A Comparative Analysis Of Scarlet And Yao Mulan's Female Image

Whether from the perspective of world history or Chinese history, females are always the inferior groups. In addition to the oppression given by the patriarchal society, females'voice of both mental and physical liberation is not very loud. However, with the social innovation in the East and West, females'self awareness gradually awakes, looking forward to gaining rights as many as males in many aspects. Such new female images also appear in many literary works like Gone with the Wind written by American writer Margret Mitchell and Moment in Peking by Chinese writer Lin Yu Tang. Scarlet in Gone with the Wind is a brave, independent woman with resisting spirit. And Yao Mulan in Moment in Peking is the ideal and new woman in the author's heart. This thesis, from the perspective of feminist criticism and Confucianism, according to the comparative analysis of the two leading roles from the aspect of social conventions, love and marriage, and independence, shows the similarities and differences of the Eastern and Western writers' thoughts in different cultural background. Margret in her novel expresses the longing for the independent new woman, equality between woman and man, and woman's emancipation. Lin YuTang in his novel reflects that the leading role---Yao Mulan who has the characteristic of new woman, is also influenced by the Confucianism of patriarchal society. The thesis objectively evaluates the two leading roles" special female image---ven though influenced by the morals of the patriarchal society, their awaking and resisting spirit is always impressive in the literary history.