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Abstract:Bathsheba is the protagonist of Thomas Hardy’s novel Far From the Madding Crowd. In the novel, Bathsheba has a happiness ending, in fact, she is portrayed a tragedy heroine. For this, many scholars analyzes the characters of the person from different critical approaches.This thesis focuses on analysis of Bathsheba’s characters and the reasons of her tragedy fate from Feminism Criticism Approach. In this paper, through the description of her characters, outlook on matrimony and the mainly reasons of her tragic fate, reveals the undetachment opinion to the women with the specific era the author was born into.
Key Words:Thomas Hardy;Bathsheba;Far from Madding Crowd;Feminism Criticism Approach
1、Introduction
Thomas Hardy established his reputation with the publication of Far from Madding Crowd in 1874. It was the first of his so-called “Wexssex novel,” set in a fictitious English county closely resembling Hardy’s native Dorsetshire. The novel’s protagonist, Bathsheba Everdene, would also presage other strong Hardy heroine. In the novel, Bathsheba is portrayed as an independent, free and sexually vital, she has inherited a large farm from her uncle, becomes the center of attention for three men. However, these characters are opposite with the female’s status which asked by the specific era. In the nineteenth century, women are defined and resistant to sexuality, and were described as na?ve and abiding by the social conventions and moral standards. So, the author portrays the hero, Gabriel Oak who is an impressive exemplar of the type of decent, honorable, though sexually ineffective man, and portrays he as a leader of Bathsheba’ characters and moral. At the end of the novel, he leads Bathsheba becomes a common woman.This article focuses on analysis of the characters of the heroine, outlook on matrimony and the reasons of the heroine’s tragic fate from the Feminism Criticism Approach, reveals the understatement opinion to the women with the specific era the author was born into.
2、Literature Review
2.1.International Study
At the end of the novel, the heroine, Bathsheba, has a happiness ending, however, almost of all readers feel she is a tragic shift. The phenomenon lead many scholars pay more attention to the novel. They analyzed the heroine from different point using different criticism.
Mistichelli discusses Bathsheba finds a mate who will help her to fulfill her true humanity. He said “In Far from Madding Crowd uncertainty or ambiguity about sexual identities and roles becomes a recurring motif, especially in connection with the heroine. Time and again in the novel, one encounters situations where outright confusion or some reversal of expectations about Bathsheba’s sex produces significant revelations about her character and introduces important turns in her life.” [1]
Daleski analyzes the forms of love in Far from Madding Crowd. He said “Bathsheba initially makes all the wrong choices in regard to the men in her life, and lead to her tragic ending.”[2]
Boumelha emphasizes the complex interplay of representations of class and gender in Far from Madding Crowd. He said “The plot of marital choice that I have outlined above combines the issues of gender and class in making clear the extent to which the social fate of the heroine depends upon the class and economic position of her husband.”[3]
2.2. Domestic Study
Many domestic scholars analyze the heroine since the novel was published.
Some of them analyze the heroine from the confliction between human and nature, between human and human, between human and ego. They said “Bathsheba becomes the center of three men, during the process she, both in the, finally, she has to marry the man she looks down since the beginning of the novel” [4]
Some of them analyze Bathsheba from the Psychological Approach, they believed that the heroine’s tragic fate was the result of the psychological confliction of the “modern person”. They believed “Bathsheba’s love to Frank Troy is a kind of extremely love which belong to a connection of the nature.”[5]
Some of them analyze Bathsheba from the, they believed that the mainly reasons of the heroine’s tragic fate is led by herself characters. [6]
3、Theoretical Framework and Research Methodology—Feminism Approach
“Meanwhile, women’s contribution during the two world wars proved, better than anything else, that women were as capable as men, and the final approval of female’s suffrage around 1920 in Great Britian and the US marked the climax of the women’s liberation movement.”(Gilbert ﹠ Gubar 1985: 39-58, 162-83, 1215-38) [7]“The feminism in this unit refers chiefly to the theoretical speculations on women and women related subjects as the result of the contemporary women’s movement, which is markedly different from the previous feminisms.”[8]
Feminism incorporates both a doctrine of equal rights for women and an ideology of transformation aiming to create a world for women beyond simple social equality. In general, feminism is the ideology of women’s liberation based on the belief that women suffer injustice because of their sex. Under this broad umbrella various feminism offer differing analyses of the causes, or agents, of female oppression. Definitions of feminism by feminist tend to be shaped by their training, ideology or race. For example, Marxist and Socialist feminists stress the interaction within feminism of class with gender and focus on social distinctions between men and women. [9] So, “They call on women to kill ‘the Angel in the House,’ the traditional image of women (charming, unselfish, pure, and above all mindless), even though this Angel ‘dies hard.’” (Eagleton 1986: 48, 52)[10]
Thomas Hardy, as one of the greatest writer in the 19th century, established his reputation with the publication of Far from Madding Crowd. In the novel, he shows his perceptive of Feminism by Bathsheba. He vividly descript Bathsheba’s characters, outlook on matrimony and her tragic ending, finally, reveals the feminism as Li Yinhe said “Feminism is the equality between male and female in the whole world.” [11]
4、Discussion or Analysis
4.1.The Analysis of Bathsheba’s Characters from Feminism Criticism Approach
Bathsheba, as the protagonist of the novel, she does her best to find a kind of new life which is different from the common women’s life under that society. She is portrayed as a feminist at the beginning of the novel. As the author said “The wagon was laden with household goods and window plants, and on the apex of the whole sat a woman, young and attractive.”[12][3] Her first appear in the novel vividly shows the author’s purpose.
