1。2。 Julia’s Boring Life
Julia, the wife of the leading man Mr Hurstwood, was a typical middle class woman in this novel。
Compared with Minnie, Julia was richer and there was always money for her to employ a maid to do all the daily housework for her。 So in terms of labor, she was released from her family。
However, with adequate money to support the necessary cost, she had nothing else to do all day long except the following boring things。 The first thing for her to do was to show off her beauty,her family and her wealth in public---“she was the type of women who has ever endeavored to to shine”（Dreiser, 2010:63）; “The vanity of Mrs Hurstwood caused her to keep her person rather showily arrayed”（Dreiser, 2010:65）; and “Mrs。 Hurstwood, not to be outshone by her daughter, frequently enlivened her apparel”（Dreiser, 2010:66）。
Still, she was not outstanding in the appearance and her opinions on any subject were not startling, so she was upset in a way which led to her second “labor” at home, focusing all her attention on the other family members。 She was mean and particular with the maid-servants and any one of them could just be represented from time to time by girls of various extraction。 I suppose, she considered them as an outlet of her indescribable anger and her tedious life。 As for other family members, she was more carefully governed。 Take her daughter for example。 She wished her better things---to rise a little, to marry a rich boy。 What’s more, she only allowed her daughter to make friends with whose boys who were rich。 Herbert Crane was refused by Jessica in terms of making friends just because he was poor, while the young Blyford, son of the soap manufacturer, was gladly received。 And when Jessica and Yong Blyford were out for a walk, Julia glanced interestingly out of the window, thinking it a most satisfactory spectacle。 And for her son, she wished him success in his career so that she might draw to herself the privilege of pointing proudly。 As for her husband Mr Hurstwood, she wished his business doing well, anxious to see his small real estate adventures prospering。 Yes, indeed, these things which seem to be others’ business were somewhat related to her wealth, interest, dignity and vanity in a way, so she thought highly of them and cared about them very much in her nothing- to-do days。
Yes, she did care about money and enjoy the happiness brought by money very much, and sometimes money also became an outlet of her unsatisfactory life。 When her son George asked her permission to go to Fox Lake and have a look at his friend Eddie Fahrway’s new steam launch, all she cared about was how much the steam launch cost rather than its utility and appearance。 Another instance is that when her daughter Jessica talked about the school performance and mentioned Martha Graswold’s role in the play, Julia’s first reaction was that girl’s bad economic condition rather than her performance skills。
Meanwhile, She was suspicious, oversensitive and mean to her husband。 For example, when Mr Hurstwood told her that he was about to go out for business, she thought it as a curious thing。 And before he went, she asked a few more questions。 She would also give the subject a considerable thought and then drove out more, dressed better and attended theaters frequently to make up for her absence in the trip。 That’s her way to complement her loss of busy and fulfilling life。 Earlier, when family interests were more alluring, she persuaded her husband to put much of his property under her name, which guaranteed her lifelong interests and priority in marriage。 That meant, once porcing with her husband Mr。 Hurstwood, she would benefit from the current property distribution, so anyway, she was not afraid of things like porce。 来*自~优|尔^论:文+网www.youerw.com +QQ752018766* 从女性主义视角浅谈嘉莉妹妹(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_85327.html