An Analysis of Female Consciousness in Margaret in North and South_英语论文

摘要

《南方与北方》是英国女作家伊丽沙白·盖斯凯尔写于1885年的小说，盖斯凯尔夫人在这本书中着重展现了一位年轻女孩从英国南方乡村移居到北方工业城镇所产生的生活变化和自身成长蜕变。作者通过女主人公玛格丽特的视角，描绘了两种不同的社会坏境，英国南方是悠闲、宁静的乡村生活，北方则是喧闹、发达的工业社会。

本篇论文将集中在小说女主人公玛格丽特所表现的女性主义的发展及其因素。从三个方面剖析影响女性意识发展的因素，首先分析女主人公自身独立的性格特点和独特的社会态度；接着分析家庭环境背景带来的影响和当时社会背景下其他女性遭遇所产生的冲击；最后探讨当时的社会坏境，工业革命的影响和男权社会下女性地位低下等社会因素。玛格丽特所反映出的女性意识也反射出当时社会女性主义的发展。

关键词：《南方与北方》；玛格丽特；女性意识；男权社会   

Abstract

North and South is a novel written in 1855 by the British author Elizabeth Gaskell. Mrs. Gaskell in this book focuses on the life change and growth and transformation of a young girl who moves from the southern countryside to the northern industrial town. The author describes two different social environments from the heroine Margaret's perspective. The southern life is quiet and the north is a developed industrial society.

This paper focuses on the feminist development of the heroine Margaret and analyzes the factors which affect the development of female consciousness from three aspects. The first part analyzes the heroine's personality characteristics and unique social attitudes. The second part analyzes the impact of family background and the influence from other women's bitter experience. The third part explores the social environment at that time, the impact of the industrial revolution and female social status in the patriarchal society. The female consciousness in Margaret also reflects the development of female consciousness at that time.

Key words：north and south，Margaret，female consciousness，patriarchal society 

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Demonstration 2

2.1 Personal causes leading to the rise of female consciousness 2

2.1.1 Margaret’s spiritual pains 2

2.1.2 Margaret’s personal characteristics 3

2.1.3 Margaret’s view of marriage 3

2.2 Family and other typical female images’ influences contributing to the rise of female consciousness 4

2.2.1 Psychological weakness of Margaret’s father 4

2.2.2 The death of Margaret’s mother 5

2.2.3 The missing of Margaret’s brother 6

2.2.4 Bessie’s death caused by pollution and depression 6

2.3 Social background contributing to the rise of female consciousness 7

2.3.1 The difference between north and south 7

2.3.1.1 The Industrial Revolution 7

2.3.1.2 The difference between north and south 7

2.3.2 The patriarchal society 8

3. Conclusion 9

Works Cited 10

Bibliography 11