“美德有报”——维多利亚时代女性的自我牺牲与自我建构

“Virtue Rewarded”:Victorian Women's Self-Sacrifice and Self-Construction

维多利亚时代作家伊丽莎白·盖斯凯尔的小说《妻子与女儿》采用"美德有报"的故事框架,聚焦于"美德"与"回报"两大要素,但与传统模式不同,这部小说关注"美德"对女性产生的影响,揭示了女性"美德"与"婚姻"之间的"牵强"联系,在"婚姻"的回报之外,将"美德"作为更好的回报给予女主人公。盖斯凯尔借此对维多利亚时代早期的女性角色设定与女性力量加以反思,在推崇女性自我牺牲精神的维多利亚社会主导话语中寻求女性自我建构的另一种可能。她回应的是维多利亚时代女性对丧失个体身份的焦虑,以及维多利亚社会对女性反叛的焦虑。盖斯凯尔的女性主义关怀与维多利亚时代中期开始的女性解放运动精神相契合,具有重要历史意义。

In Wives and Daughters, Victorian writer Elizabeth Gaskell adopts the framework of the ＂virtue rewarded＂ story that foregrounds female ＂virtue＂ and ＂reward＂. However, the novel differs from the conventional storyline in that it focuses on the virtue＇s impact upon women, destabilizes the connection between feminine ＂virtue＂ and ＂marriage＂, and rewards the heroine with ＂virtue＂ itself, as well as with ＂marriage.＂ In this way, Gaskell reconsiders the role and power of early Victorian women, and opens up a new possibility for women＇s self-construction in the Victorian discourse of self-sacrifice. In doing so, Gaskell addresses Victorian women＇s anxiety about the loss of self-identity, and Victorian society＇s anxiety over women＇s rebellion. Gaskell＇s feminist concern dovetails with that of British women＇s liberation movement starting at the 1870s, and is of great historical significance.