| The culture of the East Asian countries has been caused more and more attention since with the international status of East Asia increasingly prominent in the economic, political and other aspects. Chinese, Korean and Japanese scholars began regard the East Asian regional as a unit. Discussion and discourse about East Asia began more and more active.China, South Korea and Japan are in the East Asia, they have much in common in the historical and cultural aspects, especially profound influence of Confucianism in the feudal society of the three countries. The patriarchal system and the feudal era made women’s status fall to the bottom and women’s dignity vanished. Women of a certain era, always closely associated with the culture of that era. At any era, women are one of the creators of culture. At the same time, a certain culture, always constraints lives of women from a variety of angles.Women of a certain era, in particular cultural covers, live in a specific culture, accept social values, ethics, cosmology determined by this culture, shape their own accordance with this cultural patterns of behavior and social expectations, follow the corresponding cultural ethos, live in the context of certain cultural traditions. In modern society, with the change of social system and the advance of civilization, new ideas and concepts have gradually been accepted. The social ideology also beginning to show a new look. The most notable change was the transformation of women’s status. The women’s individual consciousness, sense of independence gradually awakened and women began to mature.Bing Xin (1900-1999), Na Hyesuk (1896-1948) and Miyamoto Yuriko (1899-1951) boarded the literary world at the early20th century of China, Korea and Japan, and became rising stars of the literary world. They were the leaders of female literature to show women’s life core in their homeland through reflecting the awareness of women and gender characteristics of female. Their works impacted traditional concepts and outworn dogma and caused more and more attention to female issue.Female writer of the early20th century had similar experiences and background:First, the opportunity:they grew up in the environment of turmoil and change; second, conditions:many of them grew up in strong feudal families or middle-class families, at the same time accepted the new knowledge and new ideas, formed a special structure of knowledge and cultural literacy; Third, they made some extent of break from old objects, and actively seek new ideal life and the value of life; Fourth, as the object of liberation, they were completely independent subjectively, but could not completely get rid of the shackles of patriarchal culture and influence. Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko were no exception. Their ages were almost same, all born in excellent condition family, had similar education degree. They all lived in the era of turbulent upheaval, experienced and witnessed the East-West cultural contacts, exchanges and collision. With support of forward-thinking family on the issue of women’s education, they had opportunity to access to new education and possess the necessary conditions to become the pivotal writers. They disregarded discrimination of traditional culture and kept pursuing new culture. They overcame kinds of difficulties and reflected the experiences in their works.In May1918, the first vernacular fiction "Diary of a Madman" published by Lu Xun opened the prelude to the "May4th" novel. Bing Xin as the first modern female writer published "Two Families" and a series of short stories in1919reflected marital status, education and career. In January1917, Spring Garden Lee Kwang Su published fiction "Ruthless", which was symbol of the beginning of the Modern Korean fiction. In1918, Na Hyesuk published "Joan Ji". The literary excavations, drawn from reality and the structural characteristics of this work as well as shaping of the character was considered far exceed "Ruthless" which has been published one year before."Joan Ji"was thought to be a female fiction having truly full view of Korea modern fiction.1916,17-year-old Miyamoto Yuriko published""Poor People" reflecting rural life in Central Bulletin and was known as the "prodigy" and attracted attention of the literary world.Bing Xin’s "Two Family"," Autumn winds worry Sharen", Na Hyesuk’s " Joan Ji ","Hate "," Always in My Heart ", Yuriko Miyamoto Nobuk’s "Nobuko","Two Courtyard" and other works happen to coincide pay attention to female education, marriage and many female social problems; criticism of patriarchal, feudal customs and the old and the new parent rights; avocation for women in the pursuit of freedom; self feminist consciousness. These women writers standed in the forefront of the times, explored the root of misfortune, or defended the dignity of the female personality, or look at the trend of human nature of evil side. Their works were aroused widespread repercussions by the earnest readers and literary critics. Therefore, a similar family background and upbringing as well as the plight of experienced identity as a new female cause them had a lot of similarities in the creation of literary works, offers the possibility for a comparative study.This thesis using feminist literary theory as the basis, with the help of the theories and methods of Comparative Literature American School Parallel Study, mainly focused on the female consciousness reflected in the novels of the three women writers published in the1910s to the1940s.In order to investigate and analyze comprehensively and