A "Self-contradictory" Picturesque Traveler:Wollstonecraft’s Ethical Stance In Letters Written During S Short Residence In Sweden,Norway,and Denmark

The aesthetic concept “picturesque” is an important topic in Mary Wollstonecraft’s epistolary travelogue Letters Written during a Short Residence in Sweden,Norway,and Denmark.As a picturesque traveler,Wollstonecraft’s attitude towards Gilpin’s theory of the picturesque is paradoxical: On the one hand,Wollstonecraft approves of Gilpin’s innovation of “picturesque” which,in her opinion,fully represents women’s aesthetic experience,and exhibits ethical concerns for women.On the other hand,she questions Gilpin’s picturesque since it obliterates the productivity of land,romanticizes rural poverty,and lacks empathy for the inhabitants who live in poverty.Given all this,Wollstonecraft proposes to integrate the “public spirit” into the concept of the picturesque,and to develop a new one based on the“aesthetics of solidarity”.It can be seen that Wollstonecraft’s approval of and criticism against Gilpin’s picturesque are closely related to her ethical stance.The image of the picturesque traveler in the Letters,though being self-contradictory,shows the consistency and constancy of Wollstonecraft’s ethical concerns and ethical stands.From the perspective of Ethical Literary Criticism,this thesis regards the picturesque traveler in the Letters,first and foremost,as an ethical subject and intends to analyze Wollstonecraft’s ethical stance behind her view of the picturesque.Chapter One firstly summarizes Wollstonecraft’s attitude to the picturesque through her reviews of Gilpin’s theory and then introduces her picturesque travel in Scandinavia.This chapter lays the foundation for the thesis.Chapter Two explains the reason for Wollstonecraft’s reception of Gilpin’s picturesque and how it stands for her concern for women.Chapter Three discusses why Wollstonecraft criticizes Gilpin’s picturesque and how she revises the aesthetic with her concern for the poor.Wollstonecraft’s ethical stance in her Letters can inspire readers to rethink about the problems of human existence and modern civilization.