| This thesis will analyze the thematic emphasis of "women's strength" in plays written by Guan Hanqing (c.1214-c.1300), a famous Yuan (1280-1368) playwright, and will demonstrate that he was as much a champion of feminism as modern day advocates are. The heroines in the nine plays examined in this thesis will be categorized into three types: officials' mothers, wives and daughters; commoners' mothers and wives; and maids and courtesans. Furthermore, this thesis will discuss how each heroine is an archetypal manifestation of one or more of the following feminist concepts: the affirmation of women's ability to positively contribute to politics and the family, women's freedom of choice in marriage and divorce, and sympathy for the plight of courtesans and maids. By using Guan's portrayal and description of women in his plays, hopefully, this study will help to dispel some of the current pervasive myths about traditional Chinese women and thus, cast some light on the gaps in the study of women in the Yuan era. |
