An Analysis of Female Subjectivity on The Dressmaker from the Perspective of the Perspective of Feminism_英语论文

摘要

在西方历史中，女性通过三次女性运动来争取与男性平等的权利。在第二次女性运动开始之际，西蒙娜·德·波伏娃发表著作《第二性》。在此书中，波伏娃讨论了在社会中男性成为主体而女性成为他者的缘由，并通过对“主体”和“他者”的理论分析，她揭露了女性如何实现自我意识的觉醒和从他者向主体的转变。她的理论成为女性主义最具影响力的理论之一，并被女性主义者称为圣经。

《裁缝》是一部反映女性意识的电影，讲述了一个关于女性自我救赎的故事，从一个受害者到一个复仇者。本论文将运用波伏娃理论中的“主体”和“他者”对电影女主角从三个角度进行分析：女性形象的对比，人物关系和情节设置。揭露了女主角如何从一个没有人生方向的被诅咒的他者，转变成一个敢于追求爱与梦想的独立的主体，并通过她的彻底的复仇对父权制度作出反抗。

关键词： 波伏娃  女性主体性  他者  附属  父权社会

Abstract

In the history of the western world, women fought for their equal rights to men via three waves of women’s movements. At the beginning of the second wave, Simone de Beauvoir published the famous book The Second Sex. She explored the reasons why women became “the other”, while men “the subject” in society. Through the theoretical analysis of “subject” and “other”, she revealed how women could achieve female self-consciousness and transform themselves into a subject. Beauvoir’s theory has become one of the most significant principles for feminism and has been honored as the Bible by feminists.   

The Dressmaker is a famous movie of female self-consciousness. It tells a story about a woman’s self-redemption from a victim to a revenger. This thesis applies Beauvoir’s theory of subjectivity and otherness to analyze the female protagonist in The Dressmaker in three dimensions: the comparison of female images, character relationship and the plot setting. It reveals that how the protagonist has made the self-transformation from “the other” – a cursed person without direction in life, to a subject – an independent woman who dares to chase her love and dreams, and resists against the patriarchal system via her desperate revenge. 

Key words: Beauvoir  Subjectivity  Others  Subordination  Patriarchal Society

Contents

Chapter One  Introduction 1

1.1  Research Background 1

1.2  Research Objectives 2

1.3  Research Questions 2

1.4  Data and Research Methodology 3

1.5  Research Significance 3

1.6  Thesis Structure 4

Chapter Two  Literature Review 6

2.1  Previous Studies on The Dressmaker 6

2.2  Studies on Subjectivity and Otherness in Television Works and Literature 7

2.2.1 Previous Studies on Female Subjectivity in the Television Works 8

2.2.2 Previous Studies on Female Subjectivity in Literature 10

2.3  Summary 12

Chapter Three  Theoretical Framework 13

3.1  The Development of Feminism 13

3.2  The Definition of “Others” and “Subjectivity” 15

3.2.1 The Concept of “Self-consciousness” and “the Other” from G. W. F. Hegel 15

3.2.2 The Definition of “Subjectivity” and “the Other” from Simone de Beauvoir 16

3.3  The Critique and Complement from the Marxism on Beauvoir's     Feminist Subjectivity 17

3.4  Summary 18

Chapter Four   Analyzing the Transformation of Female Subjectivity in The Dressmaker19

4.1  The Introduction of The Dressmaker 19

4.2  The Three Divisions to Analyze the Transformation of Female Subjectivity20

4.2.1 The comparison of Female Images 22

4.2.2 Character Relationships in Love 24

4.2.3 The Plot Setting 26

4.3  Summary 28

Chapter Five  Conclusion 29

5.1  Major Findings 29

5.2  Limitations And Suggestions for Future Study 30

Bibliography

Acknowledgements