现代大学英语精读5professions-for-women

ProfessionsforWomenVirginiaWoolfDiscussionsWhatarethedifferencesbetweenmenandwomen?Men--arestrongandindependent--haveanaggressivenature--seldomexpressfeelings--aredaring--arenotexcitedbytrivialmatters--aremorelikelyto“explodelikeavolcano〞--makedecisionseasily--aremoredominating

Women--haveanextremelystrongneedforsecurity--areshyandobedient--liketotalk--areloyal--easilyexpressgentlefeelings--aremild

--arehesitating--aremoresensitiveDiscussionsonWomen’sIssue

Allovertheworld,womenfightforequalrights.DoyouthinkitnecessarytodothesameinChina?Withyourexperiencesfromyourfamilyandotherfamiliesaroundyou,whoseopinions,husband’sorwife’s,arelikelytoprevail?ResearchTopicChinesewomen’splaceathomeVillagewomeninChinaChinesewomeninworkplaceChinesegirlintheclassVirginiaWoolfYearsmightobscureherappearance,butnothercreations,aswellastheirinfluenceonworldliterature.VirginiaWoolf(1882-1941):Englishnovelist,critic,andessayist.Oneofthegreatestwritersofmodernism;Oneofthepioneers

ofwomen’sliberationfrompatriarchy.VirginiaWoolfwasborninLondononJanuary25,1882Virginiawaseducatedathomeinherfather’slibrary.ShewaskeenlyawarethatifshehadbeenaboyshewouldhavegoneontoCambridgeorOxford.Laterwiththissenseofinjustice,shewrotetwofeministworks,ARoomofOne’sOwn(1929)

and

ThreeGuineas(1938)TheEarlyDaysIn1912shemarriedLeonardWoolf,acriticandwriteroneconomics,withwhomshesetuptheHogarthPressin1917.Theirhomebecameagatheringplaceforacircleofartists,critics,andwritersknownastheBloomsburygroup.

AsanovelistWoolf’sprimaryconcernwastorepresenttheflowofordinaryexperience.

Woolf’sInnovationinNovelWritingInhernovels,emphasisisnotonplotoractionbutonthepsychologicalrealmofhercharactersandthemoment-by-momentexperienceofliving,whicharedepictedbythetechniquesofinteriormonologueandstreamofconsciousness.Herbooksarealsonotedfortheirpoeticandsymbolicquality,theirsubtlestyleandtheirrichhistoricalandliteraryreference.HerWorks出航〔TheVoyageOut〕(1915年)

夜与日〔NightandDay〕(1919年)

雅各的房间〔Jacob‘sRoom〕(1920年)

达洛维夫人〔Mrs.Dalloway〕(1925年)

到灯塔去〔TotheLighthouse〕(1927年)奥兰多〔Orlando:aBiography〕(1928年)一间自己的房间〔ARoomofOne‘sOwn〕(1929年)

海浪〔TheWaves〕(1931年)

岁月〔TheYears〕(1937年)

三个畿尼(ThreeGuineas)(1938年)

幕间〔BetweentheActs〕(1941年)TragicEnding

Virginiasufferedfromseveralbreakdown.Sheremainedinfrailhealthallherlife.Duringthesecondworldwar,herfinalbreakdownmadeherfillherpocketswithstonesanddrownherselfintheOuseRiver.QuestionsontheGuidetoReadingAccordingtoWoolf,whatarethetwoproblemsthatprohibitherfrompursuinghercareerasawriter?WhatistheAngelintheHouselike?CanyoufindtheherintheChinesefamily?StructureoftheTextPara1

fewerexperiencesintheprofessionofliteraturePara2

Theauthor’sownprofessionalexperiencesPara3

KillingtheAngelintheHouse:togetridoftheconventionalroleofwomen(the1stexperience)Para4

Transitionalpara:whatisawoman?Para5

Asunconsciousaspossible(the2ndexperience)Para6SumupthetwoexperiencesPara7

ConcludesbyraisingQs:newroleofwomen，newrelationshipbetweenmenandwomenParagraph1AccordingtoWoolf,aretheremanypeculiarexperiencesintheprofessionofliteratureforwomen?Why/whynot?Whatkindofoccupationiswritingaccordingtoher?Whydoestheauthorsayso?Whatis“thereasonwhywomenhavesucceededaswritersbeforetheyhavesucceededintheotherprofessions〞Whatismeantby“YourSociety〞?Doestheauthorreallywantananswerbyasking“whatprofessionalexperienceshaveIhad〞?Myprofessionisliterature…thatarepeculiartowomen.Whataretheimplicationthroughthesentence?WomenWritersbeforeWoolf

