Journal of Literary Writing and Evaluation
JLWE, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2026, pp.125-131.
Print ISSN: 3078-8129; Online ISSN: 3104-5073
Journal homepage: https://www.lwejournal.com
DOI: Https://doi.org/10.64058/jlwe260113gcvfs
翟俊丽（Zhai Junli）， 冯军霞（Feng Junxia）
摘要：作为美国传记文学的开山之作，《富兰克林自传》不仅成功地向世人传授了勤奋自律、力臻完善的道德律令，还塑造出了一个无法比肩的美利坚民族的国父型人物形象，使富兰克林成为家喻户晓的“美国第一人”。但是，《自传》也同时折射出了作者偏颇的女性观。相较于众多个性鲜明的男性，富兰克林所著自传中既无女性群像，也鲜有女性角色被提及，连相伴一生的妻女也只占据了寥寥数笔。即便提及，女性人物也往往被刻画为卑微低俗的不堪形象。为何一部倡导独立自强、不计出身背景机会均等的作品在性别问题上却表现出如此明显的偏见呢？为何一位提倡民主自由博爱的启蒙思想家对女性却偏偏如此苛刻呢？究其根本，我们认为，18世纪欧洲社会普遍存在的父权思想是该作中女性形象缺失的客观原因，而更主要的原因则是由于富兰克林自身持有的浓重的男权意识。
关键词：本杰明·富兰克林；《富兰克林自传》；女性观
作者介绍：翟俊丽：广州理工学院外国语学院助教，研究方向：英美文学。电邮：2258116654@qq.com。冯军霞（通讯作者）：广州理工学院外国语学院副教授，研究方向：英美文学，高等教育。电邮：93241412@qq.com。
Title: Gender Constraints Under the Veil of Freedom: A Study on the View of Women in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Abstract: As the pioneering work of American biographical literature, Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography has not only successfully imparted to the world the moral principles of diligence, self-discipline, and the pursuit of perfection, but created an incomparable paternal figure of the American nation, making Franklin a household name as “the first American”. However, Autobiography also reflects the author’s biased view of women. In contrast to the numerous distinctive male figures, Franklin’s Autobiography contains neither a group portrait of women nor many references to female characters. Even his wife and daughters, who accompanied him throughout his life, are only briefly mentioned. Even when mentioned, female characters are often depicted as humble and vulgar figures. Why does a work that advocates independence, self-reliance, and equal opportunities regardless of background show such obvious gender bias? Why is a thinker who promotes democracy, freedom, and universal love so harsh on women? At the root of it, we believe that the widespread patriarchal ideology in 18th-century European society is the objective reason for the absence of female characters in this work, but the more significant reason is Franklin’s own strong male chauvinism.
Keywords: Benjamin Franklin; Autobiography; View of Women
Author Biographies: Zhai Junli: Teaching assistant at the School of Foreign Languages, Guangzhou Institute of Science and Technology. Research interests: British and American literature. Email: 2258116654@qq.com. Feng Junxia (Corresponding Author): Associate professor at the School of Foreign Languages, Guangzhou University of Technology. Research interests: British and American literature, higher education. Email: 93241412@qq.com.
Received: 04 Jan 2026 / Revised: 21 Apr 2026 / Accepted: 21 Apr 2026 / Published online: 30 Apr 2026 / Print published: 30 May 2026.
