Contents
1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………...…1
2. Britain and China’s social system and the institution of marriage in the 18th century……………………………………………………………………………………2
2.1 Britain social system and the institution of marriage in the 18th century…………......2
2.2 Chinese social system and the institution of marriage in the 18th century…………....3
2.3 Similarities and differences…………………………………………………….……..3
3. Xue Baochai and Charlotte…………………………………………………………..5
3.1 Baochai’s attitude to marriage………………………………………………………..5
3.2 Charlotte’s attitude to marriage……………………………………………………….6
3.3 Similarities and differences…………………………………………………………...7
4.Lin Daiyu and Elizabeth………………………………………………………………8
4.1 Lin Daiyu’s attitude to marriage…………………………………………………..….8
4.2 Elizabeth’s attitude to marriage……………………………………………………….9
4.3 Similarities and differences………………………………………………………….10
5. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………12
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………..13
References…………………………………………………………………………….14
1. Introduction
Dream of the Red Chamber is a masterpiece of Chinese literature and one of the Chinese Four Great Classical Novels. It was composed in the middle 18th century during the Qing Dynasty, attributed to Cao Xueqin . It is generally acknowledged as the highest peak of the classical Chinese novels. The novel provides a detailed, episodic record of the two branches of the Jia Clan, the Rongguo House and Ningguo House, who reside in two large adjacent family compounds in the capital. Their ancestors were made Dukes, and as the novel begins the two houses remain among the most illustrious families in the capital. The novel describes the Jias' wealth and influence in great naturalistic detail, and charts the Jias' fall from the height of their prestige, following some thirty main characters and over four hundred minor ones. Eventually the Jia Clan falls into disfavor with the Emperor, and their mansions are raided and confiscated. The study of Dream of the Red Chamber can date back to ancient times, and it has become a complete system at home and abroad. Hu Shi, Chou Ruchang, and Feng Yong represent the textual researchers. Huo Guoling elder sister and younger brother, and Liu Xinwu are the representatives of Index Faction/ the fact-searching researchers. Textual researchers’ main direction is the family of Cao Xueqin, the writing process of Dream of the Red Chamber, the different versions of Dream of the Red Chamber, the author, the criticism in Chi Yan House as well as
poetry, stories, medicine, research institutions and other details. Index Faction/ the fact-searching researchers mainly study the background stories of Dream of the Red Chamber. However, study which concern about the women attitude to marriage is very limited.
Since the novel, Pride and Prejudice, came out in 1813, it has been nearly 200 years. It has been well received both at home and abroad. Many critics analyzed from different angles and at different levels of artistic charm of the work. Austen's writings had great influence on a number of writers throughout the century. Glimpses of Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins can be found in Dickens. Elizabeth's sharp wit can be found in Thackeray, Eden, and Trollope. She helped to legitimize the novel as an art form. At the same time, she set an example for other women writers, showing them that even without the expansive education given to men, women could still make valuable contributions. But it is limited to be able to put Pride and Prejudice and Dream of the Red Chamber together in the comparison of women’s attitude to marriage.
2. Britain and China’s social system and the institution of marriage in the 18th century
The stories of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Cao Xueqing’s Dream of the Red Chamber both took place in the time of the Feudalist society. The heroines and their attitude to marriage are deeply affected by the institution of marriage at that time.
2.1 British social system and the institution of marriage in the 18th century
The story of Pride and Prejudice took place in the time of the Regency in Britain. At that time, Britain was at the period of Feudalist society, but it is also at the period of transition from the earlier stage of Capitalism to Capitalist Industrialization. In the countryside, the aristocratic family still held great power and right that country squires were likely to fawn upon them. However, as the development of Capitalism and the expand of the rank of rich people, the distinction between social strata was becoming smaller and smaller, while money was getting more and more important in people’s mind about social value. It is exactly because of the secure pledge in finance that the country squire society could be existing strongly and solidly. Women’s education in the eighteenth century was restricted to the daughters of a few families of the upper classes. In most cases, it was thought to be a waste of time to educate girls. Rich and noble families (like that of Lady Catherine de Bourgh) engaged governesses for educating their daughters or sent them away to boarding school, but most women were self-educated at home. [1]
At that time, money played an important role in determining a woman’s daily life, marriage and destiny. Economically dependent, women were robbed of property and inheritance rights and possessed no independent source of income. Society offered few opportunities to women to choose for their lives and to decide the destiny. Just as the opening sentence of the novel says “it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”, [2] which tell the readers men were always in the dominant status in a marriage and the heritance of property. Thus men enjoy the right to choose their wives according to their will.