FannyBurney

(1752-1840)Burney'sfournovelshaveearnedherfavorablecomparisonstoothergiants---Austen,Richardson,DickensandVirginiaWoolf'sdeclarationthatsheis"themotherofEnglishfiction."AphraBehn,(1640-1689)perhapsthefirstprofessionalEnglishwomanwriterandplaywrightAphraBehn'sinfluencewaslaterapplaudedbyVirginiaWoolfinARoomofOne'sOwn,butduringherowntimeshewassuspectedofplagiarismandaccusedoflewdnessbecauseofhergender.BuriedinWestminsterAbbeyMartineau,Harriet(1802-1876),Englishwriter,whosewritings,characterizedbyadvancedviewsonsocial,economic,andreligiousquestions,causedconsiderablecontroversyinhertime.IllustrationsofPoliticalEconomy(1832-1834),PoorLawsandPaupers(1833),andIllustrationsofTaxation(1834)SocietyinAmerica(1837),EasternLife,PresentandPast(1848),LettersontheLawsofMan'sNatureandDevelopment(1851)aferventabolitionistAusten,Jane(1775-1817)Englishnovelist,notedforherwittystudiesofearly-19th-centuryEnglishsociety.Withmeticulousdetail,Austenportrayedthequiet,day-to-daylifeofmembersoftheuppermiddleclass.Herworkscombineromanticcomedywithsocialsatireandpsychologicalinsight.Prideandprejudice,SenseandSensibilityEmmaEliot,George(1819-1880),PseudonymofMaryAnnorMarianEvans,Englishnovelist,whosebooks,withtheirprofoundfeelingandaccurateportrayalsofsimplelives,giveheraplaceinthefirstrankof19th-centuryEnglishwriters.Herfamewasinternational,andherworkgreatlyinfluencedthedevelopmentofFrenchnaturalism.AdamBede(1859),TheMillontheFloss(1860),andSilasMarner(1861).Thus,whenIcametowrite…therewereveryfewmaterialobstaclesinmywayWhatdidshesuggestwiththisstatement?Withtheword“material〞,shesuggestedthatthereareotherobstaclesinherway,probablyobstaclesopposedtomaterial,thatis,obstaclesofaspiritual,mentalorpsychologicalnature.Thefamilypeacewasnotbrokenbythescratchingofapen.What’smeantby“familypeace〞?Nodemandwasmadeuponthefamilypurse.What’smeantbythissentence?Whatdoes“purse〞referto?Commentontheusageof“purse〞？Metonymy(转喻)Afigureofspeechinwhichthenamesofonethingisusedinplaceofthatofanotherassociatedwithorsuggestedbyit.Forexample,weuse?For“thePresident〞and?for“theking〞or“thequeen〞.MoreExamplesonMetonymyThepenismightierthanthesword.Hesucceededbythesweatofhisbrow.Heistoofondofthebottle.IfonehasamindthatwayWhatistheimpliedmeaningofthesentence?ThougheverybodycanaffordthemoneytobuypapertowritealltheplaysofShakespeare,whohasthekindofintelligenceandtalentthatproducedthosegreatplays、Pianosandmodels,Paris,…arenotneededbyawriter.Whatistheimpliedmeaningofthesentence?Thecheapestofwritingpaperis,ofcourse,thereasonwhy…intheotherprofessions.Whatisthetoneofthesentence?Giveitsimpliedmeaning.Thesentenceissarcastic.Itimpliesthatinpatriarchalsocietywomenhavebeenforcedintoalowerfinancialstatusthanmen.Paragraph2WhatisthefunctionofParagraph2?Theauthordidnotstatehersentencesinastraightforwardway.Listsomeexamplesofthem.ButtoshowyouhowlittleIdeservetobecalledaprofessionalwoman…withmyneighbors.Whatismeantby“breadandbutter〞,“butcher’sbill〞?Commentontheirusages.Givetheimpliedmeaningofthesentence.Paragraph3

