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1、The Marriage Comparison between Wang Xifeng and Scarlett1. Introduction Wang Xifeng, the heroine of A Dream of Red Mansions and Scarlett, the heroine of Gone with the Wind, be in different age and country, but both of them are loved by the majority of people all over the world. They are not only the
2、 leaders in their own time, but the charm of their character at large lies on their behavior, which is beyond the era of their social position of women, showing womens self-consciousness, a dazzling display of female elegance. This style is not so much the value of traditional female rebellion, but
3、the female character in the exposition of masculinity. On the two female bodies, there are many similarities and differences. This article focuses on the similarities and differences for the end of their marriage. By comparing the personality, family background, the attitude of love and marriage, we
4、 can find some same points of their marriage. By comparing the social environment, cultural background and national identity, we can also find their marriage in many different points. By comparison of their marriage, you can have a better understanding of the two novels and understand the characters
5、, at the same time, it has influence and guidance on modern marriages nowadays.2. The Definition of Marriage2.1 The Views of Marriage LawAccording to the PRC Marriage Law, there should be the free marriage, monogamy, equality between the couple. Husband and wife shall be faithful to each other and r
6、espect each other; family members shall respect and care for the young, help each other, and maintain equal, harmonious and civilized marriage and family relations. “结婚必须男女双方完全自愿，不许任何一方对他方加以强迫或任何第三者加以干涉。夫妻在家庭中地位平等。”（望月嵩，2000：67）The marriage between Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng was parentss order and mat
7、chmakers word, their marriage was doomed to be the feudal arranged marriage. There is no right of free choice, which is a major stumbling block of happy marriage. Feudal arranged marriage is based on the patriarchal society and the patriarchal ideology, so the couple is unequal.Marriage is an import
8、ant part of human life. According to current consensus in the community, the general definition of marriage: marriage is defined as the combination of men and women, who are each others spouses, and has confirmed by social system. Marriage is the pursuit and multiple choice of physical, material and
9、 spiritual needs.Scarletts first marriage is entirely for the maintenance of injured self-esteem. The second marriage has its difficulties, is to Taras 300 yuan tax. But she claimed her sisters happiness. Third marriage is to Reiters money, to satisfy her own vanity, to live a luxurious life. The th
10、ree marriages are for the money, no one for love. The marriage controlled by money wont be happy. Marriage is immoral without love. Although her marriage got material satisfaction to some extent, but did not get spiritual satisfaction.2.2 The Views of the Common People The great 19th century French
11、writer Balzac said, the happiness of marriage is not entirely built on a prominent identity and property, but built on mutual respect. Famous Chinese writer Lu Xun once said, marriage is based on love, is attached, is to respect each other. At the same time, American thinker, writer, poet Ralph Wald
12、o Emerson thinks that a lasting marriage relies on true love, not the flesh of both sides. These famous remarks show that the happy marriage is based on internal feelings and love from the heart, and understand and respect each other. However, family background, social status, and physical satisfact
13、ion can only sustain a temporary marriage, the marriage based on these things is just like castles in the air, which will collapse sooner or later.2.3 The Views of the NovelsMarriage and family relations changed with social relations of production. The social relations of production and social syste
14、m will decide the forms of marriage and family. The ancient Chinese marriage and family system was the embodiment of social nature, which adapted to the prevailing form of society.The social background of Dream of Red Mansions is the decline of feudal society, the principle of marriage is “parentsor
15、der and matchmakers word”. The one hand, marriage is for external relations, that is, the two clans tie through marriage, forming a kind of family union. Regardless of the conclusion of marriage, or lifting, it was for family interests, not to provide personal happiness; marriage behavior is behavio
16、r of family rather than the individual. And marriage in ancient society is mainly used for carrying on the family line, maintaining the patriarchal kinship. Wang Xifeng only gave birth to a daughter and had not been re-conceived. And medical conditions were underdeveloped, Fengs disease was still in
