On The Pastoral Novels Of George Sand

George Sand was a well-known Romantic writer in the 19th century France and she was also famous for her rebellious spirits at that time. She fought for the liberation of women all her life time with her outstanding works as well as her unusual sensibility and behaviors. Therefore, she contributed greatly to the history of women liberation. As a talented and sentimental writer, she wrote almost 100 novels, more than 50 plays and lots of essays and letters during her 40 years' writing career. Among her numerous works, the most successful and popular ones are those that are entitled 'scotching farmer'gossip' and they are mainly about pastoral life. The smooth and quiet pastoral life that the author depicted in the novels still attracts readers in France and in other parts of the world even after one century.The four pastoral novels by George Sand are La Mare au Leiable,La Petite Fadette,Frangois le Champi and Ies Maitres Son Neurs. La Mare au Leiable is the most representative one among the four and it is also the representative work of the author. George Sand spent her childhood in her grandmother's manor which was a very beautiful place. She left her hometown after growing up, but she would come back sometimes for a rest and she spent her last years in her hometown. She herself had experienced pastoral life, which helped a lot in her writing; thus her pastoral novels are very moving. Compared with her earlier works, the pastoral novels are more successful. As to the style, these novels have their distinct artistic features: rurality is depicted from the angle of feminism and the status of women is made higher in the work; on the other hand, women and the environment bring out the best in each other. Meanwhile, there are several features in her narration: the four novels repeat the same subject, i.e. pursuit of ideal love, marriage and family; they have the same narrative pattern, i.e. the happy ending; the characterization of the heroines is similar, i.e. they all have some kind of Cinderella Complex.The pastoral novels of George Sand are of great significance and value, specifically embody literature aesthetic value, cultural value, society and so on, especially its social value. She made a natural transition from her earlier production of social novels to the pastoral novels. She successfully combined the two seemingly mutual exclusive literary genres together and put her light ideals for society in her pastoral novels in a dim way. As a great writer of the French Romanticism, George Sand employed positive Romantic writing techniques, adhered to her ideal literary viewpoints, affirmed kindness and love, and created a group of honest, lovely and romantic figures. However, Balzac thought that these peasant figures were "untruth" and were totally made up; thus these novels are considered some sweet songs that she sang for the comfort of people. However, George Sand was clear-headed about social reality, which was showed in her novels, such as her violent attack of the harm that the exploitation capitalism brought to people.