systematically, essays, diaries, reviews and other works written during the corresponding period were combined for the comparative analysis of the multi-faceted study and to seek a more comprehensive perspective for the study of the literary works of the three writers.Female consciousness is based on female gender and opposed to men’s emotions and consciousness, covers women’s self-examination of history and own destiny, self evaluation and inner experience. This thesis will focus on investigation and analysis of the female consciousness reflected in literary of Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko from the following aspects.In order to delve into the female consciousness embodied in these works, this thesis first examined the collision and blend between traditional culture and Western culture in the process of modernization of the three East Asian countries, and examined extensive and profound changes in political, economic, cultural and social areas caused by the collision in the three East Asian countries. In addition, this thesis also studied how the East Asian women awakened with the impact of western women emancipation intervention in the various political, social and cultural activities and how East Asian women pursued individual liberation and freedom.In the mid-19th century, China, Japan and Korea, influenced by Confucian culture for more than two thousand years, were faced with the invasion of the Western powers and opened the doors, opened the road to modernization. These changes ushered women status emancipation, the era of great change in the subsequent late19th century and early20th century in the three East Asian countries.With the national crisis of unprecedented magnitude and the rise of modern nationalism in China after the Sino-Japanese War, some people on insight realized-save the nation we must first save peoples, that mean creating citizen to meet the needs of the time. To accomplish that, it was necessary that women should have educational opportunities. In this way, the Chinese women’s liberation and the fate of the country were related closely. A small number of the first awakened female intellectuals began seriously thought about the value of female subjectivity and pursued and claimed equal rights with men. As one of the first generation of women writers in20th century, Bing Xin accepted the spirit of "May4th". Her works embodied the concern and worry of the nation’s destiny. Her "problem novels" included national crisis issues, youth issues, personnel issues, women’s issues, family problems, the lower class people and other subject matter. Although it was pointed out that her novels was pan and not fine, which was the common shortcomings of "problem novels", she was indeed the pioneer of the first generation of new literature regarding her novels almost covered most of the problems involved in "problem novel".Due to the specific limits of the age in Korea, the women’s liberation movement did not become a truly anti-imperialist and anti-feudal movement mainstream like in China. In the early20th century, Korea has completely lost the sovereign right of the nation, women’s education and women’s liberation could not truly become the object of concern of the community. Therefore, women’s education and women’s reform with goal of saving the nation was difficult to fundamentally change the deep-rooted feudal-patriarchal patriarchal ideology. Faced with such a society, Na Hyesuk proposed women new female morality with her solemn thinking and unique cognitive attention and interpretation of the fate of the Korean women, which was rich flavor of time and with equality between men and woman. Her thoughts reflect the depth and breadth of introspection of traditional gender cultural. Japan embarked on the road of capitalist development since the Meiji Restoration in1868. Although this bourgeois revolution was not thorough enough, it overthrow the rule of the feudal shogunate. Since then, with the Western liberal democratic thought widespread, the movement of questing for a new life and human rights rose up. This awakened a group of women’s desire of self-understanding and expression. Grown in this era, Miyamoto Yuriko not only criticized unfair of the patriarchal society but also sincerely pursued female independent personality. It can be said that Miyamoto Yuriko keep on focusing on women’s issues during her literary career.In early20th century, people’s sense of freedom was constantly awakening in the East Asian society with the claim of equality, freedom and individuality liberated, resulting in the dominant concept of patriarchal culture in old feudal family began loosening up. The oppression of feudal patriarchal parents on their children was more intensified. The feudal patriarchal parents tighten the yoke sets on education, marriage and other issues of their children with the name of "care" and interference everything.Works of Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko deeply reflected the reflection and criticism of feudal patriarchal. In old feudal families, authoritarian and outrageous fathers or mothers imposed their own values to their children as the patriarchal law enforcement by the name of "concern" children,, and gross interference in the child’s life choices. In the course of history, the feudal patriarchal deeply oppressed the younger generation of China, Korea and Japan. The young people lost the freedom of marriage and right of education. Works of Bing Xin’s and Na Hyesuk Yuriko presented figure of arbitrary and imperious feudalism fathers. Feudal fathers either refused pay tuition to