I found discovery of literature is an open-endless

and ever ongoing process. You can get different feelings if you read these novels more

than once. It's very interesting and useful.

Chapter2 The Ideology in Their Famous Works

Charlotte was born in 1816, Emily in 1818 and Anne in 1820. Bronte sisters are

writers known to all but they all pass away in their prime years. The lives of the

Bronte sisters have been the subject of public interest. Although Emily Bronte and

Charlotte Bronte are sisters live in the same family and society, they have different

characters. Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre 、Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and

Anne Bront's Agnes Grey show the unique thoughts about the female value. The three

novels had been published one by one, and later became the immortal masterpieces in

their short life. From the perspective of feminism and by comparison of these works,

we can find the close inherent relation between these two works and their own

characteristics, the heroines' awaking of self awareness and their different characters

and fates.

In Jane Eyre,infiltrating the largest number of ideas was a sense of women’

independence. This sense of independence thoroughly demonstrated in Jane. Let’s

imagine that if Jane Eyre’s independence had long been nipped in the childhood years;

if she did not have that independence, and she had been living with Rochester who

had his own wife and daughter, began to have money and status; if she did not have

that pure, we now in the hands of Jane Eyre was no longer moved by the tears of the

classics. So why Jane Eyre made us moved — that was her independent personality

and her personality charm which moved the people. This kind of woman’s sense of

independence was just an important quality which was needed for modern women. As

a result, Jane Eyre was popular with more and more modern women because they

could find the secret of success from it. Nowadays, the status of women is getting

higher and higher, they can no longer rely on men as before. It has been proved that if

you want get the real happiness, you cannot rely on anyone, you must be independent.

From Jane Eyre, we have seen “independence”, “struggle” and “no surrender” and

“dare to pursue.” So, Jane Eyre is considered as a women’s independence classic.

Whether poor or rich, beauty or mediocrity, we should have fine mentality and rich

aspiration, independent personality and individual life, pursuing of the spirit equality

between men and women.

Wuthering Heights was unashamedly passionate and ambitious, and allowed

Emily Bronte to explore her gift for lyrical, intensely poetic writing.

The novel was a riddle of view, it was a story about a poor man abused, betrayed

and distorted by his social betters, because he was poor. As a love story, this was one

of the most miseries: the passion between Heath cliff and Catherine proved the most

intense, the most beautiful and at the same time, the most horrible passion was to be

Alfred Tennyson.

While Emily describes Catherine as the one who gives us much room for thought.

In Catherine, the women's weakness and stubborn personality of fancying for beauty

mixed together through a chain of media. They permeate each other and exchange.

Catherine is a complicated figure, too. She has both thoughts of freedom and spirit of

revolt and vanity and class prejudice. This kind of duality in her character judges her

to be both a rebel and a compromiser. So Catherine's personality is filled with

contrasts. On the one hand, it represents a girl of simple and free mind without any

worldly desires. On the other hand, there is a worldly side in her personality which is

manifested by her vanity and her desires for fame and wealth.

Agnes Grey, a story about the life of a governess, appeared in 1847. It was based

on Anne’s recollections of her experience with the children of the Ingham family and

the Robinson family.（Anne Bronte363） In the story Agnes was employed by the

Murray family. When Agnes heard from home that her father was dangerously ill, she

asked permission to go on vacation from Mrs. Grey was a carefully

written study of the life of a governess, and was, perhaps, something above the

average novel of the day.

At the end of her story, after series of humiliations, Agnes became the wife of

Edward Weston, a curate, and stated soberly and optimistically in her diary: “We had

had trials, and we knew that we must have them again; but we should bear them well

” The novel did not gain similar success as Emily’s Wuthering Heights and

Charlotte’s Jane Eyre.（Charlotte Bronte408） Her second novel, The Tenant of

Wildfell Hall, was published in 1848 in three volumes and sold well. One critic

considered it “utterly unfit to be put into the hands of girls,” which of course only

arose more interest in the work. In the story the young and beautiful Helen Graham

had taken a refuge at Wildfell Hall from her irresponsible, drinking husband

Huntingdon. He believed that his brains were composed of more solid materials than

was normal and thus they would “absorb a considerable quantity of this alcoholic

vapor without the production of any sensible result”.

