A Carnival Journey Of "Madwomen"

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is the most notable British critical realist writer in the 19th century. His bildungsroman Great Expectations is written in the first person perspective and is one of the most consequential works of his accomplished life. Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1835-1915) is a British sensation novelist in the Victorian Age. Her representative novel Lady Audley’s Secret has generated widespread attention since its first publication and became one of the best-selling novels of that period. This thesis studies the "madwoman" image in these two novels from a comparative perspective based upon Mikhail Bakhtin’s carnival theory, in order to juxtapose the similarities and differences of writing orientations between male and female writers in their respective portrayals of the "madwoman" image.This thesis begins by outlining the difficult living circumstances and writing dilemmas of Victorian women. Men in this period owned the advantages in society and family, and even reigned supreme in the field of writing. Women’s humble economic status determined their position within the family unit. Tedious family responsibilities and limited writing activities are the primary cause for the genisis of the Victorian Era "madwomen". Next, this thesis delves into a thorough analysis of the carnival journey of the two "madwomen" on the basis of crowning and discrowning, carnival laughter and fire imagery in carnival theory. It also analyzes the causes of Miss Havisham and Lucy Graham’s madness and highlights the carnival spirit of the two "madwomen" who have taken revenge and responded calmly to male authority under the yolk of being oppressed and persecuted by a patriarchal society. Finally, this thesis interprets the characterization of the "madwoman" image, and reveals the causes and the significance of portraying the "madwoman" image. In literary texts, the portrayal of a "madwoman" image is an embodiment of womens’ eagerness and struggle to own their discourse within the dominant patriarchal society. It is also a survival strategy of women in the patriarchal society and their resistance to oppression from the traditional male authority’s view towards women. Meanwhile, the portrayal of the "madwoman" image in literary texts also highlights the spirit of pursuing free and equal dialogue in Bakhtin’s carnival theory and the spirit of subverting the hierarchies, cast systems, and regimes of official world.The innovation of this thesis lies in a comparison of the two "madwomen" image in Great Expectations and Lady Audley’s Secret under the guidance of carnival theory. "Madwomen" can look at the world with different visions. They can express themselves and expose the social reality of unjust and inequality behind the mask of "madness"; The portrayal of the "madwoman" image expresses the two novelists’ calls for establishing equal and harmonious gender relationships. Meanwhile, the "madwoman" image also embodies the expectations of human beings to reach a Utopian ideal society. It is inevitable to march from madness and carnival to civilization, but the process needs the joint efforts of male and female, and their acceptance and respect towards each others’world view and values is the only way to common prosperity.