从觉醒到迷失——论《觉醒》中的主人公埃德娜

From Awakening to Perplexity——On the Heroine Edna in The Awakening

美国作家凯特·肖邦发表于十九世纪末的小说《觉醒》备受女权批评家的重视和好评,关于主人公埃德纳许多评论家几乎形成了一定的共识,认为她在短短的几个月中经历了至少三次觉醒,最终以自杀保全了自己的独立人格。然而,小说中的许多细节表明,埃德纳的觉醒过程其实从童年时期就开始了,她向男权思想的抗争经历了从无意识到有意识的转变,而她的自杀实际上是彻底的迷失而不是真正的觉醒。作家其实是让所有女性以此为戒,努力进取,不断完善自己,实现个人价值。

The Awakening published by the American writer Kate Chopin at the end of the 19th century has received tremendous attention and compliment from feminist critics.Certain consensus has been reached among many critics concerning the heroine Edna.She is said to have experienced thrice awakening within only a few months and her suicide to preserve her independent identity is regarded as heroic and glorious.However,many details from the novel reveal that Edna has been awakening since her early childhood and her unconcious rebellion against patriarchy has gradually shifted to a conscious struggle for autonomy,so her suicide is not real awakening but a total loss of her self.In fact,the author means to warn all women of this danger so that they can realize their personal value through constant strife for self-improvement.