Qing Dynasty female writer's discussion on tanzi

Author: Bao Zhenpei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: The Study on Qing Dynasty Female Writers and Tanzi Novels is the author's recent research (research achievements) under the guidance of Professor Chen Hong, a Ming-Qing literature expert at Nankai University, while pursuing a doctoral degree in the History of Chinese Literary Criticism. The selection of the topic was determined based on the author's knowledge structure and academic interests. Previously, she has published monographs such as The History and Theory of Chinese Quyi Art and The Pear Tree of Love in the, accumulating expertise in the study of quyi literature. In 1995, she participated in the NGO Forum of the Fourth World Conference on Women organized by the United Nations and delivered a speech titled The Outdated Views on Women by Some Contemporary Male Writers, marking a practical engagement in feminist literary criticism. Recently, her doctoral dissertation, A Study on Qing Dynasty Female Writers and Tanzi Novels, has been unanimously praised by renowned scholars from Peking University, Fudan University, and others, who believe this research fills a gap and holds academic value.
First, it fills the void in the study of both the history of fiction and the history of women's literature. In the history of Chinese literature, tanzi has traditionally been studied as a form of "poetic recitation" (), and it has no place in the history of fiction. Research on female writers and tanzi has also been limited to case studies of a few works and authors, lacking a comprehensive and systematic examination. The study of women's literature in China has primarily focused on contemporary and modern works, with less attention to ancient women's literature, and even then, it has mostly centered on poetry. In the history of Chinese fiction, female writers are even rarer. The author's examination of over 3,000,000 words of long tanzi novels by 38 female writers over 300 years in the Qing Dynasty can be considered the first comprehensive and systematic (organization) of Qing Dynasty female writers' tanzi creation. With a unique female perspective, she argues for its position in the practice of ancient Chinese women's literary activities. Drawing on previous scholarship that divides tanzi into sung scripts (for listening), similar to northern Pingshu, and written scripts (for reading), she uses examples of female writers' tanzi to establish its characteristics as individual written creations, long, elaborate narratives suited for reading, and aimed at an "elite" audience. By comparing it with chaptered novels, she clarifies its refined and elegant style, its proximity to natural reading, and its blend of lyrical and prose elements, classifying it as a lyrical novel genre. This conclusion fills the gaps in both the genre of fiction and women's literature.
Second, the author's arguments contribute to the construction of the framework of women's literary history. Previous literary histories have often overlooked female creation, reflecting a patriarchal culture. Some scholars have pointed out that, from the perspective of modern feminist literary criticism, many existing studies on the history of Chinese women's literature exhibit a strong Confucian influence, celebrating female talents and reflecting the aesthetic tastes of scholar-officials, lacking theoretical depth and innovation. The author's argument on the position of female writers' tanzi creation in the practice of ancient Chinese women's literary activities is essential and beneficial for a complete and accurate understanding of the tradition of ancient Chinese women's literature, and further for an in-depth exploration of the ideological and cultural resources of modern and contemporary Chinese women's literature. Currently, research on women's literature often relies on male-authored texts, whereas the author's study of female-authored texts, particularly her insights into establishing an independent literary narrative tradition for women, not only enriches feminist literary theory but also offers valuable perspectives for understanding and summarizing the literary heritage co-created by both genders and for studying female creation from a gender perspective.
Exploring Female Consciousness
The author employs multiple theoretical and research methods in her study of the ideological connotations of Qing Dynasty female writers' tanzi novels. These include historical materialism, cultural anthropology, sociology, psychology, and feminist criticism, with a particular emphasis on gender analysis theory and methods throughout the work to analyze the content of Ming-Qing female writers' tanzi works. She focuses on the women behind the paper, their individual and collective modes of existence, the environment that gave rise to female creation and consciousness, and the evolution of female thought history. Based on this understanding, the author begins by examining the gradual transformation of views on women in the Ming and Qing dynasties, analyzing the reasons for the flourishing of the culture of female talents (female literature). By combining the living conditions of women, she analyzes the content, purpose, process, and dissemination of the works, concluding that there exists a narrative tradition of women's literature. Subsequently, she explores the interaction and conflict between this tradition and mainstream ideology within a broader social context.
The book's exploration of female consciousness covers the following aspects:
● Uncovering the Female Consciousness of Female Writers. For example, Qing Dynasty female writers using the lyrical form of tanzi to narrate their life backgrounds, writing processes, emotions, and psychological states already represents an independent expression of female self. Women achieve self-realization through writing. Tanzi writing becomes a medium for women to seek understanding among themselves. Through the analysis of character traits such as "jealousy" and "fierceness," it reflects the plight of the wife-husband system and the survival of female groups. Female writers' concern for the value of female life has shaped numerous heroines who defy old rituals and achieve remarkable accomplishments, etc.
● Analyzing the Growth Environment of Female Consciousness. The author examines the reasons for the flourishing of the culture of female talents (female literature) in the Qing Dynasty, focusing on the transformation of views on women in the Ming and Qing dynasties and analyzing the socio-cultural environment in which women lived. For instance, she argues that the ethical concept of the Book of Changes () that divides the world into yin and yang () has been politicized, giving gender issues a political dimension. She investigates the formation and development of rituals, female education, family education, and Confucianism, as well as the influence of modern popular sovereignty thought on the evolution of views on women. By analyzing the living environments of women in society, families, and households, she explores the conditions for the growth of female consciousness, the regional reasons for the prosperity of female tanzi, and the system of female officials.
● The Author Emphasizes the Interaction Between Gender Relations and Gender Culture. The interplay between the shifting views of scholar-officials on women in Ming-Qing social thought and the emergence of female self-awareness enriches the narrative tradition and artistic charm of Chinese literature, blending women's literature with male literature.
● In Analyzing the Flourishing of the Culture of Female Talents, the author focuses on Yuan Mei and the group of female disciples of his garden (), and also discusses the feminization of literati and the feminization of female scholars.
New Insights
Reflections on Qing Dynasty female writers' tanzi novels can inspire many areas of discussion. For example: the exploration of a gendered perspective in literary criticism; a comparison between the social aspirations of female tanzi writers and the "privatization" trend in contemporary female novels; the connection between cross-dressing and female consciousness, and the development of female fashion culture; the literary portrayal of concubines in female tanzi novels and the representation of extramarital affairs in modern literature, etc.
In summary, The Study on Qing Dynasty Female Writers and Tanzi Novels opens a window for us to understand female tanzi novels, Chinese women's literature, and female culture, and will undoubtedly inspire further exploration by scholars.