In Rebecca and A Dream of Red Mansions, the authors create two similar female characters — Rebecca and Wang Xifeng,who have aroused numerous discussions among scholars. Although Rebecca and Xi-feng live in different ...In Rebecca and A Dream of Red Mansions, the authors create two similar female characters — Rebecca and Wang Xifeng,who have aroused numerous discussions among scholars. Although Rebecca and Xi-feng live in different times, they are quite similar in their characters and destinies, and are often referred as representatives of awakened female. This dissertation in tends to conduct a cross-culture comparison between Rebecca and Xi-feng by answering the following questions: 1) what are the historical and individual causes of the feminine awakening of Rebecca and Xi-feng; 2) what are the similarities between Re becca's and Xi-feng's feminine consciousness? 3) What are the differences between Rebecca and A Dream of Red Mansions in dis playing characters' feminine consciousness?By adopting parallel comparative research method, the study finds that: 1) the feminine consciousness of Rebecca and Xifeng stems from both trends of thoughts at that time and their relatively free and open growing environment; 2) the similarity be tween them is that they have similar androgynous characteristics, which reflect the authors' pursuit of an integrated human identi ty; 3) the individuality of Rebecca lies in the characterization techniques, namely the narrative perspective and dual texts, which imply both protest and surrender under the grim reality; in A Dream of Red Mansions, Xi-feng does not form clear feminine con sciousness, instead she become a defender and victim of patriarchal culture.The author hopes that this comparative study between two literary characters can bring a new light to the study of two mas terpieces and help readers to differentiate patterns of feminine consciousness as well as to gain a better perception of feminist value in wider context.展开更多
文摘In Rebecca and A Dream of Red Mansions, the authors create two similar female characters — Rebecca and Wang Xifeng,who have aroused numerous discussions among scholars. Although Rebecca and Xi-feng live in different times, they are quite similar in their characters and destinies, and are often referred as representatives of awakened female. This dissertation in tends to conduct a cross-culture comparison between Rebecca and Xi-feng by answering the following questions: 1) what are the historical and individual causes of the feminine awakening of Rebecca and Xi-feng; 2) what are the similarities between Re becca's and Xi-feng's feminine consciousness? 3) What are the differences between Rebecca and A Dream of Red Mansions in dis playing characters' feminine consciousness?By adopting parallel comparative research method, the study finds that: 1) the feminine consciousness of Rebecca and Xifeng stems from both trends of thoughts at that time and their relatively free and open growing environment; 2) the similarity be tween them is that they have similar androgynous characteristics, which reflect the authors' pursuit of an integrated human identi ty; 3) the individuality of Rebecca lies in the characterization techniques, namely the narrative perspective and dual texts, which imply both protest and surrender under the grim reality; in A Dream of Red Mansions, Xi-feng does not form clear feminine con sciousness, instead she become a defender and victim of patriarchal culture.The author hopes that this comparative study between two literary characters can bring a new light to the study of two mas terpieces and help readers to differentiate patterns of feminine consciousness as well as to gain a better perception of feminist value in wider context.
