女性主义视角下的《时时刻刻》解读_英语论文

An Analysis of The Hours from the Perspective of Feminism

摘要

迈克尔.坎宁安（Michael Cunningham），凭借其处女作《末世之家》蜚声美国文坛。1998年出版的《时时刻刻》是他四部作品中的第三部，该小说一经出版，就引起了很大反响，荣获福克纳小说奖和普利策小说奖；并于2002年被搬上屏幕，获得美国电影金球奖和多项奥斯卡提名，小说和电影在商业上都取得了巨大的成功。在《时时刻刻》这个故事中,他以《达洛维夫人》为线,讲述了在不同时期的社会中三位女性的一天。

本文试从女性主义角度对《时时刻刻》进行解读。本课题由引言，结语及中间三个章节组成。第一章节分为两部分。第一部分简要介绍了作家，作品以及国内外对该作品的研究情况；第二部分主要阐述了本文所用的理论，对女性主义理论从以下方面进行介绍：女性主义的含义，发展历史和流派，并详细介绍了双性同体理念。第二章分为三部分。第一部分探讨英国著名女作家弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫的生存状态及死亡原因；第二部分以50年代美国郊区主妇劳拉·布朗为主题，阐述其在自身激进女性意识下逃离家庭重获自我的过程。第三部分研究克拉丽莎，作为当代的达洛维夫人，在自身男性气质与女性气质中寻求到平衡自我的过程。第三章以双性同体理念为基础，分别分析了在社会发展中三位女主人公女性精神的成长过程，并强调实现协调发展的独立人格的重要性。笔者的课题研究重现了坎宁安笔下女主人公们的生存状态，除此之外，笔者发现坎宁安试图采用弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫的双性同体这一理念来解决女性自我意识问题，并为女性意识寻求在两性中生存发展的平衡点。

笔者希望本课题能够引起社会对妇女的权利问题和社会地位的高度关注,并帮助女性实现协调发展的独立人格。

关键词：《时时刻刻》；女性主义；女性主义文学批评理论；双性同体

Abstract

Michael Cunningham, a contemporary American writer, who makes a name in American literature with his debut”A Home at The End of The Wo-rld”. In 1998, the publication of The Hours lead to great reverberation. This novelwon the Faulkner and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In 2002, the novel was put on the screen and won American Film Golden Globe Award.  In this novel, Michael Cunnin-gham describes one day of three different women in different times.

This paper tries to explain the The Hours from the perspective of feminism. This thesis consists of introduction, conclusion and other three chapters. The first chapter is divided into two parts. The first part briefly introduces the writer, works as well as the domestic and foreign research situation of the work; the second part mainly specifies the theory, makes introduction to feminist theory from the following aspects: the meaning of feminism, history and genre, and introduces the concept of Androgyny; the second chapter is divided into three parts. The first part is about the famous British writer Virginia Woolf's survival condition and the cause of her death; the second part’s theme is around a 1950s American suburban housewife Laura Brown, illustrating the process of regain one’s self in radical feminist consciousness; the third part is about describing the process of how Clarissa, a contemporary Mrs·Dalloway, seeking balance between masculinity and femininity. Based on the concept of androgyny, the third chapter analyzes the process of the development of the female spirit in social environment, and emphasizes the importance of developing the independent personality. This paper reproduces three protagonists’ survival condition. In addition, it finds out that Cunningham tried to work out the conundrum of women's self consciousness by assuming the notion of Androgyny and seeks the balance point of women's consciousness in both sexes. 

The purpose of this paper is that this thesis can appeal the society to pay attention to women's rights and social status, and to help women develop the independent personality coordinately. 

Key words: The Hours; feminism; feminist Literary Criticism; androgyny

Contents

Acknowledgements i

Abstract & Key words in English ii

Abstract & Key words in Chinese iii

Introduction1

1.Literature review 2

  1.1 Former overall studies on The Hours 3

  1.2 The theory of feminist literary criticism 4

  1.3 The concept of androgyny .5

2. Feminist consciousness of three heroines in The Hours .6

  2.1 Suicide-Virgina’s silent revolt .7

  2.2 Escape-Laura’s radical feminism 8

  2.3 Awake-Clarissa’s relief from herself10

3. Androgynous reflection in The Hours .11

3.1 Catharsis-Virgina .12

3.2 Inner sustenance-Laura 12

  3.3 Masculinity and femininity -Clarissa 12

Conclusion 13

References 15