An Analysis Of Ethical Conflicts In The Kitchen God's Wife From The Perspective Of Ethical Literary Criticism

Chinese-American female writer Amy Tan's second work The Kitchen God's Wife is regarded as a classic,which not only explores the conflicts between Chinese mother and American-born daughter,and the cultural differences between China and the U.S.A.,but also concerns about women's living dilemma in Chinese semi-colonial and semi-feudal society and expresses heroine's mixed feelings under the ethical conflicts.The core of the analysis of this thesis is “ethical conflict”.Based on Professor Nie Zhenzhao's and Professor Xiu Shuxin's viewpoints of ethical literary criticism,this thesis intends to analyze heroines' survival ethical conflicts,sexual ethical conflicts,family ethical conflicts and their reasons in Amy Tan's The Kitchen God's Wife.First is the analysis of the survival ethical conflicts and reasons in The Kitchen God's wife: one is heroine Winnie's mother's survival ethical conflict between autonomous marriage and arranged marriage,the other is heroine Winnie's survival ethical conflict between her awakening of woman self-consciousness and Chinese feudal code of “The Three Obediences and the Four Virtues”.Second is the analysis of two sexual ethical conflicts and the reasons of sexual ethical conflicts in The Kitchen God's Wife: the conflict between heroine Winnie's being a sexual tool and her pursuit for true love;the conflict between her husband Wen Fu's promiscuous sexual behaviour and Winnie's sexual fidelity.Third is the analysis of family ethical conflicts and reasons of family ethical conflicts in The Kitchen God's Wife: the conflict between heroine Winnie's absence and her search for maternal love;the jealousy and love conflict between Winnie and her cousin Peanut;and the cultural conflict between Chinese mother Winnie and American-born daughter Pearl.These three types of ethical conflicts embody the contradictory state between feminism awakening and the stubborn persistence of the old feudal ethic during the period of semi-colonial and semi-feudal society in China.This is a necessary stage for the development of Chinese society.In the end,the reflections and ethical thoughts brought by The Kitchen God's Wife to modern humans are also presented.