The Meaning of Characters’ Self-realization and Se

TheMeaningofCharacters’Self-realizationandSelf-findinginJaneAusten’sPrideandPrejudiceAbstract:PrideandPrejudiceisoneofJaneAusten’smostfamousnovels.Throughanalyzingcharactersself-realizationandself-finding,thisarticlewillindicatethathumannatureisnotperfectatthebeginningbecauseofthelimitationofthetimesandtheinfluenceofthewrongmoralview,butwiththedevelopmentofcharacterandmentality,evilobstaclesareremovedandhumannaturehasgraduallyperfected.Characters’spiritandmoralityhavebeensublimedatlast.Keywords:PrideandPrejudice;self-realization;self-finding;morality;moralsublimation简·奥斯汀的《傲慢与偏见》中人物自我认识和自我发现的意义摘要：《傲慢与偏见》是简·奥斯汀最著名的小说之一。本文通过分析人物的认识自我和发现自我的过程，表明由于时代的局限和错误价值观的影响，人性并不完善；但是随着性格和心理的发展变化，障碍得以消除，人性也逐渐完善，人物的精神和道德最后得以升华。关键词：《傲慢与偏见》；认识自我；发现自我；道德观；道德升华2IntroductionPrideandPrejudice,JaneAusten’smasterpiece,waspublishedintheageofRomanticismintheearly19thcentury.Romanticismmarkedthereactioninliterary,philosophy,religionandpoliticsdifferentfromtheNeoclassicismandformedneworthodoxyoftheprecedingperiod:emphasizingindividual’screativity;affirmingandrespectingthenatureofhumanbeings;opposinganylawsandregulationsaswellassocialsystems,whichbreachthenaturalimpulseofhumanbeings.JustasWilliamGodwinrelatesthattheonlypowertodecideindividual’sactioncomesfromone’sowncognitionandconscience.Inmanyliteraryworks,characters’destiny,happinessandmisfortunearenotdecidedbythefaultormeritofhumannature,butbytheexteriorenvironment.Forthelimitationofthetimes,thisnovelisconsideredtobenotseriousandnotexpressingspiritualprofundity.Butbythewayofclose-reading,Ithinkitalsoimpliesprofoundmeaningsofmoralityandmentality.AndIdon’tthinkthatitisadequatetoanalyzePrideandPrejudiceonlyonthesuperficiallevelofself-realization,soIwillindicatethatitisalsoanoveloffurtherprofoundlevelofself-findingbyanalyzingthetwomaincharacters.1.Thesuperficialleverofself-realizationBasedontheintroductionofRomanticismabove,itisobviousthatthefootstoneofRomanticismistoregardhumannatureandthebasisofregardinghumannatureisthathumanitycanshowindividualsthecorrectactions,whichmeansthatthewrongchoiceandtheunluckyencounterarenotduetotheindividualproperbuttothe3exteriorworld.Underthisprecondition,self-realizationisrathersaidtorealizehumannatureandhumanvaluethantorecognizethepresentenvironment,theevaluationofself-valueandtherestrictionofbehaviors.1.1CharlotteLucas’sself-realizationCharlotteLucasisElizabeth’sbestfriendandascleverasElizabeth.InPrideandPrejudice,thetypicalself-realizationisreflectedonthedecisionthatCharlottedecidestomarryWilliamCollins.Let’sfirstseetheconditionofthatage.Thefirstsentenceofthisnovel,“Itisatruthuniversallyacknowledgedthatasinglemaninpossessionofagoodfortunemustbeinwantofawife”,immediatelyestablishesthecentralityofadvantageousmarriage,afundamentalsocialvalueofRegencyEngland.Initsdeclarativeandhopefulclaimthatawealthymanmustbelookingforawife,ithidesjustbeneathitssurfacetherealtruthofsuchmatters:asinglewomanmustbeinwantofahusband,especiallyawealthyone.Bythisway,womencanimprovetheirsocialstatuesandliveinawealthlifeinthefuture,justonlyfortofindtheso-called“storeroom”notatleastsufferingfromhungerandcold.SoCharlotteisnotanexception.Shesays,“Ishouldthinkshehadasgoodachanceofhappinessasifsheweretobestudyinghischaracterforatwelve-month,anditisbettertoknowaslittleaspossibleofthedefectsofthepersonwithwhomyouaretopassyourlife.”(p20)FromthissentenceweknowthatCharlotte’sbeliefthatitisbetternottoknowone’shusbandtoowellforeshadowsher“practical”marriagetoCollins,justonlytofindarichhusband,liveacomfortablelifeandimprovehersocialstatus.4Specificallyspeaking,inthisnovelCollinsissuchaparodyofaseriousclericandverysnobbish.AlthoughCharlotteknowsthatshedoesn’treallyloveCollinsandthatherdearfriendElizabethrejectstomarryCollinsbecauseofhatinghisdisgustingbehaviors,shejustforwardlythrowsherselftoCollinsandacceptshisproposalnohesitation.Shealsoinsiststhatthematchisthebestforwhichshecouldhope.Herwordsanddeedsindicatethatsheisveryrealistic:Sheisnotwillingtobeanoldvirgin;shewantstoliveinasteadylifeinherlifeeventhoughtosomeextentthiskindofmarriagedoesn’thaveanyhappinessorvalue.Forexample,“andMissLucas,whoacceptedhimsolelyfromthepureanddisinteresteddesireofanestablishment,carednothowsoonthatestablishmentweregained.”“Withoutthinkinghighlyeitherofmenorofmatrimony,marriagehadalwaysbeenherobject;itwastheonlyhonorableprovisionforwell-educatedyoungwomenforsmallfortune,andhoweveruncertainofgivinghappiness,mustbetheirpleasantestpreservativefromwant.”(p120)Fromthesewordswecanseethathermotivationofmarriageisverysimpleandhermarriageisonlybasedonmoney,neglectingofhappinessandvalue,nottomentiontruelove.Besides,Charlotte’schoiceseemstobealittlefoolish,andmanypeoplethinkthatCharlotte’schoiceislackofsenseandreason.Examplesarefoundout.Mr.Bennetsays,“todiscoverthatcharlotteLucas,whomhehadbeenusedtothinktolerablysensible,wasasfoolishashiswife,andmorefoolishthanherdaughter!”(p125)Elizabethsays,“WereIpersuadedthatCharlottehadanyregardforhim,IshouldonlythinkworseofherunderstandingthanInowdoofherheart.”“thatthewomanwho5marrie