Feminist character in the Chinese and Western Literature

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Topic: Presentation of the feminist character in the Chinese and Western Literature
Introduction
The current methodologies interpret the different literary writings through philosophy, sociology, history, psychology, as well as linguistics. Such perspectives have ideally challenged the boundaries of traditional as well as the intellectual perspective of literature. This has made the field of literature to be inter-disciplinary rather than being confined within the boundaries of institutions of higher learning. The critical approaches always provide the new dimension of examining the texts and at the same time inspire critics towards consistency and persistence interrogation of the existing relations traditionally and in the current times between the authors, the texts and the audience. This has brought about imminent changes in how people talk and perceive literature in contemporary society (Murfin and Ray 7). Currently, the standard truth, as well as the beauty of literature, is not necessarily taken from the mere traditional perspective but examined in a contextual manner that reflects the various aspects from the socio-cultural dimension and the politics of identity. The existence of the within one domain of the traditional and postmodern thoughts as well as methods makes the voices within the literary scholar field to be inharmonious as well as appear controversial. Importantly, the existing differences in the culture of reading and interpretation of literature provide debates that eventually invite the critics to seek own solutions and at the same time find their own voices. Consequently, the emergence of different critical approaches provides readers with elaborate space and freedom to identify and study literature from divergent perspectives (Lee, Joseph Tse-Hei, et al. 22).
Thesis statement: the concept of the feminist is presented differently in the western and Chinese literature through different themes such as love, independence, self-awareness, and level of civilization.
Feminist presentation in Mao Dun’s Literary Works
The literary works of Mao Dun seem to be fascinated with unconventional personality types. The author portrays women's character through the use of their physical description. There is an examination of the concepts of female beauty in comparison with Chinese tradition. The stories capture the existing tension between the aspirations of modern Chinese women and the reality that confronts them as reflected in their aggressive behavior. An illustration can be derived from the character of Zhang Qiuliu who is portrayed as bizarre in her behaviors giving an insightful reflection of the nature of women in society (Chen 103). The portrayal of Mao Dun’s female characters is encompassed with different descriptive as well as symbolic formulae making them lack the quality of individual delineated characters. The majority of the female characters are portrayed as desiring to toy with men’s affections. For instance, Zhang Qiuliu’s motives in her pursuit for a life of a prostitute reveals her to have gone beyond the aspect of simply toying with men (Chen 373).
Why don't I ... play around with those stupid men who think that all women are their playthings? Shitao, the most pleasurable thing for a woman to do is to entice a proud man to prostrate himself at your feet and then use all your might to kick him away (Chen 373).
Moreover, Mao Dun’s fiction portrays the female characters as the source of difficulty and confusion to their victims. This shows a peripheral existence, whereby, despite rejecting the traditional conventions the Chinese women are still in the process of self-awareness and defining their new position in the society. Their actions are shown to be borne out of their own motivations as well as justifications and in particular in their pursuit of a meaningful life as well as self-awareness. This makes it possible for the author to achieve an element of reworking the paradigm of gender within society. Mao Dun stories serve a warning to men against their failure to rise to the challenges set by women in society. In this case, they are used as objects capable of leading men into areas of new experiences. The women character personifies the new as well as a challenge to the revolutionary experiences of the future in China.
A good example of such a revolutionary experience is depicted in the character of Hui. In this episode, Hui's rejection of Bao Su leads to emotional hurt, which shows the extent of damage that a woman can cause a man in Pursuit. There is also the torment of Fang Luolan and that of Shi Xun which are representative of the source of gender equality. However, in this case, there is little evidence that Shi Xun suffers victim of Hui’s revenge on the male sex. On the other hand, much of the damage caused in Fang Luolan’s life is considered personal creation, making his psyche an exploration within the entire novel. He is depicted as the center where everything revolves between the traditional ideas concerning the roles, relations between husband and wife and the character of the modern woman. The encounter with Sun Wuyang reveals much on the weaknesses that eventually serves as the embodiment of vacillation (Chen 103).
The feminist character is represented in a similar pattern as per the various books of the trilogy. For instance, in the book Disillusion, the woman character Hui’s physical description (Chen 10) becomes her symbol of recognition as physically enchanting. The revelation of her physical curves in a flattering manner by her close-fitting clothing is a physical description of her beauty that attracts men. She uses her physical nature as a source of attraction that eventually makes it easier for her to humiliate men. Sun Wuyang in the book Vacillation is similarly described through physical appearance (rounded eyebrows with thick lashes and full of hidden bitterness). The woman wears the same dress code that is figure-flattering clinging to her body as that of Hui (Chen 74). Sun uses the same tactic as Hui to lure men through her physical body and toy them and pays less attention to the emotional havoc that she causes. Eventually, the third woman Zhang Qiuliu though portrayed as naturally beautiful the same way as Hui and Sun, does not use her physical beauty to lure and humiliate men. Instead, though aware of her physical beauty, she does not ensnare men with it. However, at one particular point, he slides into anger and uses it against the male sex, a passion inspired by compassion over her friend who has been forced into prostitution.
Feminism presentation from Jane Eyre’s perspective
In her pursuit for equality as well as independence, Jane passes through numerous life experiences. For instance, Jane loses her parents at a young age after which she was taken by her uncle who later died after a few years of giving her a good life. Afterward, she lives with her aunt Mrs. Sarah Reed who regarded Jane as a jinx and provided an avenue for her three children to abuse Jane. They are depicted as disliking Jane’s passionate character and plain appearance, therefore, they do not show any form of sympathy or care towards such little girl. At some point, Jane had little argument with her cousin and is beaten and locked in a room whole night. However, during this time, Jane’s early feminism came out and she refuses to be treated as an inferior person prompting her to speak out against her discriminations to her aunt (Bronte 63).
“I’m not deceitful. If I were, I should say I loved you, but I declare, I don’t love you. I dislike you the worst of anybody in the world except John Reed, and this book about the liar, you may give to your girl, Georgiana, for it is she who tells lies, and not I”(63)
In this case, the woman character Jane refuses to be treated as an amateur by the rich woman. This compels her to respond back strictly and powerfully sending a clear message that she is not a coward and stands to be counted irrespective of the environment. Such a form of rebellion against Mrs. Reed represents the fact that she is very much aware of her feminist consciousness and is well able to retrieve esteem from other people to represent decency and respect. After she was sent to boarding school, she learned the art of having stronger ...