3。 Limitations of Feminism in Women’s Predicaments 12

3。1  The Destiny of Marriage 12

3。2  Women’s Passive Status 13

3。3 Some Discussions about the Study 14

Conclusion 15

References 16

1。 Introduction

1。1 The Introduction of Jane Austen

Jane Austen is one of the distinguished novelists in British literature。 Edmund Wilson, American literary critic, once said that “There have been several revolutions of taste during the last century and a quarter of English literature, and through them all perhaps only two reputations have never been affected by the shrift of fashion: Shakespeare’s and Jane Austen’s”。 Although living in the romantic period, Austen criticized the sentimental novels of her time, and her works mark the transition from the romanticism to realism。 She was the sole realistic novelist in the period of romanticism。 来自优Q尔W论E文R网wWw.YouERw.com 加QQ75201.8766

Born in 1775, Austen was living in British of late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century。 And that was exactly the era of revolution。 During the period, American Civil War and the French Revolution were in the air。 And in the meanwhile, with the further development of the Industrial Revolution, domestic economy of British developed dramatically。 By the impact of revolutions, changes gradually happened, not only in politics, economy, but also in people’s ideology and lifestyle。 People showed unprecedented passion in pursuing equality and freedom。 And women of the upper and middle class who were better educated began to recognize their self-worth so as to break away from oppression to rebirth and started to picture a world in which they could have the same rights and privileges as men。 

In Austen’s time, no matter in real life and literary works, male occupied central and dominant position 。 Nearly all the writers wrote novels through male perspective and plots were all male-centered。 As a great novelist, Jane Austen was different from her contemporaries。 She began to write novels from a unique female perspective so that female could start to express their own feelings and wills towards the world from their own。 What mattered most was that Austen was the first one who gave the novel its modern character through the treatment of everyday life。 Austen was a daughter of a country clergyman, and passed all her life in doing domestic duties in the countryside。 Living a quiet life there, she kept her eyes steadily upon the people and incidents about her and wrote about the small world she lived in。 She always focus on topics about “Three or four families in the countryside” and did not make explicit statements about politics issues confronting British and some significant events such as the American and French Revolution。 Austen usually took surrounding people as her characters and as a keen observer, she was familiar with her characters and had a thorough understanding of them, knowing their daily life, their likes and dislikes, their merits and demerits。 The tone she used to describe her character was light and humorous。 Sir Walt Scott held high comments and declared Austen to be the very master of describing the involvement and feelings and characters of ordinary life。 The major theme of Austen’s works was love and marriage。 And the main literary concern was about human beings in their personal relationships instead of politics, which made her works go beyond the limitation of time and place。 As the popularity with time flying, Austen could have a seat with Shakespeare。论文网

1。2 The Significance of Pride and Prejudice

During the life time of Austen, she wrote six novels in total。 When Austen was only 21 years old, she finished her first novel entitled First Impression, which was later named Pride and Prejudice。 In 1811, she finished her second novel Sense and Sensibility。 Except the two mentioned above, the other four novels were Mansfield Park(1814), Emma(1815), Northanger Abbey(1818) and Persuasion(1818)。