2.2 Chinese social system and the institution of marriage in the 18th century
Dream of the Red Chamber was written in the eighteenth century during the reigns of Emperors Kang Hsi, Yung Cheng, and Chien Lung, during the so-called Kangschien Golden Age. During this period, China was governed by Manchu aristocrats, using the social turbulence for their own selfish ends and for consolidating their political positions. Many monopoly groups emerged during this period, exploiting the peasants politically and economically. The author’s description of the four major families of Chia, Shih, Wang, and Hsueh in the novel is deeply rooted in the social reality of the time;
This corrupt feudal society and the growth of capitalism form the historical background of Cao Xueqin's era, and it is also the background against which all the characters in Grand View Garden will play their roles. The main characters of the novel, Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, are typical of young people everywhere; they desperately want to be free to marry whomever they wish. [3] However, traditional Chinese is a typical patriarchal society. The marriage of their children follows the orders of the arrangements of parents. Book of Odes said, when you want to get married, you must have the permission of parents and the introduction of matchmaker. Therefore, parents play an important role in their children’s marriage. Typically, women have no choice to decide their marriage, for feudal ethical code publicize that women must absolutely obey their parents.
2.3Similarities and differences
There are two basic similari
ties in Britain and China of that era. Firstly, economic status is the basis of marriage. In china, being well-matched in social and economic status has always been an important criterion for mate. People pay more attention to status and property than personality and love. In Britain, it is also the same. As Jane Austen said, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Therefore, I think the wealth has become the basis for a happy marriage life of that period. Secondly, the status of men and women is unequal. Traditional Chinese is a typical patriarchal society, in which father and husband have absolute authority and power. The strength of women is negligible, and they have to depend on men. The fate of women is controlled by male. As the same as in China, British women's status is petty and low. For young girls do not have much wealth. Marriage is the only way that they can get respect and stability. For the women living in the andocentric society, they are unable to feed themselves if they have no property. Therefore, they have no choice but to depend on a good marriage.
Besides the similarities, there are two main differences between them. First of all, they have different degree of freedom of choice. In china, it is impossible to have freedom marriage, which is not tolerated by feudal ethical code. Women must obey their parents before marriage. Parents will make the final decision of their children’s marriage. In many cases, women don’t even know their husbands’ appearance and character until they get married, which cause many tragedies. However, it is much freer for women to choose their marriage in Britain. They don’t need matchmaker to introduce each other before they get married. Free love is advocated in that era. Secondly, they have different criteria for mate. In china， “chastity” is the main standard of a woman’s moral character. And it is also the main criteria or even the only criteria that man choose the wife. However, people think happy love is built on mutual love and respect, and some women dare to look for love in Britain. They have some freedom and right to decide their marriage.
