On Female Plights Reflected In Pride And Prejudice From The Perspective Of Cinderella Archetype

Jane Austen left only a few works for the world during her life: six novels, a volume of letters and some adolescent parodic works. Compared with other world-famous writers’, her works seems to be insignificant in the term of quantity. However, during the past two hundred years, only a few can go beyond the status of Jane Austen in the history of literature. And her works become the classics in the heart of generations of readers, rather than have been forgotten with the development of history.It is not hard to find out that plots in Austen’s novel are seared with a clear mark of“Cinderella”. Cinderella’s tale, as the most widespread and oldest fairy tale in the world, has been a classic pattern for western literature and even the world literature. Austen is just one of its advocates. But, there actually are some complex social and personal factors hidden behind the“Cinderella complex” in Austen’s works. When she writes about the Cinderella romantic comedy,she also narrates the predicaments faced by women in society and life at the same time. Pride and prejudice, as the most famous work of Jane Austen, is also the novel that mostly represents the“Cinderella” pattern. As a result, this thesis will study the various plights faced by Austen’s Cinderellas from Pride and Prejudice in details. This thesis is divided into six parts:The first chapter is the introduction part. The author’s life and her creative thoughts are briefly introduced. In this chapter, the present study situation of Austen at home and aboard is also overviewed.The second chapter explores the plight for women like Cinderella’s sisters from the perspective of Miss Bingley. Miss Bingley is a counterpart corresponding to Cinderella’s stepsisters, who are stupid and shallow, sabotaging in Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship constantly. However, she is the character whose “Cinderella complex” is most serious in the novel.She is faced with a congenital plight: the education tendency has killed her consciousness of self,and the social environment makes her voluntarily but unconsciously being the dependency and accomplice of patriarchy.The third chapter analyzes the plight for poor Cinderella who get no help from the prince. As one of them, Charlotte Lucas is an invisible Cinderella in Pride and Prejudice. Under the brilliant glory of Elizabeth, her Cinderella elements are often ignored by readers. Lucas and Elizabeth actually are the both sides of Cinderella: a rational version of reality and an ideal version of fairy tale. For Charlotte Lucas, a rational as well as intelligent woman, beleaguered economy makes her unable to be independent and social discrimination against women makes her difficult tosurvive.The forth chapter puts emphasis on Elizabeth Bennet, who is the central Cinderella in the novel. Even this young woman kissed by Lady Luck, who gets rescued by the prince Mr. Darcy,can not escape from the common foreordination of female, which is being an angel in the house and manipulated by the male.The fifth chapter discusses the plight of Jane Austen. The plights of Cinderella actually are the reflection of author’s real life, so the result that she chooses the “Cinderella” pattern to narrate the fate of women is affected by her own experience and social cultural factors.The last chapter is conclusion. The value displayed in the story of Cinderella is a compromise to the mainstream discourse. However, with the development of society, women are gradually taking their social status back. The Cinderellas should no longer indulge themselves in the daydream of being saved by princes. The only thing that can get them out of the plights is their efforts.