Appreciation of "Thorn Birds" ——On the Second Sex and
Religion
I typed it again. The previous logic was too confusing. After the revision, it was still terrible. In short, start with this, otherwise there will never be another article. Definitely need to read and practice more. Writing is still helpful for reading efficiency and logical thinking. Can I go back and change it before I finish it?
Abstract: This paper analyzes the characters, feminism and religious thoughts on the Chinese version of the novel "Thorn Birds" and the 83rd TV series.
Keywords: thorn bird, feminism, human nature, id, ego, superego, free will, Mary Carson, Ralph, Maggie.
There is a legend that there is a bird that sings only once in its life, and that song is more beautiful and beautiful than all the singing of all creatures in the world. From the moment it left the nest, it was looking for the thorn tree, and it did not rest until it got its wish. Then, it plunged its body into the longest and sharpest thorn, and let go of its singing among the wild branches. In the dying moments, it transcended its own pain, and the song eclipsed both the lark and the nightingale. This is a very beautiful song, the song is dead. Yet the whole world is listening silently, and God is smiling in the sky.
Meggie asked her mother, "When did we go wrong?
" Fei replied.
The first chapter of the novel leads to this small dialogue between the protagonist Maggie and his mother, and Fei's answer is depressing. The symbol of the thorn bird has also been confirmed by several protagonists. Contradictory entanglement, the struggle between love and fate, in the face of love, the heroine also makes the same choice as the thorn bird.
"Thorn Birds" is a family novel written by Australian contemporary writer Colleen McCullough. It takes the love entanglement between the heroine Maggie and priest Ralph as the main line, and describes the story of three generations of Cleary's family. The time span is as long as half a year. centuries. Ralph yearns for the power of the church, but falls in love with Maggie, a beautiful girl from the Cleary family. For the "God" he pursued, he abandoned worldly love, but his heart was extremely contradictory and painful. With this as the center, the joys and sorrows of more than ten members of the Cleary family are also displayed. This work is called Australia's "Gone with the Wind", and personally, this work is more successful than "Gone with the Wind". No matter in the shaping of the characters and the restoration of the historical background, it is more realistic. And the author Colleen McCullough is indeed a very successful Australian writer after Patrick White.
Drogheda, which is an important background for the entire novel, can be described as a symbol of feminism, "except for the highly educated and high-status women, all Australian women have been trained to think that they are more or less their men. A piece of property." Such a patriarchal culture has a great bondage on women, and the image of Mary Carson is a great resistance to patriarchy. After she lost her husband and children, she obtained her husband's property and even Richer than her husband, her financial strength and social status gave her greater freedom. In order to avoid marriage and become a man's property, she gave up carnal desires and played with power. Here, the image of Fei, a traditional woman, is in strong contrast with Mary Carson. In the 83 version of the TV series, Mary Carson came to Fei in a conversation with Fei in Drogheda's house, which made the whole contrast even more stark. Fei loves Frank's father deeply, even though she bravely pursued her inner thoughts, but after being abandoned unfortunately, she endured the arrangement of fate and married Paddy, whose family status and cultivation did not match her own. . She has always abided by the norms of traditional women, and worked tirelessly to fulfill her obligations and responsibilities as a wife. She spent half her life in this misfortune. If Mary Carson is the representative image of feminism, Fei is the unfortunate victim of patriarchy. From the very beginning, she complied with her fate, and the two brief conversations between her and Maggie became a portrayal of her tragic life.
The novel does not only highlight the theme of feminism from women's struggles. It is reflected in Paddy's death, Stu's death and Ralph's death. When Paddy and Stu died, they were all in love with Fei, while It was also Faye and Maggie that Frank was thinking about before he left home. When Ralph went back to the moment Drogheda died, he wasn't thinking about God, but about Maggie. As Catholics, they all think of the woman they love at the end of their lives. This once again highlights from the male perspective that in addition to the theme of feminism, women do not necessarily need to depend on men, and men also need to depend on women.
Mary Carson is a typical representative. At the beginning of her appearance, because of her special identity, she has more independent conditions than other women. Her husband died and she had no children, so she became the only heir to her husband's property and manor. Economic independence and a certain social status gave her the conditions to pursue her own preferences. Her existence seems to challenge the singularity of male discourse power. Its social gender is permeated with the traces of "masculine characteristics" and "the spirit of initiative, economic independence, competitiveness and hard work" (Robbins: 220).
The bold language in the book is very important to the shaping of this image. At the beginning, she unabashedly criticized the old Father Kelly, cursing his soul to rot. When Ralph reminded her that it shouldn't be like this as a Catholic, she stuck to her word. Later, in her conversation with Ralph, her outspokenness was shown again and again, debunking the real reason why Ralph came to Kieranbo, and seeing the relationship between Ralph and Maggie first, before everything developed. , she sees it more thoroughly than anyone else, so that even if she dies in the third part of the novel, her influence still runs through the whole novel, and it is even said that she is like another "God". the fate of the hero and heroine. All of these make Mary Carson's independent, true and brave feminist image more vivid. Her independence even allows her to control her own death.