3. Xue Baochai and Charlotte
3.1 Xue Baochai’s attitude to marriage
Xue Baochai is one of the principal characters in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is the only daughter of Aunt Xue and the younger sister of Xue Pan, a local Jinling bully. Unlike her brother, she is an excellent poet and a good elder cousin to Baoyu and Daiyu, and a good mistress to her maids. Xue Baochai is a daughter of an eminent family. She was beautiful and elegant, keen on “official career economy“, and constantly persuaded Jia Baoyu to associate with officials, which was despised by Jia Baoyu as “bullshit“. She strictly followed feudal ethics, and was sophisticated and popularity among the Jia family. She is extremely clever and socially graceful, and she encourages men to put full effort into pursuing their careers. Her attributes complement those of her cousin Lin Daiyu. Indeed, it has been suggested that the two women are complements of one another - each has exactly the attributes of Cao Xueqin's ideal woman which the other lacks. Xue Baochai, who was sensible, tolerant and gentle, became everyone’s favorite. She also is a capable person, once helping Lady Wang manage the Jung Kuo Mansion/Rong Guo Mansion. Under the arrangement of Jia Baoyu’s grandma and Ms. Wang – Jia Baoyu’s mother, Jia Baoyu was compelled to marry Xue Baochai. Without common ideal and interest, Jia Baoyu still couldn’t forget Lin Daiyu, so not long after their marriage, he was converted to Buddhism. Xue Baochai had to live a lonely life thereafter in remorse. [3]
Xue Baochai’s attitude to marriage is pragmatism. Xue Baochai abides the feudal ethical code. She has been the representative of feudal ethical code. She has a more realistic goal that is to attain as many riches and honors as she could. There is no love between Jia Baoyu and her. However, from the perspective of Xue Baochai, Jia Baoyu is her best choice to be her husband when she realizes that there is no hope to be a concubine. Because she knows that "money" is the backing of "power", while "power" is what "money" counted on. Lacking of either one is hard to ensure the interest of the family. The Jia family has the "power", but suffered from financial crisis, while the Xue family has abundant wealth yet is weak in power. The marriage between these two families meets their mutual needs. [4]
3.2 Charlotte’s attitude to marriage
Charlotte is introduced as a “sensible, intelligent young woman, about twenty-seven”. As we know, after Elizabeth rejects Mr. Collins, Charlotte accepts him, even knowing that she’s only his second choice. How does Charlotte manage to get a m
arriage proposal out of Mr. Collins so soon after he has been rejected by Elizabeth? In that time, to be a twenty-seven-year-old woman and still unmarried is bad news – a single woman past twenty-five who is neither particularly pretty nor particularly rich is on the fast track to spinsterhood. Therefore, she is eager to get married. And we can also get the answer from Charlotte’s talking about her marriage: “happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance…It is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.” [2] Charlotte represents the kind of desperation that Elizabeth can’t understand. Maybe, when Elizabeth hits twenty-seven and is looking spinsterhood in the face, she might understand.
Charlotte is sincere, generous and she possesses a spirit of persistence and independence. She is a good girl with lots of personal qualities. The same is true with Mr. Collins. He is a humorous, talkative and practical person. On one hand, Charlotte and Collins have their own personal charm and should be respected and their marriage is quite natural. On the other hand, money, property and social status play very important roles in society, especially in marriage. Charlotte is really stuck between a rock and a hard place – to continue living with her parents and become an increasing financial burden on them, or marry someone who she knows is a pompous fool and try to make the most of it. At least he’s a fool with a good income and a nice house, right? She defends herself to Elizabeth in almost pathetic terms: “I am not romantic, you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home…” [5]From all the mentioned above, I think Charlotte’s attitude to marriage is pragmatism. In her mind, marriage has no such romantic factors when it comes to reality and everyone cannot go against the social trend. Charlotte’s choice conforms to the social trend so that the marriage of Mr. Collins and Charlotte is more significant and typical than that of Elizabeth and Darcy’s. Charlotte is a representative of a woman who bravely fights against social injustice. Her marriage is more sensible than that of Elizabeth’s, and will be easily accepted by women in that time. Considering Charlotte and Collins’s social background, their marriage is really a normal one. What’s more, Charlotte’s marriage conforms to the contemporary social trend---materialism and realism, it has great social significance.
3.3 Similarities and differences
Basically, there are three similarities between them. Firstly: marriage without love. Even though she knows Jia Baoyu is falling love with Lin Daiyu. She makes all her effort to please mother Jia and the other members of the family. Charlotte is also the same. She doesn’t love Mr. Collins, and Mr. Collins doesn’t love her too. They don’t even know each other very well. Secondly: marriage for some purpose. Xue Baochai thinks that Jia Baoyu has what she wants: power. Charlotte accepts Mr. Collins’ marriage proposal just because Mr. Collins is a priest and he has a stable income. Thirdly, both of them are clever. They know what they really want. They don’t care about love in the marriage. I think both of them are pragmatists, and they make their marriage just like a trade. In a word, through a detailed analysis of Xue Baochai and Charlotte’s marriages from their personal characters, social factors and social significance of their marriage, it proves that their marriages are quite rational and sensible.
On the differences part, there are two main differences. First of all, they have different family background. Xue Baochai lives in a well-off family, and she is young and pretty. She can get a happy marriage if she wants. In all, she has many choices. However, Charlotte lives in a normal noble family, which doesn’t have much wealth. She is not beautiful and twenty-seven years old. She has to find a man who has stable income to depend on as soon as possible. Secondly, they have a totally different ending of marriage. Jia Baoyu is converted to Buddhism and Xue Baochai has to live a lonely life thereafter in remorse. However, Charlotte finally gets what she wants, a normal and stable life.