killingtheangelinthehouseWasWoolf’sfirstarticleeasytowrite?Whatdidshehavetodobattlewithduringthewritingprocess?WhatistheAngelintheHouselike?Whatdidtheauthordowiththeangel?Wastheangelinthehouseeasytokill?ThephantomThiswordiswellchosenforthediscourse.Ithasaliterarymeaningandafigurativemeaning.Theliterarymeaning:somethingthatseemstoappeartothesightbuthasnophysicalexistenceThefigurativemeaning:avision,somethingfearedordread,somethingthatexistsonlyinthemind,anillusion,anymentalimageorrepresentationBothmeaningssuitsthecontexthere.literarily,thephantomappearstothesightintheformofanangel;andfiguratively,itisamentalrepresentationofthestereotypedVictorianwoman.TheangelinthehouseEmilyAusustePatmore,"TheAngelintheHouse"

OilPaintingbyJohnBrett,B.A.Thisfour-partdomesticepiccelebratingmarriedloveasthehighestformoflovebetweenamanandawomanwaspublishedovereightyears,from1854-1862.Thoughcriticsdisparagedit,thepoemwasagreatfavoritewiththereadingpublic,andwasthemostpopularpoemofitstime.Perhapsmoreknownthanread,thepoemcontributedtoVictorianrhetoricaboutawoman'sproperroleandthecultoffamilylife.TheAngelWhatismeantby“angel〞?AmessengerofGodApersonregardedasbeautiful,good,innocent,etc.ItwasshewhousedtocomebetweenmeandmypaperwhenIwaswritingreviews.Whatdoes“paper〞mean?Shewasintenselysympathetic.Shewasimmenselycharming.Shewasutterlyunselfish.Whatdidtheauthorintendtotellusthroughthesentence?Victorianera

