Feminine Consciousness Reflected In Gone With The Wind
Feminine Consciousness Reflected in Scarlett O¡¯Hara
Abstract: Scarlett O¡¯Hara is undoubtedly the most charming character in Gone with the Wind. She is rebellious, unconventional and never submissive. This paper discusses features of feminine consciousness and demonstrates how they are reflected in Scarlett O¡¯Hara through analyses of her characteristics.
Key words: feminine consciousness, Scarlett, rebellious, independent
1. Feminine consciousness
Feminine consciousness is a cross-cultural, cross-race concept. It is the core of female research and the standard of female literature criticism.
As early as in 1792, in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, the first great feminist work, Mary Wollstonecraft argues that women should not be excluded from the rights enjoyed by men. In The Origin of the Family and the State, Engels provides the most comprehensive account of patriarchal history and economy. His explanation of the roots of women¡¯s subjugation in the main institutions of class society is a giant step forward and lays the foundation for a scientific understanding of women¡¯s plight.
In A Room of One¡¯s Own, Virginia Woolf discusses feminine consciousness from the literary sense. She explains why there are so few women writers and why it is difficult for woman to write. The three most important points in the essay are as follows. First, women¡¯s previous lack of success as writers proceeds not from any absence of talent, but from social disadvantages. Second, she suggests two crucial remedies: financial independence and personal space in order for women to achieve their full potential as writers. Third, Virginia Woolf argues that female writers shouldn¡¯t think of their gender when doing some writing.
2. Feminine consciousness reflected in the rebellious and independent Scarlett
As an ordinary girl growing up in the...
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