Changes Of The Female Images In "Cultural Revolution"-Themed Novels By Yan Geling

As a shining star in the Chinese literary field,Yan Geling has written many works attracting wide attention from the critics.The female images with different charms in her works have won the praise from numerous scholars.With the increase of life experience and changes of living environment,the females in Yan's works have also been change changing constantly.This thesis takes the female images in her works since the end of the "Cultural Revolution" including those describing the "Cultural Revolution" directly,written under that background or involving some scenarios of female images in that period,as the major research targets,talks about their changes and dedicates to find out Yan's different attitudes towards the "Cultural Revolution" from those different female images.The introduction part mainly introduces the writing experiences of Yan,the research targets in this thesis,a summary of the research on Yan's works and the research approach and innovation applied in this thesis.Chapter 1 mainly talks about the changes of roles in female society in Yan's works.Foucault's body politic theory is applied to research the changes of female roles in Yan's novels during the "Cultural Revolution" from the perspectives of their obedience and revolt before power.From the Female Meadow to The Ninth Widow and to Bedside(A Nurse Named Wan Hong),the females change from strict obedience before power to getting rid of power and from victims to rescuers of different degrees in the rescuing process.Chapter 2 mainly talks about the changes of those females' passion in Yan's "Cultural Revolution"-themed novels.Originally,females were eager for passion but had to suppress their passion.With the deepening on the understanding of females' complicated humanity and the changes on the understanding of the "Cultural Revolution",the females in Yan's works have changed their attitudes towards passion and love from restraining their passion to releasing their sexual desire freely.In her recent work – Bedside,Wan Hong,the major character has sublimed her passion under the dominant force of heroism belief.Chapter 3 talks about the changes of females' understanding of heroism in Yan's "Cultural Revolution"-themed works.Heroic complex is a concept preached largely by those statists in the "Cultural Revolution".Undoubtedly,females living in that era were affected by this complex.Yan has changed her attitudes towards heroism in the process.With the influence of heroism complex,the lives of most females in her early works,worshipping in revolutionary heroism,turn out to be tragedies.This constitutes Yan's complain to the "Cultural Revolution".After entering the 21 st century,Yan's living in foreign world caused her to encounter the cultures from two countries.At that time,she had lost the sense of belonging to Chinese culture.Under this basis,she wrote new novels,as an "outsider",themed on "Cultural Revolution".The females in her works at this stage have gotten rid of the constraint of heroism and they have preferred to the folk ethic moralities.In the 21 st century and in the era lack of belief,Yan helps to call back the spirit of heroism.In her recent work Bedside(A Nurse Named Wan Hong),the female,relying on a sincere belief in heroism,manages to realize self-worth.The "Conclusion" mainly summarizes the significance of those female images Yan have written in her "Cultural Revolution"-themed works.Those female images have not only promoted the development of females in modern and contemporary literature but also inspired readers to rethink about the history of "Cultural Revolution".However,the female images in her "Cultural Revolution" themed novels are far from this level of meaning.Her distinctive way of writing of "Cultural Revolution" themed novels and her vivid description of female images have left readers with endless space of thinking.