Bathsheba’s character is filled with independent, freedom and wisdom. She feels honorable for she is a female and believes that she will find her statue under the male center society. In her deep conscious, she believes that as a female, if you want to build yourself statue in the society the economic independent is the most important thing.
Her way that she deals with the thing on the farm shows that Bathsheba is portrayed as a new female who is independent, freedom, wisdom. For this, she straggles with the social traditions. Her characters show the author’s attitude to the women at that time. Thomas Hardy, as one of the greatest writer in the 19th century, he saw the unfairly treatment under the male center society, and shows his sympathy to the female. At the same time, her characters show the undetachment opinion to the women with the specific era the author was born into.
4.2. The Analysis of Bathsheba’s Outlook on Matrimony from Feminism Criticism Approach
Base on the economic independent, Bathsheba’s outlook on the matrimony is filled with the freedom. In the 19th center, the female’s fate is controlled by the male. They are called “the angel in the house” are the male’s private property. In their matrimony, they have no chance to choose. But the heroine tries to come over the tradition, and find the independent female life style. In the novel, the author shows Bathsheba’s outlook on the matrimony through the relationship between her and three men who love her, Oak, Boldwood, and Frank. From her attitude to the three men, we can find that she is a different woman in her time.
At the beginning of the novel, she refuses Oak’s courting, even if Oak owns more property than her at that time. In her opinion, Oak is a kindness, loyalty man, but his some actions makes Bathsheba feel she will lose the freedom. As an independent woman, Bathsheba can not bear that she is thought an unmorally female. So, when she find Oak maybe misunderstand her because Mrs. Hurst’s words, she explains that “I bate to be thought men’s property in that way – though possibly I shall be had some day.” [15][24]Her words and actions are contrast with the common action of women in her time. When she find Oak’s mainly purpose of marry her is making her become a common woman, she feels she is hurt. When Oak asks her thought about his courting, she said that “I want somebody to tame me: I am too independent: and you would never be able to, I know” [16] [26]
After she inherited her uncle’s farm, her outlook on matrimony which seeks freedom is showed more evident. Base on the economic independent, she choices her husband according to herself will. Boldwood, as a gentleman – farmer at Little Weatherbury, owns the high status. At many local girl’s heart, he is “very- handsome – rather sternlooking – and rich.” [17][62] He should be the best person as Bathsheba’s husband. But Bathsheba makes a joke with him, only because Boldwood do not pay more attention to her just like other male. When everybody is surprised to her beauty and wisdom, Bolawood’s indifferent attitude hurt her female proud.
5、Conclusion
Bathsheba, as the protagonist of the novel, is the person who is behalf on the woman at that time. She character is filled with independent, wisdom, courage. In the matrimony, she seeks the equality between male and female. However, she also bears the strongest exam from the fate, from society. Finally, she becomes a common woman who fit to the male’s standard.
The charge of Bathsheba’s character reveals the social unfairly treatment to the female in the 19th century. Their education makes them straggle with the society for their fight, but get to more trouble. They have no choice but return bake to the tradition and still are “the angle in the house”.
From the novel, the author shows some of his creative shortage. In his deed conscious, he can not accepts that the female have the equality right with the male just like all of the man in his time.
During the analysis, the article just only discusses the relationship between the social realism and the heroine’s tragic fate.
Bibliography
[1]张军,哈代前期的宗教思想在《远离尘嚣》中的体现, 长春工程学院学报,第七卷第四期,p.52-55,2006.
[2]Gilbert,Sandra M﹠Susan Gubar eds,The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women, the Tradition in English. New York:W.W.Norton ﹠Company,1985.
[3]Zhu Gang,Twentieth Century Western Critical Theories,上海,上海外语教育出版社,2001,P228.
