An Analysis of Kitty’s Awakening of Feminist Consciousness in The Painted Veil_英语论文

摘要

《面纱》是英国作家威廉·萨默塞特·毛姆创作的一部反映女性精神觉醒的经典之作，同时也是其最具争议的一部作品。小说讲述了女主人公凯蒂与其丈夫瓦尔特经历的一系列情感波折。凯蒂不甘寂寞发生了婚外恋情,瓦尔特为了惩罚她,将她带到了瘟疫肆虐的中国乡村。在那里瓦尔特最终选择用自己的身体做试验而走向了死亡;凯蒂则在恶劣的环境中逐渐成长,踏上了不悔的精神成长之路。

《面纱》以其悲天悯人的情感关照，以其对道德冲突的敏感解析，以其对人性的尖锐反讽，以其对人类欲望、恐惧和悔恨等内在世界的准确建构，而成为一部艺术的杰作。本文旨在从女性主义视角，分别从家庭、社会层面分析主人公女性意识觉醒的过程。

关键词：《面纱》；觉醒；独立；女性意识

Abstract

The Painted Veil, created by the British writer W. Somerset Maugham, is a classic work of the feminine spirit awakening, and it is also one of the most controversial works. It tells a series of emotional twists and turns between the heroine Kitty and her husband, Walter. Being unwilling to remain out of the limelight, Kitty has a love affair with Charles Townsend. In order to punish Kitty, Walter takes her to a Chinese village which is troubled by plague. Finally, Walter chose to sacrifice himself to struggle with plague, while Kitty sets foot on the road of spiritual growth.

The Painted Veil becomes a masterpiece of art with its emotional care of compassion, with its sensitive analysis of moral conflicts, with its sharp irony of human nature and with its accurate construction of the inner world of human desire, fear and remorse. This thesis aims to analyze the protagonist from feminist perspectives, that is, her spiritual growth is a process of the awakening of feminist consciousness.

Key words: The Painted Veil, awakening, independence, feminist consciousness 

Contents

1. Introduction1

2. Demonstration2

2.1 Kitty’s lack of feminist awareness.2

2.1.1 Kitty’s compliance with her mother3

2.1.2 Kitty’s dependence on her husband.4

2.1.3 Kitty’s blind faith in her lover.5

2.2. The Awakening of Kitty’s feminist consciousness.6

2.2.1 The Awakening of Kitty’s feminist consciousness in family.6

2.2.2 The Awakening of Kitty’s feminist consciousness in marriage.7

2.2.3. The Awakening of Kitty’s feminist consciousness in life value 8

3. Conclusion.8

Works Cited11

Bibliography.12