A Discussion On Phenomenon Of Dangerous Reading In Female Novels In Post-Victorian Time

In narrative works,if there is a phenomenon that the protagonist takes wrong action due to the bad influence of the reading,it can be called “dangerous reading”.Regarding the phenomenon of dangerous reading,researchers at home and abroad mainly focus on the dangerous reading of fictional readers in novels from the Renaissance to the Victorian period,but ignore the dangerous reading in post-Victorian Anglo-American women’s novels.Through cultural studies and literary sociology,this paper organizes and discovers various characteristics of dangerous reading in post-Victorian female novels,which mainly includes the two reading psychological processes of "disgust-resistance-rejection" and "admirationidentification-imitation" and the bad reading behavior of "decoration-show off-fetish".Mansfield and Wharton sharply observe this phenomenon and its characteristics,and explore its causes in the creation of novels.Firstly,in fictional works,readers of different classes and genders have different reading difficulties and barriers.Different kinds of Mansfield and Wharton’s fictional readers can be divided in before,during,and after the process of reading.Whether it is the lack of a perfect pre-comprehension structure before reading,or the existence of bad reading psychology and reading application behavior during and after reading,it is not conducive to readers to properly understand and apply knowledge.Secondly,the writer’s own reading and criticism as a actual reader influences their stance and attitude towards this phenomenon.During the late Victorian and Edwardian periods,Mansfield and Wharton not only critiqued and reflected on the dominant intellectual authority of Anglo-American society,but also read and deconstructed romantic popular texts and promoted the reading of artistic intuition.They criticized and reflected on the reading vices of the time,which are presented in the text of the novel.Their reading standards reflect the influence of ancient European literary traditions,so they are keenly aware of the dangerous reading phenomenon of ordinary readers in the face of a mixed literary market.Finally,in the process of re-reading and thinking about the first two readings,critics can draw enlightenment and suggestions for modern readers.It is true that Mansfield and Wharton focus on this phenomenon,which is related to the transformation of intellectual discourse during the Victorian period at that time,but the more important reason is the imperfection of women’s reading history.Mansfield and Wharton,as excellent female writers and female readers of this era,their concern for the plight of women’s reading and their reading principles center on the classics of world literature are still important inspiration and significance for today’s readers.Analyzing the formation of dangerous reading from the triple perspectives of characters’ reading in novels,reading by writers themselves,and reading by critics is conducive to in-depth analysis of the cultural motives,historical background and historical value of the formation of this phenomenon.Modern readers need to avoid mechanical reading actions,form good reading habits,which can promote writers to create excellent literary works,and form a good cycle of literary production and literary consumption.