On Male Images In Kate Chopin’s Works From The Perspective Of Image Schema Theory

Generally speaking,American female writer Kate Chopin(1850-1904)is positively regarded as a classic and first-rate writer mainly because of her female writings.However,the male images are not so strong in her works,and some of them are even considered as female oppressors negatively.This study argues that the truth is not completely like that and some of the male images are also positive under the perspective image schema theory of cognitive linguistics.To begin with,three representative males are chosen from all her works,based on Kate Chopin’s life experience and consideration.The three representatives are Gouvernail,Pontellier,and Mandelet,who are in different ages and appear in different texts.Gouvernail is a single young man,repeatedly appearing in the following three stories:“Ath(?)na(?)se,” “A Respectable Woman” and The Awakening.Pontellier is a middle-aged businessman and Mandelet is an elder doctor.Both of them are married and appear in The Awakening.Then,this paper tries to analyze how the three males’ positivity is constructed,with the help of the following six schemata—container schema,path schema,force schema,balance schema,up-down schema and link schema.The findings are as follows:Firstly,Gouvernail is diligent as an intellectual with morals,representing the progressive force of society.He is attractive to Mrs.Baroda from the perspective of Force schema,but he resists her temptation with his sense and helps maintain her respectability from the view of Blockage Schema in “A Respectable Woman.” He is a typical little intellectual newly emerged with social industrialization as time goes by from the point of Link schema.Further,his spiritual realm is a little higher than Cazeau’s and Gaston’s from the viewpoint of Up-down schema,together with his certain moral integrity from the perspective of Path schema in “Ath(?)na(?)se.”Secondly,Pontellier is the pillar of his family and the backbone of the society as a middle-aged businessman in The Awakening.He performs his duties well as a father and husband from the perspective of Path schema.He loves his wife and children as well as follows the social norms from the viewpoint of Container schema.Also he develops his family and career simultaneously and gains the good name for him around the community from the view of Balance schema.Besides,he continues the healthy and tough characteristics of Creole race from the point of Link schema.Thirdly,Mandelet is a wise man in society as an elder doctor for he can treat both physical and mental diseases with an insight and he lives a detached life.He has insight from the viewpoint of Up-down Schema.He is famous for his medical skills from the perspective of Link schema.He has the charm of both medical skills and personality from the point of Force schema.Finally,he is detached and almost a hermit from the perspective of Container schema.To sum up,the male characters are also positive and important such as Gouvernail,Pontellier and Mandelet in Kate Chopin’s stories.This shows that Chopin’s male writing is also full,and has helpful significance.In short,this study focuses on the male images,aims to expand the research dimension on Chopin,and has certain significance to further promote gender equality,promote the harmonious development of family and society,and build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind.