The Blithedale Romance 에 대한 페미니즘적 접근 = A Feminist Approach to The Blithedale Romance

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this study is to read and to re-evaluate The Blithedale Romance of Nathaniel Hawthorne, a representative of prose in the 19th century America, from a feministic view.
The Western society has found its order on Christianity. It is believed that 'Original Sin' of disobedience to God in the garden of Eden has made man suffer and Eve is the worse sinner than Adam. This belief affects the view on women even today and fortifies Sexism by help of Patriarchy; this is reflected on not only the works of Hawthorne but the criticism on his works.
Hawthorne uses the society of Blithedale as a symbolic place for the Patriarchal society. Though not appearing as a main character, Old Moodie resides as a vital character since he has the key to decide Zenobia's and Priscilla's future, and he is as powerful as father-God in the Patriarchal society. When he and his successor, Hollingsworth, forsake Zenobia, she takes it as a complete denial from fatherhood. Even Coverdale confesses his love for Priscilla at the end. This last confession shows his submission to the Patriarchal authority because he has been in love with Zenobia all along but gives her up and follows Old Moodie's and Hollingsworth's examples. They believe that a submissive woman like Priscilla is loved as an ideal for a wife but a strong woman like Zenobia is dangerous and should be eliminated. Coverdale, like Theodore of `Zenobia's Legend,' stands for the man who fears what is under the veil, fails $quot;to resist the doubt$quot;, and loses it forever.
In The Blithedale Romance Hawthorne tries to show us, though in an indirect way, men's self-contradicting attitude toward women in the Patriarchal society. He, therefore, might be the writer predicting the feministic movement in the 20th century, which tries to point out unjust views and wrongful behaviors toward women.