CC BY
9
UDC 8
Botabayeva G.Zh.
Karaganda University named after EA Buketov Kazakhstan, Karaganda Scientific supervisor: Yeralinova T. Y.
senior teacher, Karaganda University named after EA Buketov Kazakhstan, Karaganda
THE IMAGE OF A WOMAN IN THE VICTORIAN ERA BASED ON THE WORK OF E. BRONTE «AGNES GREY»
Annotation
The article is devoted to the analysis of female images in novels of the Victorian era, shows the role of women in society of the XIX -XX century. In addition, the work «Agnes Grey» of E. Bronte is analyzed.
Keywords:
english novel, female image, Victorian era, literature, language features,biography, social status.
The Victorian Era is a period in the history of England of the XIX century, during the reign of Queen Victoria. Since her coming to power, many spheres of society have changed: the industrial revolution, the improvement of the demographic situation, the rapid development of science-all this has significantly affected the spiritual atmosphere of that time. And along with this, such areas as literature, art and architecture have also undergone changes.
At the same time, in the Victorian era, English literature reached its greatest heyday. Romanticism is replaced by a realistic novel describing real events.The social novel was very popular at that time, and the writers of the Victorian era became the founders of new trends. It was they who began to raise topics that had not been touched upon before, and also considered completely new images. One of these themes is the image of a woman. Along with men, English novels were created by women, for example, the Bronte sisters, E. Gaskell. Their literary works highlighted such problems as the role of women in the system of public relations, her social status, traditional moral and moral norms [1, p. 234]. Their heroines do not obey the rules, follow their own attitudes and principles, which is an innovation for English literature.
What were Victorian women like? She should not have had her own views and interests in various issues of life, be too educated, or at least should not have shown it. Despite the fact that the education of Victorian girls was quite serious. Unlike boys who were sent to schools and boarding schools, girls had to have governesses, teachers who came specially to the house, to study under the strict supervision of their parents. The girls were taught the same as the boys, but in addition they had to possess skills in painting, music and several foreign languages, such as French, Italian and sometimes German.
The Victorian era introduced a large number of new rigid norms and rules, such as: control of behavior, interpersonal relationships, suppression of emotions, desires and feelings, proclamation of patriarchy in the family. The role of a woman in the family and in society was to be a good hostess, a pleasant companion, a submissive wife and a highly moral person, but not all women followed these principles.
The literature of the Victorian era also absorbed all the features of this period, so critical realism is developing, and new types of heroes appear in novels — free, self-sufficient women. There are images of highly
moral, educated, hardworking women who put family values in the foreground. Victorian for the first time, the writers embodied in their novels the possibility of a woman's self-realization not only in the family sphere, but also far beyond its borders, for example, in public, professional and other fields. Little by little, the image of a Victorian woman changed from a "domestic angel" to a free girl dreaming of travel, self-development and true love, convinced that marriage is a union of two equal people based on mutual trust and respect.
The most significant figures in the literature of the Victorian era are the sisters Emily and Charlotte Bronte. The influence of both romanticism and realism is noticeable in their works. They made a huge contribution to the development of critical realism of the XIX century. The ideal girl of the Victorian era should unquestioningly obey all the rules and be distinguished by sacrifice in everything that concerns the family. Bright examples of such upbringing were the Bronte sisters. In many works of fiction by Emily and Charlotte Bronte, a person is portrayed in a new way, the role of a woman in society is traced, and new types of heroes appear. They showed the peculiarities of the life of women of the Victorian era, pointed to the lack of equality between men and women and their strict subordination to the norms and rules prevailing in society. For the first time in English literature, Charlotte Bronte shows without embellishment the life path of a woman, her suffering and pain.
In the Victorian era, women obeyed men in everything, pleased them, tried to be submissive and polite. These features influenced English literature. It is worth noting that the main characters of the novels of this period were distinguished by freedom and self-sufficiency. They have acquired a new social status that allows them to be highly moral and educated. Women in Victorian novels are strong, free and independent, independent of men, convinced of gender equality.
In the novel "Agnes Grey" by E. Bronte, the difficulties of the life of a governess are shown. Despite this, she stands firmly on her feet. Agnes is distinguished by her firmness and assertiveness, as well as the absence of excessive dreaminess. These qualities the girl inherited from her mother. Her father admired his wife all the time: My father knew my mother's superiority too well not to understand that she was a valuable fortune in herself: and if she would only agree to decorate his humble heart, he would be happy to accept her on any terms [3, p. 112]. She brings up Matilda Murray, a tomboy girl, educates her. It is worth noting the girl's optimism, her faith in the best. Perseverance, hard work and honesty help her overcome all the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving her goals. She believes in love. In dealing with men, she is modest and shy. Opposes marriage of convenience. For her, love is the basis for creating a strong and happy family. Agnes Gray is an example of a strong, strong-willed woman who knows her destiny. However, her image contradicts the ideas of other women Victorian era.
Agnes Gray does not shine with beauty, but her inner beauty helps her to find female happiness, to take place in the profession of a teacher, albeit with great difficulty and to overcome the troubles that have fallen on her family. Agnes Gray is more suitable for the definition of a "Victorian woman", since, despite her perseverance, fortitude and hard work, she is a more modest, calm and religious girl. Thus, in the literature of the Victorian era, free and self-sufficient women appear who are able not to bend under the pressure of society. The writers of this period embodied in their literary works the possibility of self-realization both in the professional sphere and in the family.The image of a woman is gradually changing: from a young person who dreams of getting married successfully, she turns into a strong and wise girl who defends her rights.
Used literatures:
1. Гаскелл Э. Жизнь Шарлотты Бронте / перевод М. Рубинс. — Москва : Эксмо, 2019.
2. Вульф В. Я., Чеботарь С. А. Сильные женщины. От княгини Ольги до Маргарет Тэтчер. — Москва : Эксмо, 2017.
3. Bronte Ch. Agnes Grey. — London ; New York : Pinguin Books Ltd, 1999.
© Botabayeva G.Zh.. 2023
