Feminism in The Age of Innocence开题报告

 2023-01-15 02:01

1. 研究目的与意义

Considered from whichever aspect,Edith Wharton is a great writer in America and in the world.But for a long time,she has been regarded merely as #8220;a writer of manners#8221;.The misunderstanding mainly arise from Wharton#8217;s aristocratic background and her description of upper class in late 19th century Old New York in most of her works.She is also considered as a nostalgia writer toward the old past.Confronted with the discriminations toward her works and herself,Wharton was discouraged greatly.Even after the age of Innocence won her Pulitzer Prize,a longing for understanding often appears in her letter to close friends.Wharton appeals for critics and readers to discover the feminism hidden in her works.In her opinion,a novel without a moral theme is not real work of art.Her emphasis on feminism is best revealed in the Age of Innocence.through a study of the feminism theme in the novel,this thesis aims to reveal the fact that Wharton is a writer with strong feminist concerns.

2. 研究内容和预期目标

As a woman writer,Wharton shows her sincere concern about women''s status and fates in her age.This thesis attempts to analyze the feminism reflected in the life struggle of the two heroines in The Age of Innocence.On one hand,women endeavor to pursue their own happiness and freedom. On the other hand, it is an arduous struggle for women in such a patriarchal society as they can neither find any male ally nor set themselves free from the tangles web of the whole Old New York society that gets united to suppress their struggle.The thesis consists of five parts. The first part is a brief introduction of Edith Wharton''s writing experiences,literature review about her and her works.The second part analyzes main three characters in the novel:superficially,May,like all the other traditional women,is obedient,passive,innocent,charming and pure;however,essentially,she is ingenious,as she,taking advantage of her purity and innocence,defeats Ellen and finds her bliss eventually.The other heroine is Ellen.As an independent woman,Ellen tries to rid herself of the unhappy marriage though divorce is regarded as a dishonor in the Old New York.Newland,the hero in the novel,is a superficial supporter of feminism and a real male chauvinist.The third part tried to explore the complicated root causes of women''s arduous struggle in the patriarchal society.The fourth part focuses on Wharton''s feminine consciousness through the novel The fifth part is the conclusion,making a summary of the protagonists'' feminist thoughts.During her life time ,Wharton has never stopped worrying about women''s fate and probing into these social problems.

3. 国内外研究现状

Since The Age of Innocence was published in 1920,it has given rise to a great quantity of criticism.The studies of it and its author Edith Wharton have never ceased from many perspectives in the foreign countries or at home.A large number of scholars abroad have made deep research about The Age of Innocence.At the very beginning,some critics disputed that Edith Wharton imitated Henry James a lot.and they think Wharton''s masterpiece restricted narrow,cold and passionless.From 1970s.As Edith Wharton''s literary position was approved gradually,more and more critics were keen on studying The Age of Innocence and Edith Wharton.In 1975,R.W.B. Lewis,a well-known author and literary critic,published Edith Wharton:A Biography(1975)which was considered as the most authoritative biography of Edith Wharton.Then critics started to research Edith Wharton''s books from the perspective of feminism with the development of feminist criticism.No Man''s Land:The Place of the Woman Writer in the Twentieth Century:Sex Changes(1989)published by two feminists Sandra M.Gilbert and Susan Gubar,stated that Wharton''s The Age of Innocence was worthy of analysis,in theory or in practice,from the perspective of feminism. In China,studies on Edith Wharton lag behind those in the west,for scholars in china just do researches on The Age of Innocence in recent years.Few books have been written by Chinese scholars to make a systematical study on this novel besides some journals articles.

4. 计划与进度安排

Chapter1.Introduction1.1 An Introduction to Edith Wharton and Her Works1.2 Literature ReviewChapter2. The Analysis of Characters in The Age of Innocence2.1 Ellen Olenska-pursuit of freedom2.2 May Welland-pursuit of happiness2.3 Newland Archer-Hypocritical feminism consciousness Chapter3.Arduousness of Women#8217;s Struggle3.1 Failing to Ally Any Male3.2 Suppressed by the Whole New York SocietyChapter4. Edith Wharton#8217;s Feminism in The Age of Innocence4.1 Anti-traditional thoughts4.2 Keep Independent personalityChapter5. Conclusion

5. 参考文献

1.Ammons,Elizabeth,Conflicting Stories:American Women Writers at the Turn into the Twentieth Century[M].New York:Oxford University Press.1982.2.Aryhos,John.#8221;the Coury of the Tuileries:Reflection on Archer#8217;s Retreat in The Age of Innocence.#8221;[J].Edith Wharton Review.16.2(2000):8-12.3.Bacchi,C.Same difference,feminism and Sexual Difference [M].Boston:AllenUnwin.Beer,G.19904.Bell,Millicent.The Cambridge Companion to Edith Wharton[M].Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.1995.5.Eagleton,Mary.Feminist Literary Criticism[M].New York:Longman.19916.Erlich,Gloria.The Sexual Education of Edith Wharton[M].Los Angles:California University Press.1992.7.Hewitt,Nancy.A Companion to American Women#8217;s History[M].Oxford Blackwell Publishing.2002.8.Lewis,R.B.A Biography:Edith Wharton[M].New York:Fromm International.1985.9.Nowlin,Michael.Edith Wharton#8217;s Higher Provincialism:French Ways for American and the Ends of The Age of Innocence[J].Journal of American Studies.2004,38:89-108.10.潘建，美国作家伊迪丝华顿研究述评[J],外国文学研究，2002（1）：161-164、17611.谢荣贵，美国#8220;金字塔#8221;里的女性悲剧[J]，《外国语言文学》，2006（3）：170、203-20612.杨建玫，华顿关注的世界：《欢乐之家》和《纯真年代》的女性解读[J]，昌吉学院学报，2005（1）：12-15.13.张建红，《纯真年代》中的女性意识[D]:[硕士学位论文]，南京：南京师范大学外国语学院，2005.14.张京媛，当代女性主义文学批判[M],北京：北京大学出版社，199515.仲敏义，现实囚笼仲的精神自由：从《纯真年代》的人物塑造看伊迪丝华顿的女性意识[J].湖南人文科技学院学报，2005（6）：66-70

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