17、curable. In Feudal society, having no son was almost considered as commiting a crime. Thus, ever if she wasnt dead, Jia Lian could abondon her for no son. So her tragic fate is inevitable.At that time, the standard of a good girl is the fair lady, whose behaviour is elegant and matches for the court
18、esy. As the daughter of a planted manor in the South, with half of her noble descent, so her mother and black mother educated her as a fair lady. “Melanie was kind, generous with people and knew how to understand others, who was recognized by the society as the perfect lady.” (Margaret Mitchell，1987
19、：138)However, “Scarletts first marriage is entirely for the maintenance of injured self-esteem. Second marriage has its difficulties, is to Taras 300 yuan tax. But she claimed her sisters happiness. Third marriage is to Reiters money, to satisfy her own vanity, to live a luxurious life.” (Wang Tengg
20、ong，1995：122)3. Similarities of Their Marriage3.1 Their Characters Wang Xifeng grew up in westernization family, was treated as a boy to educate, she played with boys and contacted with foreigners. All these gave an open environment for the growth reduction of the traditional Confucian feudal code o
21、f ethics of the “three obedience and four virtues”. So her personality developed to some extent. Meanwhile, little depression led to the potential of women in masculine personality, making her role contradiction with male-dominated cultural norms. There were rugged personality, publicity and violent
22、 side on her. “如会撑舡, 会放炮仗”(曹雪芹、高鹗，1962：300). When she was angry, she may hit someboy in the face, quick and ruthless. The living environment has inspired her to promote and set lattice strong determination. So she was independent, confident, fierce and forceful.“言谈又极爽利, 心机又极深细,竟是一个男人万不及一的。”(曹雪芹、高鹗，1
23、962：9) “王熙凤的出场、王熙凤的三次算账以及凤姐各种各种的笑，凸显了她天性口齿伶俐、反应机敏、果敢好强的性格，生活环境又激发并定格了她坚毅刚强、“有泪不轻弹”、独立狠辣而又自信的性格” (舒芜，2006：76)In the southern United States in Atlanta, Scarlett was the daughter of a large manor. Scarletts birth was less outstanding than Wang Xifengs, but she was half of the noble descent. Her mother
24、and the maid called black mother met the requirements of a lady to educate her since childhood, but she inherited more her fathers Irish descent. “She refused to play with two small sisters, but with the estate of black children, mixed with the little boy next door and climbed trees, her stone-throw
25、ing skills could compete with those muddy kids.” (Margaret Mitchell，1987：40)This determined the character of Scarlett the same with Wang Xifeng, like some masculinity, also decided to work independently in her future, dared to struggle and resist. Both of them have the same awakening of feminist con
26、sciousness, as smart and capable, feisty, bold and forceful, selfish and reckless personality.3.2 The Family BackgroundWang Xifeng and Scarlett were upper-class heroes,one was born in a noble family.“东海缺少白玉床，龙王请来金陵王”（曹雪芹、高鹗，1962：16） The other was the daughter of the Lord of a huge plantation in the
27、southern United States. In Xifengs own family, her grandfather was the foreign official, after she married into one of four big families, there were those in power support the pro-aunt, Mrs. Wang, the feudal pet parents Grandmother Jia. Wang Xifeng was talented, smart and capable, she played a decis
28、ive role in the Jia family of several hundred persons, won the trust of Jia Mu. Though she was young, she was an excellent homemaker, organized Rongguofu very well. Associating Rongguofu could completely show her organization and management talent. 冷子兴赞她“模样又极标致，言谈又爽利，心机又极深细，竟是个男人万不及一的”。（曹雪芹、高鹗，1962：
29、9） 秦可卿称她为“脂粉队里的英雄。”（曹雪芹、高鹗，1962：88）Scarlett was the daughter of a large manor in the southern United States. Scarletts birth was less outstanding than Wang Xifengs, “she was half of the noble descent, from her childhood, she was doted by her father, pampered.” “Her mother and the maid called black m
30、other met the requirements of a lady to educate her since childhood, but she inherited more her fathers Irish descent.” (Margaret Mitchell，1987：40) So after the war, the tragic looting of estate, sick mother died, her father was insane, two younger sisters were sick in bed, almost all the slaves fle
31、d away. In such a bad situation, she resolutely rebuilt their homes, to revitalize the family business. “She began directing all staff to do their best work.” (Margaret Mitchell，1987：500) And she also set an example to work in the fields and pick cotton. She changed herself from an arrogant princess
32、 to a competent and courageous head of the family. Scarlett lived in the U.S. Civil War and the post-war reconstruction period, in the turn of the old and new social chaos, she had never gave up, on the contrary, she kept up courage to face the difficulty. When Scarlett knew Ashley engagement with h
33、is cousin, she decided to fight back her own happiness; when Dorothy estate was looted by Yankees, she vowed to never let his family starve; when Butler went away with pain, Scarlett finally understood their true love, she told herself, tomorrow is another day. “She is always full of fighting spirit