[4]吴中东.英美文学考点测评.上海.世界图书出版公司. 2008.P40.
[5]Eagleton,Mary ed,Feminism Literary Criticism, A Reader, Basil Blackwell, 1986.
[6]李银河,女权主义,济南, 山东人民出版社,2003.1.
Key Words:Thomas Hardy;Bathsheba;Far from Madding Crowd;Feminism Criticism Approach
1、Introduction
Thomas Hardy established his reputation with the publication of Far from Madding Crowd in 1874. It was the first of his so-called “Wexssex novel,” set in a fictitious English county closely resembling Hardy’s native Dorsetshire. The novel’s protagonist, Bathsheba Everdene, would also presage other strong Hardy heroine. In the novel, Bathsheba is portrayed as an independent, free and sexually vital, she has inherited a large farm from her uncle, becomes the center of attention for three men. However, these characters are opposite with the female’s status which asked by the specific era. In the nineteenth century, women are defined and resistant to sexuality, and were described as na?ve and abiding by the social conventions and moral standards. So, the author portrays the hero, Gabriel Oak who is an impressive exemplar of the type of decent, honorable, though sexually ineffective man, and portrays he as a leader of Bathsheba’ characters and moral. At the end of the novel, he leads Bathsheba becomes a common woman.This article focuses on analysis of the characters of the heroine, outlook on matrimony and the reasons of the heroine’s tragic fate from the Feminism Criticism Approach, reveals the understatement opinion to the women with the specific era the author was born into.
2、Literature Review
2.1.International Study
At the end of the novel, the heroine, Bathsheba, has a happiness ending, however, almost of all readers feel she is a tragic shift. The phenomenon lead many scholars pay more attention to the novel. They analyzed the heroine from different point using different criticism.
Mistichelli discusses Bathsheba finds a mate who will help her to fulfill her true humanity. He said “In Far from Madding Crowd uncertainty or ambiguity about sexual identities and roles becomes a recurring motif, especially in connection with the heroine. Time and again in the novel, one encounters situations where outright confusion or some reversal of expectations about Bathsheba’s sex produces significant revelations about her character and introduces important turns in her life.” [1]
Daleski analyzes the forms of love in Far from Madding Crowd. He said “Bathsheba initially makes all the wrong choices in regard to the men in her life, and lead to her tragic ending.”[2]
Boumelha emphasizes the complex interplay of representations of class and gender in Far from Madding Crowd. He said “The plot of marital choice that I have outlined above combines the issues of gender and class in making clear the extent to which the social fate of the heroine depends upon the class and economic position of her husband.”[3]
2.2. Domestic Study
Many domestic scholars analyze the heroine since the novel was published.
Some of them analyze the heroine from the confliction between human and nature, between human and human, between human and ego. They said “Bathsheba becomes the center of three men, during the process she, both in the, finally, she has to marry the man she looks down since the beginning of the novel” [4]
Some of them analyze Bathsheba from the Psychological Approach, they believed that the heroine’s tragic fate was the result of the psychological confliction of the “modern person”. They believed “Bathsheba’s love to Frank Troy is a kind of extremely love which belong to a connection of the nature.”[5]
Some of them analyze Bathsheba from the, they believed that the mainly reasons of the heroine’s tragic fate is led by herself characters. [6]
3、Theoretical Framework and Research Methodology—Feminism Approach
“Meanwhile, women’s contribution during the two world wars proved, better than anything else, that women were as capable as men, and the final approval of female’s suffrage around 1920 in Great Britian and the US marked the climax of the women’s liberation movement.”(Gilbert ﹠ Gubar 1985: 39-58, 162-83, 1215-38) [7]“The feminism in this unit refers chiefly to the theoretical speculations on women and women related subjects as the result of the contemporary women’s movement, which is markedly different from the previous feminisms.”[8]
Feminism incorporates both a doctrine of equal rights for women and an ideology of transformation aiming to create a world for women beyond simple social equality. In general, feminism is the ideology of women’s liberation based on the belief that women suffer injustice because of their sex. Under this broad umbrella various feminism offer differing analyses of the causes, or agents, of female oppression. Definitions of feminism by feminist tend to be shaped by their training, ideology or race. For example, Marxist and Socialist feminists stress the interaction within feminism of class with gender and focus on social distinctions between men and women. [9] So, “They call on women to kill ‘the Angel in the House,’ the traditional image of women (charming, unselfish, pure, and above all mindless), even though this Angel ‘dies hard.’” (Eagleton 1986: 48, 52)[10]
Thomas Hardy, as one of the greatest writer in the 19th century, established his reputation with the publication of Far from Madding Crowd. In the novel, he shows his perceptive of Feminism by Bathsheba. He vividly descript Bathsheba’s characters, outlook on matrimony and her tragic ending, finally, reveals the feminism as Li Yinhe said “Feminism is the equality between male and female in the whole world.” [11]
4、Discussion or Analysis
4.1.The Analysis of Bathsheba’s Characters from Feminism Criticism Approach
Bathsheba, as the protagonist of the novel, she does her best to find a kind of new life which is different from the common women’s life under that society. She is portrayed as a feminist at the beginning of the novel. As the author said “The wagon was laden with household goods and window plants, and on the apex of the whole sat a woman, young and attractive.”[12][3] Her first appear in the novel vividly shows the author’s purpose.