In the novel, the author has such a description of Mary Carson: "She has been a widow for 33 years, and her only son died when she was still in the cradle. Because of her extraordinary status in Kiranbo, she has never been Didn't take into account the representations made to her by several ambitious men she knew; as Michael Carson's widow, she was an undisputed woman, but as someone's wife she had to take her control of everything It's all in the hands of that man. But Mary Carson's idea of life is not to be a deputy. So she vows to renounce carnal desires and prefer to play with power. She will have a lover, there is absolutely no doubt about it . Because as far as gossip is concerned, Kirambo is like a wire suitable for transmitting electricity. But she has neither human understanding nor ordinary people's weaknesses."
This passage describes Mary Carson's independent image from a more objective point of view. , and also more directly expresses the author's feminist thought, Mary Carson, she is willing to give up lust and play with power. She is unreasonable, she obeys her heart in everything, and she does not allow her weaknesses to be caught by others. As Kieranbo's richest and most powerful person, she lives the life she wants.
While the author himself was born in 1937, the book was written in 1977. This coincided with the second wave of feminism (which began in the 1960s and 1970s and continued into the 1980s), a movement that began with the United States to ignore the idea that women were subordinated to men. Several female images created in the whole novel of Thorns Birds can be described as representatives of feminism, from Mary Carson, the heroine Maggie to Maggie's daughter Zhu Siting, all of them have distinct feminist characteristics. Under the background of a specific era, they deduce their own tragedies under the control of fate.
Mary Kahn's domineering and revengeful behavior in love with Ralph is abhorrent, but her independence is also admirable. In a patriarchal era, she took the initiative to pursue what she loved. In the context of her birth, Mary Carson can also be said to have gained her current social status by relying on her shrewd mind. Compared with Fei, who was originally born in the aristocracy, Mary Carson can be said to have a more distinct feminist image. Relying on his own independent struggle and wisdom, he changed his own destiny. Maybe she has her own misfortune. For the sake of social status and wealth, she married someone she didn't love in her best years, but she still fought against fate to win what she loved. Mary Carson's complex characters can be said to represent feminism in part, and the incarnation of Satan in the other part. She never suppresses the most primitive desires in her heart, and expresses her love for Ralph bluntly. The most impressive thing is the end of the banquet. The conversation and confession Mary Carson had with Ralph the night before her death. "You are wrong. I loved you. God, how much I love you! Do you think that my age automatically excludes this kind of love? Oh. Father de Bricsart, let me tell you something. In this stupid body I'm still young--I still have feelings, I still have desires, I still have dreams, I'm still full of life; these things are unbearable because they are bound by my body. Aging is our The greatest vengeance that a vengeful God can give us. Why doesn't he age our minds too?" She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and bared her teeth in anger. "Of course I'm going to hell. But before I go to hell, I hope I'll have a chance to tell God that he's a selfish, spiteful, pitiful defender of the faith!"
Here Mary Carson The image of her character has reached its peak, and her inner desire explodes without repression. This unattainable desire gives birth to hatred and revenge in her heart. Her love for Ralph could even allow her to exchange souls with the devil. At the same time, she also sees more clearly than everyone else. She seems to see through Ralph's soul, which leads to other schemes that ultimately affect the lives of Ralph and Maggie.
She is the incarnation of Satan in the book. She unabashedly expresses her love for Ralph, even when she wants to leave the world, even if she falls into hell, she will take revenge on the love she can't get. The author's image of Mary Carson is not created as a complete villain, on the contrary, this complex personality is showing her love and sympathy for human nature. The protagonist Maggie, in my opinion, is a more perfect combination of the two images of Mary Carson and Fei. If we use Freud's triple personality to deconstruct, Mary Carson is the id, Fei is the ego, and Maggie is the superego. Mary Carson has no restraint on the most primitive desire in human nature, or in Christian parlance, the original sin of man, while Fei abides by the principle of being a wife, and under the moral constraints of social ethics, she fantasizes about the period when she was a girl Love, while doing her duty as a wife, has caused a lifetime of misfortune. Maggie, as a new generation of female images, has given a lot in the process of competing with God for Ralph, even if she chose to marry Luke after she could not get Ralph, Luke devoted all her energy to pastoral work When using her as an accessory, she firmly chose to leave with the child. Even though she needed to raise her own children independently, she still chose to leave. Ralph said that she has been fighting with God all her life, but at the same time she seems to be closer to God, because no matter how fate treats her, she still does not abandon the love in her heart, whether it is for Ralph, or for Zhu Siting and her mother Fei. She bravely follows her own heart and insists on "free will" to pursue the love in her heart, even if this love is forbidden. In the end, I got my own happiness. Even if I didn't take Ralph from God completely, I got my own part. She can also be said to have the characteristics of a new generation of feminism. Do not succumb to fate and inherent social regulations, and pursue yourself bravely and independently. And Zhu Siting can be said to be a more ideal new era woman, her rebellious, brave, independent, independent character has been running through this character's entire life in the novel. The female images created by Colleen McCullough are gradual and complex, and may not be so perfect, but with the progress of the plot step by step, each character has achieved self-redemption. Perhaps it is her neurological background that makes her characters so real and complex.
