摘要:Jane Austens fundamental feminist concerns may be seen from her constant insistence on womens intellectual power. Her firm belief in womens intelligence leads her undoubtedly to revise the conventional female image in popular novels of her day.
her to recognize her errors.
When Emma knows it is her whom Mr. Elton means to pursue rather than her friend,Harriet, she is so shocked and ashamed that she "sat down to think". She "looked back as well as she could". She wishes that she "had not persuded Harriet into liking the man" ( Jane Austen,1994)It is the first time that Emma finds that she has made a mistake about Harriet and begins to
examine her own conduct. When Harriet declares she has fallen in love with Mr. Knightley,Emma realizes bitterly it is not Harriets fault, but her own. "The blunders, the blindness of her own head and heart" "had brought evil on Harriet, on herself and on Mr. Knightley".( Jane Austen,1994)
Such recognition implies a total examination of herself and an admission that her scheme to find Harriet a husband of high rank has been irrational, obscure and delusive. It also implies her rejection of subjective supposition in favor of objective and impartial reasoning.
Emmas flirtation with Frank is also a disgrace, although at that time she is still in the dark about Franks engagement with Jane Fairfax. Emma does not really care for Frank and only feels intoxicated with Franks flattery. She admits to herself that she is being false and bself-indulgent. conscience also tells her that she has long been scornful and ungracious to Miss Bates. She makes a resolve to begin a regular, equal, kindly intercourse by calling upon Miss Bates the very next morning after Box Hill outing.
Although Emma frequently commits errors, she is aware of them. From time to time she reconsiders her behavior, criticizes herself and tries her best to make reparation. The liveliness of her conscience, the depth of her intelligence and the sincerity of her sympathy open a path to her moral improvement and better sense.
Lionel Trilling points out that Emmas mistakes themselves are what make her lovable,because all human being are fallible and even the best mind makes mistakes.( Gooneratne,1970)In Jane Austens worlds, all the heroines have to struggle with their own weakness and fallibility and make efforts to arrive at a better judgment of themselves. And this process is never-ending.
Those who can accomplish this are women of truly prominent intellectual and moral power.Emma stands among the very few of them. As Mrs. Weston says:“Emma has qualities which may be trusted; she will never lead any one really wrong; she will make no lasting blunder; where Emma errs once, she is in the right a hundred times.” ( Jane Austen,1994)
C. Emma is a Woman who has the Power of Authority
In Jane Austens age, it was universally accepted that authority is based on rationality.As women are supposed to be only emotional creatures,the notion that women have authority or power is naturally rejected. An author for the Edinburgh Review dismissed the proposition that men and women would ever be equal "in power and influence upon the affairs of the world" and even warned that if women are "made ostensibly powerful...the spirit of chivalry...will speedily cease".( Newton,1997) This claim partly justifies what Simone de Beauvoir has said: men tend to construct positive masculine identity through a negative feminine image. Thus, womens lack of authority rightly reflects the powerfulness of men as well as their superiority.
In consequence, it is understandable that few women hav
本论文由英语论文网提供整理,提供论文代写,英语论文代写,代写论文,代写英语论文,代写留学生论文,代写英文论文,留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。