On Female Consciousness In The Mysteries Of Udolpho

Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho is one of the best Gothic novels in the eighteenth century. Some critics and social criticisms focus on it since its release in 1794. The study on Gothic novels has drawn more and more attention since 1920s, especially after the Second World War. However, the researches on the Gothic novels in China don't keep up with those of western countries. Relatively speaking, few academics study traditional gothic novels and female gothic novels, especially on The Mysteries of Udolpho. This paper aims to analyze Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho by focusing on its text, and further, to reveal female consciousness of fighting for freedom and self-realization through exploring female characters. This paper studies the construction of female consciousness through obedience, oppression and rebellion, female consciousness awakening in the Mysteries of Udolpho in order to provide a research view for female gothic novel. This thesis consists of five chapters along with an introduction and a conclusion. Introduction includes literature review and research significance of Ann Radcliffe. Chapter one describes gentlewomen's internalized obedience in the 18th century of England from three aspects: the backgrounds of the gentlewomen's subordinate status, the anonymous women writer as a gentlewoman and the traditional women Marchioness and Madame St. Aubert's obedience manifested in the text. The enslaved women transformed such qualities made by men as obedience, innocence, passivity, purity and kindness into their indispensable characters. Chapter two illustrates men's oppression and women's rebellion. The paper analyzes women's oppressed state through"gothic villain""castle"and"door"in the patriarchal society. Then it displays women's rebellion to men's repression such as Madame Montoni and Laurentini. Because of the powerful patriarchy systems and social reality, their hysterical resistance ends in failure. They become pawn of patriarchal society. Chapter three interprets the heroine Emily's self- consciousness awakening. Honest, intellectual and clever Emily encouraged by mysterious music gradually realizes herself, who is distinct from the stereotyped women and has her own self-consciousness. She has her own understanding about love, marriage and rights: decision of her own marriage and declaration of property ownership. Finally the illegal usurped villain dies and she escapes from Udolpho and gains happiness.