deprive the rights of children to continue their education or arranged marriage despite their daughter’s idea. Nobuko Miyamoto Yuriko focused on the image of the mother as the spokesman of the patriarchal and even law enforcement. As can be seen, the Bing Xin and Na Hyesuk’s works strongly criticized arbitrary and imperious feudalism fathers while works of Miyamoto Yuriko put mother on the position which was the symbol of value system to be challenged. In addition, for the same profound contradiction, conflict presented by Bing Xin’s novel was relatively flat while the novels of Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko rendered relatively intense conflict.What was worth mentioning is these novels showed a complex trend in relationship between female and feudal male. Although feudal father was the object of criticism by women, feudal husband was object of sympathy and pity by women. Three writers illustrate not only women but also inherited patriarchal sons were harmed by patriarchalism. In the novel of Bing Xin and Na Hyesuk, superior environment and ignorance feudal education made sons had not aspirations and ideals of young man. They lived a chaotic daily life, early obeyed to marriages arranged by parents and have a family and children early. They lived comfortable and luxurious life and feudal education, has become very pale and empty in sprit. In a patriarchal society, as the main body of society, in order to maintain the developed social rules-feudal patriarchal system itself, man also had to follow some of these rules. For example, men, as well as women should give the right of marriage to father and mother on behalf of his father. They had to follow the needs of the community, to meet the social requirements of their own. Has became a "social", in essence, it means to abandon as "self. Abandon the "self means to follow a way which may be not their nature lifestyle or the lifestyle they liked to survive. In this sense, in the feudal society, male was not only patriarchal dominator, but also sacrifice. Bing Xin, and Na Hyesuk can brought evils of patriarchal extended to the male, indicating their understanding of the rights of the parent were both dept and bread.In addition, from overview of the figures of father in the novels of Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko, it can be found that in novels of Bing Xin and Miyamoto Yuriko, in addition to the figures of fathers as the target of the criticism, there were some of the "respectable amiable father"images. The father in Bing Xin’s "sea","sacrifice","first party" and Miyamoto Yuriko Nobuko’s some novels were this kind. And there were almost impossible to find this "fatherly" image in the novels of Na Hyesuk. This difference due to the different impression left by their fathers. Bing Xin had a very open-minded, kind father. His patriotism impact Bing xin profoundly; it’s can also be seen from autobiographical novels of Miyamoto Yuriko that she and her father had deep feelings and intimacy. Na Hyesuk’s father was much less enlightened compared to father of Bing Xin and Miyamoto Yuriko. Based on different memories of the father, Bing Xin, Miyamoto Yuriko and Na Hyesuk portrayed different images of fathers. Figures of fathers in novels of Bing Xin and Miyamoto Yuriko had relatively wide perspective, showing a diversity of father; the analysis of the feudal male image in Na Hyesuk’s novels was more deeply.The literature of the three woman writers concerned about women’s freedom of love and marriage. Ying Yun of Bing Xin’s novel was a new woman received new education, but trapped in a lonely marsh because of the marriage arranged by her parents. New women with certain degree of self-awareness, in fact, did not have a thorough self-consciousness and did not completely get rid of the shackles of feudal thinking. In fact, they had not yet completely faded imprint of the old woman. When conflict with the traditional patriarchal moral, they were still very weak and pessimistic to defend their rights. Thus, Bing Xin shaped the negative new women-Ying Yun, in order to reveal the feudal patriarchal oppression. The figure of Na Hyesuk’s novel "Joan Ji" and Yuriko Miyamoto’s novel "Nobuko" portrayed distinctive women, full of wisdom and courage. Although they also experienced an inner conflicts and struggles, but in the end they were not obedient feudal parents will and pursue freedom and dreams as the "people". Through the analysis of new women experience of marital problems encountered in three novels, we can draw the similarities and differences in the works. If mention the conflict between the new woman and feudal parents around the marital problems, Bing Xin’s work focused on rendered helpless and melancholy heart of the heroine, while Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko’s works focused on showing struggle to the right of the parent and the women’s own inner struggle and contradiction.Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko concerned about the issue of education in their literature. For example, Bing Xin’s "Two Family", Na Hyesuk’s "Joan Ji", Miyamoto Yuriko’s "Poor People" and other works were referred to the importance and urgency of education. In "Two Family", the education of women were linked to family and nation, proposed women should receive a good education, improve their self-cultivation hence to have a positive impact on families and society. In "Joan Ji", education women was based on the Feminist Perspective for gender inequality in education, reflecting the advocates that women should have equal right and opportunities to receive education like men do. It can be said that Bing Xin and Na Hyesuk claimed importance of female education by the new female characters in their works. Miyamoto Yuriko concerned education of poor people. Japanese women had been universally accepted educational status when Miyamoto Yuriko engaged in creative activities, therefore, the author’s concept of education was reflected in the attention to the gap between the rich and the poor, attention to the living conditions of the poor people.Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko expressed their own knowledge and ideas on the "wife and mother".From Bing Xin’s "Family","the autumn autumn unhappy Sharen","my mother" and other works can be seen, although she stressed point of view that women was also "human", and criticized patriarchal society suppressing the awareness of women, but that was relatively inclusive sense of criticism. Therefore, Bing Xin did not completely abandon women’s traditional morality, but draw the elements believed to be reasonable and proposed a new "wife and mother" concept. Bing Xin affirmed new women with mature thinking and objective cognitive ability, social respect and recognition. However, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko thought so-called "wife and mother" view of women in feudal patriarchal social framework residues by men according to their own ideological values have set the standard, which purpose was to trapped women in the family that male-dominated private sphere, denied the women’s social living space, in fact, sets new shackles in women. Na Hyesuk introduced feminist theory article-"ideal woman" in1914,that was the first time in modern Korean history. She mentioned:’"Good Wife and Mother" is not desirable as the standard of the ideal woman.... Man husband, the man is a father. But it have not been heard yet about’Good Husband and Father’. Why only demond women? even to make a woman with a kind of self-cultivation, it really does not make sense.’gentle,’as the standard of the ideal woman is not desirable". Miyamoto Yuriko advocate women to be self-independence, independent living by myself." Her autobiographical novel "Nobuko "and "courtyard "shaping a new female hero-Nobuko, such as the name, Nobuko is a new women with strong-minded, self-reliance, self-esteem personality and thrive to achieve self. In order to pursue an independent right to life, she determined to give up love and motherly love. Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko advocated women should be" human "in the sense, self-conscious women world should be constructed. It’s can be say that they abandon their "wife and mother" view of women totally. Compared different perceptions and ideas about three writers "wife and mother" view of women, it’s was considered that compared to Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko’s radical deconstruction of consciousness, Bing Xin’s understanding was more objective and thorough, somewhat more rational and calm. She believes that "wife and mother" is just the family roles of women, does not include social role, should not confuse the two.The literary works of Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko embodied the sense of motherhood. The Bing Xin’s praise and worship of motherly love can be seen from maternal feelings reflected from the "Woman" and other works. Her motherhood, maternal love, mother’s praise, was indeed in all over her creation and action. Bing Xin’s maternal feelings not only touch the ethical affection, but also traced the origin of life. Na Hyesuk questioned "maternal instinct" by describing experience of pregnancy, expectant, production. She believed that the love of motherhood was not born with, but was formed in the process of raising children, was some kind of "flammable". Miyamoto Yuriko given some recognition on maternal role, at the same time she also thought that intention of maternal instinct theory embedded in the female body was to bound women.At the beginning of20th century, along with the rising feminist movement in the world, Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko, who had modern scientific and cultural knowledge, self-awareness of opening, the unprecedented open culture vision, a strong sense of responsibility and sense of urgency, placed the important task of transforming society on their shoulders. They honestly and boldly looked at society and women, frequently impact patriarchal "sacred" status with rich speculative and philosophical discourse and paid attention to the need of women for education and equal rights of men. They fought for women’s right to speak in the enhanced male secular society. Autobiographical novel is compatible with the tone of fiction and it was a common model used by many Asian woman writers at20th century. Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko displayed life of their times through their own autobiographical text and expressed pursuit of independence spirit. They also displayed establishment, construct, lost, reconstruction and other complex development process of Female Independent Personality, and self-emotional world or life experience to the world.It can be said that literary of Bing Xin, Na Hyesuk and Miyamoto Yuriko, who were the women writers with awakening sense of individuality, embodied in the anti-feudal ideology, people awareness and awareness of women. Their works have not only become the important part of literary history of China, Japan and Korea, but also added a dazzling light to the literary history of whole Asia. |
PDF Full Text Request