4. Lin Daiyu and Elizabeth
4.1 Lin Daiyu’s attitude to marriage
Born an innocent beauty, Lin Daiyu loves and hates without a qualm. She yearns for spiritual rather than material gratification. Jia Baoyu is the lineal decent of the Jia family. However, the handsome and smart young man was nowhere near what the family would like him to be, rebelling against traditions, opposing inequality between masters and servants, and disdaining the conventional ethics of treating women as inferior to men. When the two came together, they found a lot in common and plenty of love for each other. [6]
Lin Daiyu, a beautiful and intel
ligent young lady, lost her parents in childhood and lived in her grandma's home in Beijing receiving nonchalant treatment. Especially, when she and Jia Baoyu became increasingly fond of each other, their innocent love was suffocated by the feudal concept of "Jinyu Liangyuan (match made in heaven)", which resulted in an entrenched depression from deep inside. Suffering from long-term lovesickness, coupled with the heavy shock from the fact that Baoyu had to marry someone else, Lin lost her life at a very young age. Later Jia became a monk in a faraway place, mourning of his beloved one.
In Lin Daiyu’s mind, marriage should be based on love. She looks for love on her own initiative. Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu have fallen in love for a long time, and they know each other very well and establish the pure love. She has no relative to help her and bears the pressure from the feudal ethical code. She is always afraid that she will lose Jia Baoyu some day. However, she is inconvenient showing self affection because of the restriction of the traditional feudalism concept and dignity. As a result, she can do nothing but feel grief, crying, sentimental and make poetry to express her love.
Hu Wenxin thinks that the Chin family disapproves of Lin Daiyu as Jia Baoyu's wife for many reasons. In his opinion, Daiyu is, first of all, in delicate health, although beautiful; second, Daiyu's aristocratic parents died early so she is now living under the auspices of the Chin family; third, Daiyu is a willful and arrogant person, too sharp-tongued and narrow-minded to suit the old Lady Dowager. As a matter of fact, Daiyu often criticizes the Xue Baochai in sham language, so it is no wonder that her unbridled behavior and speech offend and irritate these authoritative people. Lin Daiyu despises these people's vulgarity and the hypocrisy of feudal officialdom, as well. Her contempt for feudal decadence in the Chin family isolates her; she is able to find some common ground only with the understanding, upright Jia Baoyu. Therefore, their love relationship is based on honest attraction, common interests, and a common understanding of family affairs. Daiyu's deep and sincere love for Jia Baoyu is the only spiritual support that she has to live for. It is no wonder that when she hears the news of Bao-yu's upcoming marriage to Bao-chai, she loses all hope. The beam of her only possible happiness in this world will soon be extinguished. The weak and helpless Daiyu can do nothing but choose death. The tragedy is a powerful condemnation of the tyrannical feudal society and the hateful patriarchal clan system. [3]
Personally, I think the main cause of Jia and Lin’s separation is the feudal society. Although their attitude to love is adamantine, they were finally separated by their family. It is impossible for them to decide their future, and they have to accept the truth. Lin can be described as "the heart higher than the heaven, life thinner than paper." Her descent from the poor noble, and her mother was dead at Lin’s early age. So she is almost alone when she is young. Although she has the protection of Grandmother Jia , she also has the feeling of unsafety. This may bring up her grief, lofty and sensitive character. Daiyu is unconventional and hypersensitive. From the knowledge side, she is extraordinary clever. From her character side, she has the artist's temperament and poet's feelings, sentimental and strong self-conscious. On the other part, she is an unsophisticated girl, so she does not beat around the bush when she talks with others. Some people say she is hard to get along for this, and she made others unhappy unconsciously. Therefore, some people don’t like her. From her life value side, she advocates freedom, and pays attention to emotion. At a certain degree she has independent thought and freedom of spirit. So her attitude to love is to seek liberty.
