白衣女人读书报告英文版

山西师范大学本科毕业论文
关于《白衣女人》的读书报告（——几个女性人物分析）
姓名李娜
院系外国语学院
专业英语教育
班级1301班
学号1314010133
指导教师张君棠
该文对小说《白衣女人》中女性形象的性格特征进行分析，揭示造成她们不同性格的真正原因:不管她们生活在怎样性质的社会—父权制、母系、父系等等，她们都处于从属的地位，只能做一个“无我”的人，这就是为什么身兼两种性格想保持人格独立的玛丽安选择终生不嫁，而软弱、病态的劳拉惨遭陷害的原因了。

关键词：独立;软弱;爱慕虚荣;女权主义
The females in The Women In White have different personalities. By analyzing their personalities we can find out the true reason that lead to their different fates. No matter what kind of society they live in they are doomed to live in a subordinating position.
Key words: independence; weak; vanity; Feminist
Contents
I. Introduction (3)
II. A Brief Review of The Woman In White and Its Author (3)
III. Several Female Images in The Woman In White (5)
A. Feeble and wan Laura (5)
B. Hermaphroditic Marian (5)
C. Mrs Fosco with rebellion and compromise (6)
IV Conclusion (6)
Works Cited (6)
Several Female Images In The Women In
White
I. Introduction
The Woman In White is the master work of Wilkie Collins. In the book, there are some very distinctive female characters. For example, Laura-no voice;
Anne-madwoman; Marian-androgyny; Mrs Fosco-rebellion together with compromise. These characters gave us a vivid reflection of the female situation at that moment which can help us care for woman now better.
II. A Brief Review of The Woman In White and Its Author The author of the book The Women in White is Wilkie Collins ( 8 January 1824 –23 September 1889). He was an English novelist, playwright, and an author of short stories. Collins was born into the family of painter William Collins in London. He received his early education at home from his mother. He then attended an academy and a private boarding school. He also traveled with his family to Italy and France, and learned the French and Italian languages. He served as a clerk in the firm of the tea merchants Antrobus & Co. His first novel Iolani, or Tahiti as It Was; a Romance, was rejected by publishers in 1845. His next novel, Antonina, was published in 1850. In 1851 he met Charles Dickens, and the two became close friends. A number of Collins' s works were first published in Dickens' s journals All the Year Round and Household Words. The two collaborated on several dramatic and fictional works, and some of Collins' s plays were performed by Dickens' s acting company.Collins published his best known works in the 1860s, achieving financial stability and an international reputation. During this time he began suffering from gout, and developed an addiction to opium, which he took for pain. He continued to publish novels and other works throughout the 1870s and 80s, but the quality of his writing declined along with his health. He died in 1889.
Collins wrote the book in 1859. It is considered to be among the first mystery novels and is widely regarded as one of the first (and finest) in the genre of "sensation novels".
The book tells us a mysterious story. Mr.Hartright, an English, went to be a draw teacher of two young lady: Laura and Marian in Limmeridge. In his way to Limmeridge, he came across a strange women in white who said she was followed by some bad persons and she asked help from him. Mr.Hartright helped her catch a carriage. Although Laura and Halcombe are half-blooded sisters. Marian’ s mother who was a headmaster married to Laura’s father. Later, Laura’s father and Marian’ s mother died and Laura’s unc le inherited Limmeridge House and became Laura and Marian’ s guardian. After he arrived at Limmeridge House, he told of the strange
woman and said the woman have ever got help from Marian’ s mother. Mrs. Marian said she would find some clues in her mother’s letters. When Mr.Hartright went into Limmeridge House , he fell in love with beautiful Laura but he did not tell Laura it because he thought he was just a teacher and Laura as his student could not love him. In fact, Laura and Marian knew his love, but Marian warned Mr.Hartright that he could not love Laura and asked him to leave Limmeridge House because Laura was to be married to Sir Percival. In fact, Laura did not love Sir Percival but her father promised the marriage before her father died and Laura did not want to break his father’s promise. One day, Laura heard from a strange letter which said some bad words on Sir Percival which made a lot of people doubt Sir Percival’ s reputation especially Mr.Hartright and Marian. In fact, Sir Percival did not love Laura and he just wanted to make use of Laura to be his wife and forced to Laura to pay off his debts. When Laura became adult, she would get legacy including money about twenty thousand pounds and land directly. Besides, she could get ten thousand pounds if she dead after her aunt. By survey, Marian and Mr.Hartright found the strange woman whom Mr.Hartright had met in his way to London was the person who wrote the letter. The strange woman called Anne Catherick who had ever been admitted into Mrs. Fairl ie( Laura’s mother)’s school and she was very respected for Mrs. Fairlie. Anne knew Sir Percival was not a honesty person and she wanted to prevent Laura going married to Sir Percival.But at that time,Mr.Hartright and Miss Fairlie did not have opportunity to know what Anne know about Sir Percival. Mr.Hartright and Marian could not hold back the marriage because they did not have direct evidence to prove Sir Percival ’s bad reputation. Besides,Sir Percival went to Limmeridge House in person and took the letter from Mrs.Catherick who was Anne ’s mother which proved that Anne was mad and it was Mrs.Catherick that asked Sir Percival to send Anne to asylum. Mr.Hartright left Limmeridge House sadly and later went abroad for the job. Then Sir Percival and Laura got married. Later,they went to Italy for honeymoon. After honeymoon, Sir Percival, Marian, the Count Fosco and the Countess lived in Blackwater House which was Sir Percival’ s house inheriting from his father. The Count was Sir Percival’ s friend and the Cou ntess was Laura’s aunt. In Blackwater House, Laura and Marian did not happy because Sir Percival did not treat them well and he forced Laura to sign her name on a document. Marian asked help from the lawyer Mr.Gilomore’ s assistant William Kyrle but the letter was found by Sir Percival. One day, Marian knew the scary conspiracy between Sir Percival and the Count. Unfortunately, before she took any actions, she was sick. Sir Percival and the Count took means find Anne and Anne was taken in London as Laura, but real Laura was taken into asylum. Later, ”Laura”was dead, so Sir Percival got twenty million dollars and the Count got ten million dollars. Miss Halcombe left Limmeridge House and helped the true Laura escape from asylum. Then they met Mr.Hartright in L aura’s grave. Then they decided to fight against Sir Percival and the Count. Mr.Hartright went to Welmingham to look for Mrs.Catherick. But she did not want to tell the secret of Sir Percival at all. Eventually,Mr.Hartright Knew the secret in the church. Sir Percival’s parents did not got married so Sir Percival did not have right to inherit the Blackwater House. In the church, Sir Percival wanted to fire the evidence, but he
