A Comparative Study To The Female Tragic Consciousness In The Novels Of Zhang Ai Ling And Cui Zhen Xi

This article is attempt to compare the female tragic consciousness contained in the works of the Chinese writer, Zhang Ai Ling's, and those of the Korea writer, Cui Zhen Xi's, by which, the real cause of the female tragic consciousness in both works is discussed. Tragic consciousness, consists of two extremities opposite and supplementary to each other, exposes the dilemma of human culture, a challenge in itself, and meanwhile, closes the dilemma in both form and emotion, which implies an acceptance of the challenge. There are many similarities in tragic consciousness exhibited in both Zhang Ai Ling's and Cui Zhen Xi's works as a result of their similar growing experiences. As a common topic of the contemporary female writers, Zhang and Cui, the perspective of feminine survival value and tragic consciousness, though distinguished by various qualities, mirrors the physical abuse and mental oppression of women in the feudal culture and traditional ethics and morals. The spirit of challenge and response to challenge of tragic consciousness has been extended by Zhang and Cui to human beings and society, or even the real family life of men and women so as to expose both the extrinsic and intrinsic causes of female tragic consciousness accordingly. The description of the female tragic consciousness in both of their works can be evaluated as "eternal writings kept for women' s liberation".Centered on the middle-length novel The Golden Chain of Chinese writer Zhang Ai Ling and the trilogy of Three Connections, master works of Korean Cui Zhen Xi's novella, the article discusses the differences and similarities and their causes of tragic consciousness between the two original writers in their writings in the methods of parallel study, feminist literary criticism, biographic criticism and social cultural criticism. Both the writers assign the causes of female tragedy to the absurd marriage system, the weak husband and the shackles of feudal ethicsand rites upon women's thoughts in their writing, though no specific proof of the mutual influence of the two writers can be sensed. Different attitudes toward the acceptance of challenge are proposed by the two writers though the characters in their writings might face similar survival challenges. Zhang Ai Ling has trenchantly pointed out that the crucial reason for female tragedy is the morbid society and therefore, she entrusted the hope of women to escape from the abyss of misery to the revolutionized future, whereas Cui Zhen Xi has chosen to return to maternal instinct, to restrain the desire with power of maternity and to strive to seek the way to escape tragedy and return to normal life.With an analysis of the deep causes of tragedy in both works, the historic and realistic basis is found, highlighting the value and the significance of the article and subliming the meaning of the works. Moreover, a comparison of the tragic consciousness in both works is beneficial to the understanding of the common psychological desire of women in different social systems, and thereby deepens understanding of and attention to females. Meanwhile, I hope Chinese readers can draw references from the description of the differences between the two works in reading Korean feminine literature.