34、, always full of hope, who never gives up. Such a personality and their positive attitude towards love and marriage are very much affected by family background.”（Wang Tenggong，1995：122） 3.3 The Attitude of Love and MarriageWang Xifeng and Scarlett, both had the awakening feminist consciousness, they
35、 are smart, feisty, bold and pungent. For love and marriage, of course, they were feisty and strong. Although the marriage of Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng was parentsorder and matchmakers word, we couldnt say they really love each other, but the two early married life was not without loving, and the mar
36、riage could not be independent in a patriarchal feudal society, no matter how prominent Wang Xifeng was, how strong her capacity was, as women still relied on her husband to hold her own destiny. Jia Lian wasnt a good man“不喜读书”,“惟知以淫乐阅己。” （曹雪芹、高鹗，1962：9） Wang Xifeng was always so worried. In feudal
37、society, women were just treated as a tool of continuing the family line. Wang Xifeng hoped to have all her husbands love, and her pursuit of this ideal view was entirely reasonable, but it was hard to realize in the feudal society. Forced by the feudal ethical code at that time, Wang Xifeng let her
38、 maid Pinger marry with Jia Lian.“收了屋里一则显她贤良, 二则又拴爷的心”（曹雪芹、高鹗，1962：516）, 但“大约一年间两个有一次在一处, 他还嘴里掂十来个过儿呢。” （曹雪芹、高鹗，1962：516） However, Wang Xifeng was still very hard to detect her husband. When her daughter got smallpox, Jia Lian moved to live on the study and fornicate with Girl Duo. On Fengs birthday
39、 party, Jia Lian and Bao Ers wife was found on adultery. But when Xifeng complained to Grandmother Jia, Jia Mu reprimand Jia Lian, but she did not take the thing seriously. “什么要紧的事! 小孩子们年轻, 馋嘴猫儿似的, 那里保的住不这么着。从小儿是人都打这么过的。都是我的不是, 叫你多吃了两口酒, 又吃起醋来了。” （曹雪芹、高鹗，1962：329）The feudal society gave man right to
40、 have more than one wife. So it was reasonable for Jia Lian to privately marry with Second Sister You. However, to Xifeng, Second Sister Yous arrival was a direct threat to her interests, so she forced her to suicide by swallowing gold. But as we know, the primary guilt of killing should be taken on
41、 by the embodiment of feudal patriarchal - Jia Lian. The hotbed of sin was the irrational and immoral social ethics ideology. In terms of love, Scarletts most denounce was fickle, playing with men, because she married three men. “When she heard any man who didnt like her, she just couldnt bear it, a
42、ll the day, she would feel unhappy.” (Margaret Mitchell，1987：200) But in love, Scarlett really craved only two men, first was Ashley, later was Reiter. “She fell in love with Ashley when she was 14 years old , at that time, Ashley came back from Europe for a short time” (Margaret Mitchell，1987：218)
43、The former represented her lack of aristocratic gentle, and the latter with “stink” congenial consonance connected. In pursuit of emotion, she did deviate from the norms of high society, far from the standard of a fair lady. But she dared to pursue their own happiness, be loyal to her feelings, thro
44、ugh the persistent pursuit has finally awakened to her own emotions tend, out of the ignorant lost, and put the hope on tomorrow. In terms of marriage, Scarlett had no clear sense of marriage at the beginning, just had a strong possessive. Because of demand coquettish and revenge, she married a riva
45、ls brother Charles. “She married with Charles quickly, she was driven by revenge and intended to let Ashley know it. And Charles was also very rich and could buy her beautiful clothes.” (Margaret Mitchell，1987：355) The marriage brought her only cumbersome and the black widow mourning, which was inco
46、mpatible with her free-spirited nature. Then on, she gradually belonged to the opposition of education, focusing on the self-consciousness and feelings. She strongly demanded escaping from the role of being a mother .When the smoke of war made survival become the most important task, with a sense of
47、 responsibility for her family and in order to save Tara, she married her sisters fiance Frank, which was accused as immoral. At this time, she was still not out of the confusion between sense and sex. At the same time, the spirit of Love on Ashley drived her to take care of Ashleys wife, and became
48、 good friends with her. The third marriage, because of wealth and security, she married Reiter without supporting. At this point, her views on marriage were still in the intersection of old and new, she was dissatisfied with the old view and confused by the new one. “Until a thorough understanding o
49、f Ashleys feelings, she realized that Reiter was her favorite.”（Wang Tenggong，1995：329） “Finally she realized that she fell in love with a temple made by herself, she made a beautiful dress and put on it, but didnt care if it fited her. She only loved the clothes not the person.” (Margaret Mitchell，1987：890) In love and marriage, Wang Xifeng and Scarlett didnt confine by the lines at their time, they didnt not passively accept and tolerate. They resisted and struggled against t
