On Feminine Consciousness In Emma

Jane Austen was the last English novelist in the eighteenth century, and also she was the first important woman writer in English literature. Maybe due to her sex, she becomes a woman novelist who described the feminine consciousness and touched upon women's problems. Emma was the symbol of Austen's maturity. She put all her effort and enthusiasm into such a mature novel.As women's status has been rising, feminine consciousness is strengthened. It is forceful to analyze feminine consciousness in a woman writer's works. Emma was a typical one .The thesis analyzed feminine consciousness from the different aspects---women characters, women's position and their marriage view. The thesis introduced a new theory---feminist narratology to analyze feminine consciousness. Feminist narratology has developed for more than twenty years, but it didn't attract people's attention. It may gain a good result from bringing feminism into narrative form. It is a trend. In the long run it is beneficial to the research on the development of women characters, women writers and feminine consciousness.Part One introduces Jane Austen's life story and her novel Emma, feminism, feminine consciousness and feminine consciousness reflected in the novel.Part Two mainly focuses on the analysis of narratology, feminist narratology. Through the analysis of the different factors in feminist narratology, we can better understand feminine consciousness. First from the narrative grammar---the narrator's relationship to her story, the thesis illustrates free indirect discourse and voice, finally depicts irony of narrative technique to analyze feminine consciousness.Part Three analyzes the situation which the author was in and her status in life and literature. We can understand it deeply through the background.Part Four was about the personalities of the female characters, including some typical male characters, and heroine's status as well as their marriage view. So we can know the characteristics about achieving their self-development.Part Five by summarizing the contents mentioned above, the thesis concludes that Jane Austen's Emma is a typical novel to analyze feminine consciousness. It was reflected in their struggle for achieving self-development. Through the different analysis of this novel, the thesis wants to arouse women's attention all over the world to struggle for their equal rights and achieve their values.