This gradual change in character and destiny may be a testament to the movement and development of feminism in Western society at that time.
Some people commented that "The Thorn Bird" is a love idol drama style novel, and I think the value of this novel can surpass British novels such as "Pride and Prejudice", she is not a Mary Sue-style silly white sweet The fairy tale-like self-prostitution of women is more realistic and real, and it is full of women's independent thinking consciousness. Perhaps influenced by Simone Beauvoir's "Second Sex", the novel constantly reflects on the existence of women as objects, constantly denying that women are not accessories to men, men are not subjects, and she is not "he" By". Women can still achieve transcendence. The setting of Zhu Siting's role is the representative of this transcendence. She not only realizes the initiative consciousness in love, but also realizes the initiative and independence in social status.
I'm not really a feminist myself, on the contrary I have some kind of weird discrimination against women, well, I'm a woman myself. I remember a conversation between my second aunt and her young daughter. Mom has a lot of things to do before you go to bed. My cousin sighed: "Men only need to make money. You women are really hard, and I will be like this in the future."
About Ralph The setting of characters is inseparable from the discussion of religion.
In the third chapter, when Ralph first appeared in the dialogue with Mary Carson, he said that the reason for his belief is that God filled his soul, and after falling in love with Maggie, it was completely filled. replaces even better the fullness that God brings to him. This kind of love can fill every corner of his heart, a corner that even God cannot reach.
Some critics once thought that the image of Ralph created by the author was satirizing the hypocrisy of the church, praising humanity and love. Ralph did not love God, but the power of the Pope. I neither deny nor agree with it, indeed as a man it is hard not to be tempted by power. But rather than irony, the author wants to make people feel the transformation of Ralph's image.
Maybe in the process of growing up, everyone will feel confused about life for a while, and start thinking about "who am I, where do I come from, and where do I go". At this time Many people will begin to seek religious or philosophical help. The same is true for Ralph. He will also feel confused. Because he thinks more, he feels more confused and fearful, and he is afraid of the emptiness of his soul. However, his childhood education has brought him into contact with religion very early, and God has become the carrier to enrich his soul. He needs God, he needs this fulfillment, this sense of security. And Maggie's appearance made him realize another kind of fulfillment of soul, which can't be replaced by God. But before he existed as a man, he had already become a priest. In Ralph's view, the two could not have both, and this forbidden love with Maggie was regarded by him as God's test of his faith and his own Sharpening of faith. This contradiction ultimately resulted in the tragic fate of the two people. We don't know if the love between Ralph and Maggie is the lust of original sin, a test by Satan, or a love that brings one closer to God. But when Ralph was about to leave the world, he said that even though Maggie had fought against God all her life, even if she was bruised and bruised, she never gave up the love in her heart. Maybe Maggie was closer to God than herself. The author here again affirms this great proposition of human nature and love. Also as Maggie said, does God really want to punish a person who loves others, and will send a person to hell just because of love. So what is the so-called free will? Ralph's life is also a period of self-redemption, and I have to say that in this relationship with Maggie, he is also closer to God. From the very beginning of exile, to the part with Mary Carson as if Satan tempted Christ (Matthew 4:7), seducing him with wealth and power, to the part with Maggie as if God were testing his fleshly desires. However, in his love with Maggie, he gave up the pursuit of wealth and power, and strengthened his love for God, even though he also loved Maggie at the same time. He did not give up his beliefs, and his beliefs became firmer. Even with his reluctance to part with Maggie, he still chose to serve God. This kind of self-redemption also allowed Ralph to cast aside all kinds of original sins of man, making him closer to God than at the beginning.
"The bird has thorns on its chest, and it obeys an immutable law. She is pierced by something unknown, driven, and sings to die. The moment the thorns pierced, she did not realize that she was dying. It's coming. She just sings and sings until her life runs out and can't sing a single note anymore. But when we put thorns in our chests, we know it, we know it. Yet we But we still have to do it, we still stick thorns into our chests."
References:
[1] [Australia] Colleen McCullough. Thorn Birds [M]. Translated by Zeng Hu. Yilin Press, 1998.
[2 [ 3 _
] Robbins, Ruth. Literary Feminisms. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000.
[4] [Austria] Sigmund Freud. Introduction to Psychoanalysis [M]. Gao Juefu. Commercial Press, 1984.
[5] [France] Simone de Beauvoir. The Second Sex [M]. Tao Tiezhu. China Book Publishing House, 2004.
[6] Bible, Matthew.
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