To research the female images in different historical times, people can experience different personalities of female and care more about female in modern society. Geling Yan, as one of the world-renowned Chinese-America writers, has created many kinds of female characters with different personalities. 45208
The thesis is going to introduce Yan’s novels including three parts.
1.Introduction
1.1 Female image and Feminism
Feminism calls for women’s liberation, freedom and rights, which becomes a theme of modern and contemporary literature.
1.2 Innovation of female image in Yan’s novels.
Immigrants and Cultural Revolution create Yan’s complex cultural identity and enable her to think about the essence of female in a new angle. Yan Geling’s domestic and overseas life experience marks deeply on her novels and is the source of different female images. Unlike other writers who just pursue for equality of men and women. Yan also use plain words to restore what women really are. These women share one thing in common that they are marginalized social class. Although being in disadvantaged situation, they always choose to be considerate, tender, kind and tolerant against the injustice and social oppression.
2. Female images in Yan’s novels.
2.1 Yan’s life and works
Yan was born in Shanghai, China. She served in the People's Liberation Army during the Cultural Revolution, in Tibet and later as a journalist in the Sino-Vietnamese War. In 1998, she went to Columbia College of art for further study and got a MFA degree as the first Chinese alumni of the college.
Her stories include SiaoYu, A woman's epic, The Banquet Bug, The Lost
Daughter of Happiness, The flowers of war, as well as a story collection entitled White Snake and Other Stories.
2.2 Writing style
Geling Yan’s novels are extensive, from the mainland to abroad, from villages to cities, including a variety of female images. Women she writes have a strong power to survive in the harsh situation. She uses feminine body symbol, hair and eyes to shape a special woman character. In her novels, there are always two main lines: love and predicament.
2.3
2.3.1 The image of women in rural area.
2.3.2 The image of after-war women
2.3.3 The image of immigrant girl
3. Conclusion
In conclusion, these female characters form an integrated system of weak people striving for survival and they awake people’s potential genuine nature: forgiveness and sympathy. Only forgiveness and sympathy can enable people gain spiritual freedom and moral improvement, get rid of the burden of fame, fortune, reputation and selfishness and finally follow true heart to accomplish the life goals. In the world that power decides everything, although weak culture has inferior part, it still has its right to co-exist with strong power. People can tread on it but cannot stop them showing their cultural attractiveness.
Bibliography
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