女性的觉醒与现实的藩篱——评两则短篇小说中女权意识的建构

The Awakening of Feminism Versus The Barrier of Reality——On the Construction of Feminist Awareness in Two Short Stories

结合20世纪初美国女权运动的历史背景,评析两则短篇小说中女权意识的建构。《被遗弃的韦瑟罗尔奶奶》和《菊花》中女主人公体现了不同程度的新女性特质,她们勇于张扬女性的独立人格,追求女性的自我实现。然而,由于第一次女权运动的不彻底性,她们所具备的女权意识相对薄弱,难以抵御强大的社会阻力。对男权话语的内化、父权制下神权的迷信以及对女权理想的最终背离,强烈书写了当时美国中产阶级女性更为真实的生命体验。

In view of the historical background of American feminist movement in the early 20 th century,the present thesis centers on the construction of feminist awareness in The Jilting of Granny Weatherall and The Chrysanthemums. The female characters portrayed in these two short stories demonstrate visible traits of ＂New Women ＂in varying degrees. They are dauntless enough to proclaim independence and crave self-actualization. However,due to the incompleteness of the first wave of feminist movement,they find themselves ultimately powerless to assert themselves in a patriarchal society. Internalization of male discourse, unquestioning obedience toward theocracy and the ultimate denunciation of their feminist pursuits constitute a truer description of women＇s life in that historic period.