关于飘中女权主义毕业论文

Analysis of Gone with the wind from the Perspective of Feminism

Abstract

Margaret Mannerly Mitchell, an American author, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for her novel Gone with the Wind. It was the only book she wrote in her all life, Margaret Mitchell was born in Atlanta, where she always hear about many stories about the war between the northern and southern states in American, then when she was wounded in home, she determined to write a book about the war .This novel is one of the most popular books of all time. The novel Gone with the Wind was set during the times of the Civil War in Atlantic. Soon or later, the American Civil War broke out. Ashley and Charles joined the war. Unfortunately, Charles died in the war. Scarlett became a widow, but she has been in love with Ashley. In the following article, firstly, on the love among Scarlett O’Hara, Ashley Wilkes and Rhett Butler will be introduced by analyzing the characteristic of the three principals. Secondly, the love of the friendship among different kinds of person will be mentioned. The last but not the least, something about the love of family members in the novel of Gone with the wind will be said. Finally, compared with the modern society, what theme the novel revels will be said.

Key words: Love; Friendship; Family love；Reality.

Introduction

As the first novel which depicts American Civil War from women’s perspective, Margaret focuses on the suffering from the war of those women who stay at home and their difficult journey of reconstruction. Literary critics, on the basis of their respective knowledge and understanding have given different evaluation about this novel. Most of their researcher concentrates on the historical background of American Civil War, the abolitionist though, Scarlett’s particular character and the cultural discrepancy between the North and the South. Many critics question the literary value and outdated racial issue of Gone with the Wind. Some consider the novel superficial while treated it only a simple love story. However, the author thinks that the novel is most valuable if read with an understanding of three historical backgrounds, our own, Mitchell’s, and Scarlett’s. On the base of perspective of feministic, this paper wound analyzes the awakening of female self-consciousness reflected in this novel and its positive effect on the cause of women liberation. The first part of this paper is a general introduction to the theoretical Foundation which mainly about Feminism. Then the following chapter is analyses of the book, Chapter three is feminist analysis of Gone

with the Wind and of Scarlet’s characteristic.

2. The Introduction to Feminism

Feminism is the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achieve this state. Hundred years ago, women’s social statue was quite low, women was treated as appendage to men, they only had rights of living, their manner, speaking and behavior were regulated by a series of serious rules and discipline. With the education spreading among women and the awakening of female self-consciousness, they came to realize that they should defend their economic, political and other rights and pursue equal treatment like men. Then there appear feminism. Feminism is a series of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Feminism is mainly focused on women's issues.

First-wave feminism was a series of activities during the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. In the U.K. and U.S., it focused on promoting equal contract, marriage, parenting, and property rights for women. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, activism focused mainly on gaining

political power, particularly the right of women's voting, though some feminists were active in campaigning for women's sexual and economic rights at this time.

Second-wave feminism is a feminist movement beginning in the early 1960s and continuing to the 20th and it coexists with third-wave feminism. Second wave feminism is largely concerned with issues of equality not only suffrage, but things like ending discrimination. Second-wave feminists treat women's cultural and political inequalities as its main purposes that to be deal with. During this period, feminist encourage women to understand aspects of their personal lives deeply by means of public promoting. The feminist activist and author Carol Hamish came up with the slogan for the first time "The Personal is Political", which became synonymous with the second wave.

Third-wave feminism is start from 1900 to the present. It arose as a response toward failures of the second wave and also as a response to the movements created by the second wave. Third- wave feminism often correct the second wave’s ideas and movements that are not good for females. It accommodates contradictions; conflict and changes. The third wave has its origins in the mid-1980. Feminist leasers in the second wave like Gloria Anzaldua, Cherrie Moraga, and Andre Lured tried to

negotiate feminism thought that related to race.

3. Background of Margaret Mitchell’s age

3.1 Women’s social status in American society reflected in the novel

The story takes place in the southern plantation before American Civil War. At that time, the South is a new reclaimed land where the industrial civilization has not yet penetrated it. The residents rest on the rolling money gained by cotton planting and picking. There, within the shadow of chivalry, keeps the skin-deep grace and splendor. Women living on the red soil are delicate flowers, tightly clinging to men and decorating men’s world. They have no rights to vote. Nor can they control their belongings or children after they get married, let alone draw a will or make a treaty without their husbands’ permission. Their social status is parallel to “that of a minor or a slave” (Deborah L.Madsen, 2006). They endure dual oppression not only from men but also from themselves, lying in the subordinate social position without the privilege to manage their own lives. In this male-dominated world, men stifle women’s development from every aspect.

Firstly, they strain every nerve to confine women in the house to ma ke sure that women’s ignorance has not been

corrupted by the society and they are satisfied to be the lovely “vase”. Although men provide women with protection, clothing and food sources, they have an essential prerequisite that men should hold primacy as well as the control of women. Women are imprisoned at home wanting economic independence. The exclusive approach for their social status and economic warranty is to marry and give birth to babies.

Secondly, men also spiritually suppress women. They may yield to women and satisfy their all kinds of small requirements about the household affairs; nevertheless once women have independent opinions, they will feel panic and pull every string to hold them back. For instance, when Scarlett buys a lumber mill and decides to operate by herself, her husband Frank, though a coward, still feels unacceptable: “Frank, in common with all men he knew, felt that a wife should be guided by her husband’s superior knowledge, should accept his opinions in full and have none of her own” (Margaret Mitchell, 2008). Therefore men’s tolerance is on the premise of the assurance of the male-centered status. In fact, men would rather give everything in the world to women than allow women to have intelligence and independent views. I n men’s opinion, “women should be confined to the domestic sphere, nurturing children,