Bathsheba’s character is filled with independent, freedom and wisdom. She feels honorable for she is a female and believes that she will find her statue under the male center society. In her deep conscious, she believes that as a female, if you want to build yourself statue in the society the economic independent is the most important thing.
Her way that she deals with the thing on the farm shows that Bathsheba is portrayed as a new female who is independent, freedom, wisdom. For this, she straggles with the social traditions. Her characters show the author’s attitude to the women at that time. Thomas Hardy, as one of the greatest writer in the 19th century, he saw the unfairly treatment under the male center society, and shows his sympathy to the female. At the same time, her characters show the undetachment opinion to the women with the specific era the author was born into.
4.2. The Analysis of Bathsheba’s Outlook on Matrimony from Feminism Criticism Approach
Base on the economic independent, Bathsheba’s outlook on the matrimony is filled with the freedom. In the 19th center, the female’s fate is controlled by the male. They are called “the angel in the house” are the male’s private property. In their matrimony, they have no chance to choose. But the heroine tries to come over the tradition, and find the independent female life style. In the novel, the author shows Bathsheba’s outlook on the matrimony through the relationship between her and three men who love her, Oak, Boldwood, and Frank. From her attitude to the three men, we can find that she is a different woman in her time.
At the beginning of the novel, she refuses Oak’s courting, even if Oak owns more property than her at that time. In her opinion, Oak is a kindness, loyalty man, but his some actions makes Bathsheba feel she will lose the freedom. As an independent woman, Bathsheba can not bear that she is thought an unmorally female. So, when she find Oak maybe misunderstand her because Mrs. Hurst’s words, she explains that “I bate to be thought men’s property in that way – though possibly I shall be had some day.” [15][24]Her words and actions are contrast with the common action of women in her time. When she find Oak’s mainly purpose of marry her is making her become a common woman, she feels she is hurt. When Oak asks her thought about his courting, she said that “I want somebody to tame me: I am too independent: and you would never be able to, I know” [16] [26]
After she inherited her uncle’s farm, her outlook on matrimony which seeks freedom is showed more evident. Base on the economic independent, she choices her husband according to herself will. Boldwood, as a gentleman – farmer at Little Weatherbury, owns the high status. At many local girl’s heart, he is “very- handsome – rather sternlooking – and rich.” [17][62] He should be the best person as Bathsheba’s husband. But Bathsheba makes a joke with him, only because Boldwood do not pay more attention to her just like other male. When everybody is surprised to her beauty and wisdom, Bolawood’s indifferent attitude hurt her female proud.
5、Conclusion
Bathsheba, as the protagonist of the novel, is the person who is behalf on the woman at that time. She character is filled with independent, wisdom, courage. In the matrimony, she seeks the equality between male and female. However, she also bears the strongest exam from the fate, from society. Finally, she becomes a common woman who fit to the male’s standard.
The charge of Bathsheba’s character reveals the social unfairly treatment to the female in the 19th century. Their education makes them straggle with the society for their fight, but get to more trouble. They have no choice but return bake to the tradition and still are “the angle in the house”.
From the novel, the author shows some of his creative shortage. In his deed conscious, he can not accepts that the female have the equality right with the male just like all of the man in his time.
During the analysis, the article just only discusses the relationship between the social realism and the heroine’s tragic fate.
Bibliography
[1]张军,哈代前期的宗教思想在《远离尘嚣》中的体现, 长春工程学院学报,第七卷第四期,p.52-55,2006.
[2]Gilbert,Sandra M﹠Susan Gubar eds,The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women, the Tradition in English. New York:W.W.Norton ﹠Company,1985.
[3]Zhu Gang,Twentieth Century Western Critical Theories,上海,上海外语教育出版社,2001,P228.
[4]吴中东.英美文学考点测评.上海.世界图书出版公司. 2008.P40.
[5]Eagleton,Mary ed,Feminism Literary Criticism, A Reader, Basil Blackwell, 1986.
[6]李银河,女权主义,济南, 山东人民出版社,2003.1.