摘 要

服饰是人类文化的表征，也是文学作品的亮点。服饰描写对人物塑造起着最直观的作用—服饰不但可以描摹出人物的外在特征，更能体现出人物的内心世界。人的精神境界是由其世界观、人生观、价值观决定的，因此它影响着人们的思想境界、道德情操和行为准则。基于上述内容，本文尝试以精神境界层面来分析《飘》、《简•爱》、《名利场》和《小妇人》中四位女性人物的服饰，以此来探寻其精神境界。通过分析研究，这四位女性人物分别对应欲求、自我、道德三种境界。

目前，学者们一般通过人物服饰来分析其身份地位、个性特征以及人物处境等， 鲜有以人物服饰来分析其精神境界方面的研究资料。本文通过女性人物的服饰来探索其精神境界，为文学作品中的服饰描写分析以及人物的精神探索之路提供新的思路。

关键词：女性人物；服饰；灵魂

Abstract

Costume is the symbol of human culture as well as the highlight in literature. Apparel description is the most direct way of characterization that not only depicts external features of characters, but also reflects their rich inner world. The level of one’s spiritual state is determined by his or her worldview, outlook on life and values. It affects people’s ideological states, moral sentiment and codes of conduct. Based on the above, this paper tries to explore the spiritual states by analyzing the costumes of four female characters in Gone with the Wind,Jane Eyre, Vanity Fair and Little Woman. Through the analysis and study, the four female characters respectively correspond to the three soul states—utilitarian, instinct, and moral.

At present, the scholars usually analyze characters’ status, personality and situation through costumes. However, there is few data to analyze characters’ spiritual states from the respect of costumes. This paper explores female characters’ soul states through their costumes to provide new ideas for the analysis of costume description and the way of spiritual exploration of the characters in literary works.

Key Words：female characters; suit; soul

Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Utilitarian-Oriented Female Suit 4

2.1 Scarlett O’Hara 4

2.2 Rebecca Sharpin 6

3 Instinct-Oriented Female Suit: Josephine March 8

4 Moral-Oriented Female Suit: Jane Eyre 10

5 Conclusion 14

References 15

Acknowledgements 17

Female Suit and Soul in Literature

1 Introduction

On the one hand, apparel is the crystallization of human wisdom and the significant milestone in the progress of civilization as well as one of the most glorious chapters in the history of human culture. Garment is a specific symbol that records human stepping into the gate of civilization. Clothing has three functions that cold prevention, covering, and display. The costumes carry the rich content of folk culture, system culture and aesthetic culture, having the characteristics of practicality, ethic and ethnicity. Dress is the epitome of history that represents both the material culture and the spiritual culture. Literature is also the epitome of history, and the development of costume culture leaves a deep imprint in literary works. Costumes in the novel embody character’s social status, personality and inner world. Therefore, as the symbol of human culture as well as the highlights in literature, to some extent,costumes can reflect one's spiritual state. On the other hand, one's state ofthe soul is determined by his or her worldview, outlook on life and values. The state of soul dominates each of us in the pursuit of life and the path of life, affects our ideological state, moral sentiment and code of conduct. As a unique way of life, spirit prompts people to live in their ideals, beliefs, emotions, thoughts, and aesthetic moods. The spiritual life of people gives them the inner world by which they have the dignity. The inner world leads and defines the external reality, and materializes the same external life content; and the external life content of people reflects their spiritual life level and orientation of life.

Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the WindandRebecca in Vanity Fair, both of them regards garments as social weapon, hoping with the help of various dresses that show their feminine charms, they can gain what .they want. Josephine March in Little Womanis a girl who sticks to her instinct all the time. She does not like those fancy dresses. What she likes is those apparels that seem like boys wear, is her black apron, because these clothes make her not feel be constrained, make her aware of her value. Jane Eyre is a virtuous girl with many moral excellences, her dress and dress idea embody her good characters.