4.2 Elizabeth’s attitude to marriage
The second daughter in the Bennet family, and the most intelligent and quick-witted, Elizabeth is lovely, clever, and, in a novel defined by dialogue, she converses as brilliantly as anyone. Her honesty, virtue, and lively wit enable her to rise above the nonsense and bad behavior that pervade her class-bound and often spiteful society. Nevertheless, her sharp tongue and tendency to make hasty judgments often lead her astray; [7] She objects to getting married for money, to regarding the marriage as a trifling matter. She emphasizes the importance of the ideal marriage, and regard men and women's emotion as the foundation stone which concludes the ideal marriage.
Marriage is the key to happiness – or at least that’s what she hears from nearly everyone around her. But Elizabeth has eyes as well as ears, and she can see from the evidence in her own home that marriage can also be a one-way ticket to unhappiness.
Unfortunately, getting a job and supporting herself isn’t really an option for a pro
per young lady in early 18th century England. Even if Elizabeth would rather flip burgers than marry Mr. Collins, wedding bells or penny-pinching old maidhood are pretty much the only games going for Elizabeth. What Elizabeth does do is to refuse to take that long walk down the aisle with any old guy who asks her, even if it means endangering her own future livelihood. Turning down Mr. Collins may seem like a no-brainer, but by rejecting him Elizabeth places her own judgment over social pressures to conform, and that was no easier to do in Austen’s time than it is today.
Elizabeth is very brave on her marriage. She dares to say no to who she doesn’t like, which we can know from the part that she refused Mr. Collins proposals. She overcomes all obstacles—including their own personal failings—to find romantic happiness with Darcy. [8]Elizabeth must not only cope with a hopeless mother, a distant father, two badly behaved younger siblings, and several snobbish, antagonizing females, she must also overcome her own mistaken impressions of Darcy, which initially leads her to reject his proposals of marriage. Elizabeth's misunderstanding and prejudice to him are a reason, but a main one is the arrogance that she dislikes him. Without common thoughts and feelings between him and Elizabeth, the marriage can not have lofty ideals. However, Elizabeth must not only cope with a hopeless mother, a distant father, two badly behaved younger siblings, and several snobbish, antagonizing females, she must also overcome her own mistaken impressions of Darcy, which initially lead her to reject his proposals of marriage. Her charms are sufficient to keep him interested, fortunately, while she navigates familial and social turmoil. As she gradually comes to recognize the nobility of Darcy’s character, she realizes the error of her initial prejudice against him. Finally, she gets the happy marriage with him.
4.3 Similarities and differences.
There are two main similarities between Lin Daiyu and Elizabeth. Firstly, they both have the spirit of revolt and dare to look for love. When Lin Daiyu knows that mother of Jia disagreed with her love with Jia Baoyu, she doesn’t give up. However, she is powerless, and she couldn’t change the result. She still thinks the love with Jia Baoyu is right. Elizabeth dares to reject the marriage proposal which she doesn’t like. When she finds that she has fallen in love with Mr. Darcy, She puts her idea into action. After overcoming various obstacles, she finally wins her happiness by marrying Mr. Darcy.
To the differences part, I think there is only one main difference. Their marriages are influenced by the different social environment. Mother of Jia and Ms Wang reject the Lin Daiyu’s marriage because Lin Daiyu’s social status is lower than Jia Baoyu. According to the feudal ethical code, they can make the finally decision of Jia Baoyu’s marriage. But Lin Daiyu is powerless to change her destiny. Contrary to Lin Daiyu, Elizabeth has much more freedom to decide her own marriage. When her mother asks her to accept Mr. Collins’ marriage proposal, she refuses directly. When she tells her father that she wants to get married with Mr. Darcy, her father agrees on her decision without deterring. [10]
5．Conclusion
The two novels describe the different society, but they describe the similar patterns of marriage, which reveals the outcome of a tragedy and a comedy caused by different deep social roots. The women’s marriages in the two novels’ are deeply influenced by the cultural and social background. Their attitudes to marriage are also the main cause of their different outcome.
Acknowledgements
My initial thanks go to my supervisor Xu Liangfeng, who patiently supervised my dissertation and was at times very willing to offer me illuminating advice or suggestions. Without his help, I could not have finished this dissertation.
I am also indebted to other teachers and my classmates who have not only offered me their warm encouragements but also shared with me their ideas and books. They are Xu Di, Zhan Ting and many others.
The remaining weakness and possible errors of the dissertation are entirely my own.
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