burned him to death. Mr.Hartright forced the Count to hand over the letter which could prove the person who dead in London was not Laura but Anne. At the help of Mr.Hartright’s friend Pesca who was the secretary of a group. Mr.Hartright made a deal with the Count. Mr.Hartright asked the Count to write a full confession signed by him, and a proof of the date on which Laura left Blackwater and traveled to London. Mr.Hartright got the confession and let him leave. Finally, Mr.Hartright and Laura got married and they had a boy which became the heirs of Limmeridge House after
Mr.Fairlie died.
III. Several Female Images in The Woman In White
A. Feeble and wan Laura
There was a sharp contrast between Laura and Marian. Laura, gentle, quiet, beautiful and lovely, was almost a perfect female in men’eyes. But gentle words, sentimental heart, slender feelings and elegant taste were synonymous of weakness. It was Lara’s weakness that led to her tragedy and misfortune. The weakness of Laura was manifested in he absolute obedience to her father. Her father decided the marriage for her before his death and Laura was satisfactory for the decision though she did not love Sir Percival. The appearance of Mr Walt touched her heart. At the same time, her conscience was condemned for her infidelity. Her marriage was not love but respects for her father, which was the source of her tragedy. Besides she could break off the engagement to Sir Percival When she doubted the reputation of Sir Percival, but she refused. She explained that she would never break off his engagement no matter how it ends and she thought her ending was always unfortunate and the only thing she could do was not to breaking her promise and obeying her father, which would make her painful. As a result, Laura chose to trust her fiance and married to him. We couldn’t criticize Laura, because she was in the society where female was discriminated. Before marriage, she was appendant of her father and after marriage, she was appendant of her husband. Laura was a typical victim of paternity, manus and clan system.
The other impression on Laura was her morbidity. In European literature in 19th century, the morbid female characters appeared frequently. The essence are slender mentality and weak body. The illness of Laura was for love. At the beginning, she was sick for lovesickness. Later experiencing several mental attacks, she suffered from psychosis.
B. Hermaphroditic Marian
If Jane was the first ordinary heroine in the history of English literature, Marine could be regarded as the first ugly woman with a beard. In the book, she was described a young ,black, ugly lady with a firm and big mouth and chin like a man. But ugly appearance didn’t weaken her special charm. She behaved well, confidently and elegantly. Even her enemy: Count Fosco praised her and respected her. He said she was the woman who was most brave and wisest. Although Marine thought she had the courage that was not bigger than man’s, but when she found out that the enemy would run into a conspiracy that was related to Laura’s happiness and reputation, she took risks to do something. It was a night with rain that she climbed
the roof to eavesdrop. In order to move quickly, she took off the cumbersome dress and put on light black dress and cloak. After She finished eavesdrop, a heavy rain was coming. She was wet. Later she noted details carefully what she had heard without changing clothes and having a rest. It was said that eavesdrop was the first step for Marine to get rid of the female image and step into the male image, which almost lost her life. But, in the later fight against Sir Percival, she was always acted as the supporting role, as a assistant, while the male was the heroine.
For Marine, a androgyny, was annoyed at being restricted in some aspects because she was a woman. But at the same time, she was disappointed that she was short of personalities that woman should have at that moment. She described herself like this: my hands are already clumsy as a man’s hands. As a female, she had two choices: one was acted as a man; the second was married to a man and stuck to traditional routines as a woman. To be a female possessed with two characters, it was impossible. It was the reason mentioned before that Marine chose to remain unmarried all her life.
C. Mrs Fosco with rebellion and compromise
Another female that was described in the novel was Mrs Fosco, Laura’s aunt. She had been a real feminist before she was married. However after being married, she became a unknown wife with little words in public. In my opinion, there are two main reasons: on one hand, she could have inherited some money but it was deprived by her brother Mr Fairlie, Laura’s father. So she hate Laura and would like to be a loyal assistant in the conspiracy in order to get the fortune. On the other hand, in England, a woman after being married, must be respectful and loyal for her husband. After all, she lost fortune. The only person she can rely on was her husband. So she must restrain her pride and ambition.
IV Conclusion
After an analysis of three distinctive characters: feeble and wan Laura, hermaphroditic Marian, and Mrs Fosco with rebellion and compromise, they were the epitome of the society where women didn’t have status and controlled by their fathers, brothers, and husbands.
Works Cited
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