formuchofthiscenturythetermVictorian,whichliterallydescribesthingsandeventsinthereignofQueenVictoria(1837-1901),conveyedconnotationsof“prudish,“(过分规矩)"repressed,"and"oldfashioned."Althoughsuchassociationshavesomebasisinfact,theydonotadequatelyindicatethenatureofthiscomplex,paradoxicalagethatwasasecondEnglishRenaissance.VictorianEnglandsawgreatexpansionofwealth,power,andculture.Asembodiedbythemonarchy,thiserawasrepresentedbysuch19th-centuryidealsasdevotiontofamilylife,publicandprivateresponsibility,andobediencetothelaw.Sheexcelledinthedifficultartsoffamilylife…sacrificedherselfdaily.Excel:todosthverywell;todistinguishoneself.Ifthereisdraught,shesatinitDraughtmeansacurrentofairinaroom.AstheEnglishweatheristypicallychilly,itisnotpleasanttositinthedraught.ThemostcomfortableplaceinanEnglishhouseisbythefireplace.Shewassoconstitutedthatsheneverhadamindorwishofherown.Constituted?Donotmeanphysicallysheisbuiltthatway,butthetraditionalvaluesthatweresodeeplyplantedinherminddeprivedheramind(independentopinions)ofherown.Aboveall—Ineednotsayit—shewaspure.Ofallthequalities,puritywasthemostimportantone.Pure:virgin,chaste,virtuousInthosedays—thelastdaysofQueenVictoria—everyhousehaditsangel.Themeaningofthissentencecanbeinterpretedontwolevels.Onthefirstlevel:inthelastdayofQueenVictoria,everyhousehadawomanlikethat,whowassympathetic,charming,unselfish,charmingandaboveallpure.Onadeeperlevel,inthelastperiodofthereignofQueenVictoria,thebeliefthateverywomanshouldhavetheabovequalities,andaboveall,mustbepure.Besympathetic;betender;…bepure.ThesewordssaidbytheAngelinthehousereflectthetraditionalVictorianvaluesaboutgenderroles.Assoonastheauthorbegantowriteherreview,sheseemedtohearavoicetellingherwhattodo.Tobesympathetic:tounderstandthemindofmenandnottodisagreewiththemTobetender:nobetooharshinhercriticismToflatter:topraisethebookinaninsincerewayinordertopleasethereadingpublicTodeceiveindicatesthatshecouldnotwritewhatshereallythought;shewouldhavetotellliesinsteadoftellingthetruth.AlltheartsandwilesofoursexArtsandwiles:thetwowordsmeansthesamething“theslyandcunningtricks〞.Theauthorisurgedtousethetricksofthefemalesexbecauseawomanhastodosoinordertobesuccessfulinamen-dominatedprofessionHadInotkilledhershewouldhavekilledme.Shewouldhavepluckedtheheartoutofmywriting.Tokilltheangel:togetridofthoseVictorianattitudesandvaluescompletelyToplucktheheartoutofmywriting:theVictorianconventionsofbeingawomanwilltaketheessenceofherwriting,whichis,asexplainedinthenextsentence,havingamindofyourown,expressingwhatyouthinktobethetruthabouthumanrelations,morality,andsex.Shewouldhavepluckedtheheartoutofmywriting.Whatisimpliedinthissentence?For,asIfound,directlyIputpentopaper…abouthumanrelations,morality,sex.Putpentopaper:Explainthemeaningofthesentence.Allthesequestions,accordingtotheAngelintheHouse,cannotbedealtwith…tosucceed.Whatisimpliedinthissentence?Thus,wheneverIfelttheshadowofherwingortheradianceofherhalo…flungitatherWhatisimpliedinthissentence?Shediedhard.Shedidn’tdieeasily.Shehadtobekilled.theimpliedmeaningisthatonehadtofightagainsttheVictoriantraditionsbravelyandresolutelyinordertogetridofthem.Herfictitiousnaturewasofgreatassistancetoher…thanareality.Isthephantomarealperson?Whatistherhetoricaldeviceusedhere?Shewasalwayscreepingback…Ihaddispatchedher.Whatisimpliedinthissentence?ThoughIflattermyselfthatIkilledherintheend…insearchofadventures.Flattermyself:Whatismeantbythissentence?Butitwasarealexperience…theoccupationofawomanwriter.WhatdidWoolfintendtotellusinthissentence?Para4WhatisaWoman?Shehadridofherselfoffalsehood…Shehadgotridofthosewrongideasandstoppedtellinglies.Imean,whatisawoman?Imean,whatistheidentityofawoman?Theseeminglysimplequestionofwhatisawomanaddressedtheverybasicquestionabouttheidentityandtheroleofawomaninsociety.Whentraditionalvaluesarecriticized,ittakestimefornewvaluestobeshapedandaccepted.Itisalongprocess.Idonotbelievethatanybodycanknowuntil…humanskill.Ibelievethattoknowwhatisawoman,wewomenhavetoparticipateinalltheartsandprofessionsopentohumanknowledgeandunderstandingandtogiveexpressionsopentohumanknowledgeandunderstandingandtogiveexpressionstoourfeelingsincreativeforms.Expressherself:toexpressoneselfmeanstostateone’sthoughts;togiveexpressionstoone'sfeelings,imagination,etc,increativeorartisticactivityHumanskill:here,“skill〞meansknowledge,understanding,judgment.Para5meninwomenwriter’smindWhydidWoolfwanttobecomeanovelist?Whatisanovelist’schiefdesire?Whydoesanovelistwantlifetoproceedwiththeutmostquietandregularity?Whydoeshewanttodothesamethingsdayafterdayandmonthaftermonth?AccordingtoWoolf,whatrousesawomanwriterfromhertrance,herimagination?Domenallowwomenwritertotalkabouttheirbodyandpassion?TheMindasanIcebergSigmundFreud,thefounderofpsychoanalysis,comparedthehumanmindtoaniceberg.Thetipabovethewaterrepresentsconsciousness,andthevastregionbelowthesurfacesymbolizestheunconsciousmind.OfFreud’sthreebasicpersonalitystructures—id,ego,andsuperego—onlytheidistotallyunconscious.Id,ego,superego3internalforcesthatgovernaperson’spsychiclife:TheId(本我〕：theinstinctualforceoflife—unconscious,uncontrollable,andisolatedTheEgo(自我〕：theexternalforcethathascontactwiththerealworld;Thesuperego(超我〕：thegoverningforce,ormoralconscience,thatseekstocontrolanddirecttheegointosociallyacceptablepatternsofbehavior.Anovelist’schiefdesireistobeasunconsciousaspossible?Unconscious?Firstlevelofinterpretation:Freudianconcept,whichreflecttheancientangersandanxietiesSecondlevel:dissatisfiedwithHenryJames’realisticideasonfictionin“theArtofFiction〞,sheexploredthepsychologicalnatureofconsciousness.Inherpsychologicalnovels,theemphasisisnotonplotoractionbutonthepsychologicalrealmoccupiedbyhercharacters.ForWoolf,thedescriptionoftheimmediateflowofhercharacters’thoughtsandtheirfeelingsofthemomentwasmoreimportantthantherealisticdepictionoftheirphysicalbehavior.Basicallysheconceivesoftheimaginationasshyandhiddensothatthewritercanonlydrawthedeepestinspirationbysuspendingeverydayrationalconsciousnessinordertoliberateanimaginativeexpressionoftheirdeepestcreativity.Sothe“unconscious〞statewouldallowhertobringherimaginationintothefullestplay,toseeandexpressherralitinstreamofconsciousness,fragmentation,ortodevelopherfemininewriting.Hehastoinduceinhimselfastateofperpetuallethargy.Whatisimpliedinthissentence?Hewantshislifeproceedwiththeutmostquietandregularity…thatveryshyandillusivespirit,theimagination.IntheFreudiansense,Woolfisaskingthattheegomanagetheexternalfactorsofherlife----theroutine,thepredictablesocialevents,etc.----sothattheid(orunconscious)wouldbeunrestrained.Therefore,inordernotbedistractedfromhercreativeworkofwriting,awritershouldreducehiseverydaylifetounchangingroutinetoavoidpayingmuchattentiontothepeopleortheevents.TheillusioninwhichheislivingTheillusion:thefictionalworldawriteiscreatinginwordsandlivinginhisimagination.Thefictionalworld:thedevelopingoftheunconsciousflowofthenarrative,oftheexpression.Iftheauthorisdeeplyinvolvedinlisteningtotheunconsciousandrespondingtoitthroughlanguage----newwordsandsentences,newimagesandcharacters----hedoesnotwanttheroutineofthisordinarylifetointerfere,andyetheneedstheseroutinestomaintainhislife.TheimagethatcomestomymindwhenIthinkofthisgirl…outoverthewater.Whatdoes“thefisherman〞mean?Shewaslettingherimaginationsweepunchecked…ourunconsciousbeing.Shewaslettingherimaginationexplorefreelyeverycornerofherinnerworldthatlieshiddeninthedeepestpartsofourunconsciousexistence.Nowcametheexperience,theexperiencethatIbelievetobe…thanwithmen.Whatwastheexperience?WhydoesWoolfbelievethatthisexperiencewasfarmorecommonerwithwomenwriters?Tospeakwithoutfigureshehadthoughtofsomething…wouldbeshocked.Whatisimpliedinthissentence?Theconsciousnessofwhatmenwillsayofawoman…herartist’sstateofunconsciousness.Whatisimpliedinthissentence?Forthoughmensensiblyallowthemselvesgreatfreedomintheserespects…inwomen.Doubt?Whatisimpliedinthissentence?Para6Whyisthesecondobstaclemoredifficulttosolve?OutwardlyVsinwardlyTheauthorismakingcontrastbetweentheoutwardandtheinward.Outward:apparent,observable,andvisible,inward:ontheinsideof,orbelongingtotheinnernaturefaperson,mentalandspiritual.Indeeditwillbealongtimestill…arocktobedashedagainst.Para7aroomofone’sownEvenwhenthepathisnominallyopen…loominginherway.Whatisimpliedinthissentence?Aroomofone’sownAroomofone’sowninthehouse:the3rdmetaphorwoolfusesinthisspeech.aroom:notonlyspaceforliving,btalsospaceforcreativeactivity.Here,itiscomparedtofreedom.Thehouse:thepatriarchalsocietythroughfightingagainsttheangelinthehouse,throughgreatlaborandeffort,somewomenhavegainedapositionorcertainfreedominasocietywhichhasbeenuptonowdominatedbymen.Butthisfreedomisonlybeginning…ithastobeshared.Forthefirsttimeinhistory,womenearntheirrentoftheirhouse.Butthisfreedomisonlybeginningandthereisstilllongwaytogo.Forw