夏洛特‧達絲《洛佛羅雅》描述主角維多利亞的成長過程,從被寵壞的女孩演變成殘酷無情的殺人犯，最後甚至把靈魂出賣給撒旦。本論文旨在研究維多利亞為何有此萬劫不復的結局。第二章從約翰‧洛克及瑪莉‧沃斯通克拉芙特的教育理念探討維多利亞的教養過程，認為維多利亞的教育直接影響她的人格養成，造成她道德缺陷與情感上的不安全感。第三章追溯維多利亞把靈魂出賣給撒旦洛佛羅雅的原因。維多利亞之所以一步步受洛佛羅亞誘惑，願意聽從洛佛羅亞的擺布，除了因為她個人的道德缺失外，也由於她漸漸愛上洛佛羅雅，變成像一位服從丈夫的妻子。第四章比較維多利亞和哥哥李奧納多的性格發展歷程，討論這對兄妹的母親是否該為維多利亞的墮落負全責。雖然維多利亞和李奧納多有著類似的教養，兩人面對困境卻有截然不同的態度。相較於李奧納多，維多利亞逐漸陃棄她本性良善的一面，且犯罪行為多半出自己願，因此維多利亞的毀滅是咎由自取，不能完全歸罪於母親不良的道德典範，她終究應該為自己的行為負責。從這個角度來看，達絲暗示一個人的墮落非源自於單一因素，而是許多要素結合所形成的後果。

Charlotte Dacre’s Zofloya depicts Victoria’s progress from a spoiled girl to a relentless murderess, who finally sells her soul to the Devil. This thesis explores the reasons why Victoria has such a downfall. Chapter Two uses John Locke’s and Mary Wollstonecraft’s educational ideas to investigate the process and the problems of Victoria’s upbringing. It will be argued that Victoria’s education has a direct effect on her character formation, which leads to her moral defects and emotional insecurity. Chapter Three traces how Victoria’s soul is given over to the Devil. Victoria is gradually snared by Zofloya because of her own moral defects which Zofloya also caters to. Additionally, Victoria gradually regards Zofloya as her lover; therefore, she values what Zofloya suggests and practices what he advises like a submissive wife. Chapter Four compares and contrasts the character developments of Victoria and her brother Leonardo to discuss whether Victoria’s mother should be fully held accountable for Victoria’s depravity. Since Victoria gradually relinquishes her inborn good quality in her character and her criminal acts mostly come from her own exercise of free will, her perdition should not be wholly ascribed to her mother‘s imprudent example; instead, Victoria should take responsibility for the crimes she has voluntarily committed. In this sense, Dacre suggests that a person falls into evil due to a combination of many factors rather than one single cause.

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