Abstract

In recent years, study on feminism has been prevailing among critics both at home and abroad. Although Katherine Mansfield, the well-known fiction writer, has also subtly shed light upon her feminism in short stories, most of the studies of her works focus either on her modern writing techniques or the tragic themes, resulting in the long-term neglect of her feminist identity. And the few researches discussing her feminism are all inclined to choose gender politics as their approach. This thesis employs psychological analysis of the female characters in Bliss to find her unique feminist thoughts by close reading and text analysis. Furthermore, her conceptions of ideal womanhood in gender relations are explored.

First of all, the thesis gives a brief introduction to Mansfield’s personal experience and her masterpiece, Bliss, as well as some studies on it. Then, based on the analysis of women’s ambivalence, both helplessness and rebellion, in gender relations, the thesis presents their disillusionment, isolation, blindness and the liberation of the innate desires. Extending from that, Mansfield’s feminist thoughts are concluded as follows: she harbors doubts about the stability of the man-dominated marriage; she criticizes patriarchal society where the female is regarded as “the second sex”; she appeals to the awakening of female consciousness. At last, by associating Bliss with her letters and relevant stories, the thesis claims that the ideal women Mansfield appreciates are those who insist on mental independence and self-freedom in pursuit of stable relationship.
 
Key words: patriarchal society, ambivalence, feminist consciousness, conceptions of ideal womanhood

摘        要

近年来，女性主义研究受到中、外评论界的热捧。著名小说家凯瑟琳•曼斯菲尔德也曾通过她的短篇小说展示她对女性主义的思考。然而对凯瑟琳•曼斯菲尔德作品的研究主要集中在写作技巧和悲剧主题上，致使她女性主义作家的身份长期受到忽视。个别探讨其女性主义思想的研究也均以性别政治为主要论述角度。本文则主要通过对其代表作《幸福》中女性角色的心理进行文本细读和文本分析，据此获得其独到的女性主义思想，并进一步探索曼斯菲尔德对两性关系中理想的女性状态的构想。
文章首先简要介绍其生平与代表作《幸福》，以及前人关于《幸福》的有借鉴性的研究。其次，文章从女性无助与反叛的矛盾心理出发，分别揭示当时女性的幻灭、孤独、盲目，以及固有欲望的解放。通过分析得出以下结论：曼斯菲尔德批判父权制社会对女性“第二性”的定位，质疑父权制下婚姻的稳定性，呼吁女性主体意识的觉醒。最后本文结合曼斯菲尔德的其他作品，提炼出其理想女性的概念，即女性应该在追求稳定的两性关系时保持本身的自由和精神独立。


关键词：父权制社会，矛盾心理，女性意识，理想女性观