Wildfell Hall was the property of Helen’s brother, a mansion of the Elizabethan

era, built of dark grey stone, cold and gloomy. Gilbert Markham, a local farmer and

the first narrator, fell in love with her. In her diary Helen offered another point of view

in the story and revealed the disintegration of her marriage and adopted disguise as

Mrs. Graham. When Helen’s husband dies, the way was clear for Gilbert to marry her.

The frank depiction of Huntingdon’s alcoholism and Helen’s struggle to free her was

considered by some critics’ inappropriate subjects for a woman.

Chapter3 The Importance of Women’s Independence in Personality

People live in this society should realize if you want to live a dignified life, you

must be independent, not only in economy but also in personality, especially in the

latter one. When referring to the history of English literature in the 19th century, it was

three Bronte sisters that we couldn’t neglect. They strove to improve their ideals and

personality in order to fulfill their potential as a woman. Their names were put in the

first page of the history of English literature in the 19th century because of their

success. From them, we should know that every woman has her own situation.

Whatever a woman chooses to work outside, stay at home or plan to go back to career

after children going to school, if it is a free choice, and she can take full responsibility

of her choice, she should be considered as independent. Every woman should trust her

own feeling and make decision base on her individual preference but not feminism

dogma or any other dogma or tradition. Jane Austen, a famous western author, who

wrote a lot of famous classic books. Yes, she was an excellent example of being

independent. Although she was born in a middle-class family, she still studied very

hard. She devoted a lot to writing. Jane did not become a good writer because of her

family. Instead, she could burn the midnight oil sometimes. She did not yield to the

supervisor. Jane Austen reflected her life in her books. Somehow, those characters

never relied on other people. Yet, they tried their best to achieve their goals and got

what they wanted.

One famous lady I admire is named Yang Lan. She is a TV presenter. As a matter

of fact, she is not only a TV presenter, but also a good supervisor. Although Yang

married to a rich man, she did not give up her career and dream. Instead, she worked

much harder than before. She went abroad to have further study. Her fluent English

can surprise everyone who meets her for the first time. On account of her fluent

spoken English, she represented China to deliver a speech for applying for the host of

2008 Olympic. Her brilliant tirade impressed both at home and abroad. On the other

hand, she launched a program by herself. Though she did not succeed, her spirit of

independence needs to be praised.

Chapter4 Conclusion

Women should have their own independent thinking and behavior, and their own

independent personality and dignity. It is the inspiration that Bronte sisters and their

works leave us. In the first Half of the nineteenth century, British were still living in

absolute hegemony, and women’s sky was low and narrow, leaving little opportunity

in the community. However, in such circumstances, they became famous, and were

considered as the preliminary figures of the sense of female independence, and they

waked up the consciousness of the majority of women.

Nowadays, with the rapid development, an increasing number of women want to

be independent. That a woman’s independence must rely on her own income has

become a rooted concept since the feminism movement, but they have to take extra

burden, for no one can take place of women to bear children and take good care of

them. Therefore, it is unfair to require a woman to have her own income and take

major responsibility of housework and raising children at the same time; women

should weigh the whole situation and make a decision that has the most benefit to

themselves, children and family. It is the realistic attitude in this cooperated society.

True independence does not need to be proved by money. Another reason for

feminists urging women to pursue their own career is that they believe a career can

give women self-sufficient in happiness. And owing to the high education, a large

number of women become the supervisors in the different career area. This is a good

sign to show a woman can create a better quality life for herself instead of marrying to

a rich man. Though this can be a little harder than the later one, it points out the

determination that a woman wants to be independent. We can no longer ignore it. Also,

it is really important and meaningful to everyone, especially for a woman to be

independent.

Chapter5 References

[1] Bronte，Charlotte，Jane Eyre， Beijing：Gray wolf Press，2008。

[2] Anne Bronte. Agnes Grey [M]. Qiu as a result of translation. Shanghai Translation

Publishing House，1991.

[3] Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre [M]. Song Zhaolin translates. Beijing Yanshan

University Press，2002.

[4] Emily Bronte. Wang Huijun，Wang Huiling translation. Wuthering Heights [M].

Yili People’s Publishing House，2001.

[5] 李翼宏，《英国经典小说导读与鉴赏》，湖南师范大学出版社，2006年.

[6] 扬静远，《勃朗特妹》，中国社会科学出版，1983年.

[7]

高万隆，“女权主义和英国小说家”，外国文学评论，1997年第二期.