20230630 final exam 06

202271080010 夏玲珑 Xia Linglong (Saitova Madina) 英语笔译(English translation)

The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature

Abstract

Chinese literature is a rich source of historical knowledge about the lifestyle, traditions, and culture of Chinese people. Even though the study of ancient and classical Chinese literature is given great attention by sinologists, the study of the development of female characters in Chinese literature remains a relatively understudied field. In this paper, we aim to trace the process of Chinese female characters' evolution along with analyzing the perception of female images in Chinese literature in the West by taking into consideration key factors that influence the perception of a literary work by Western readers. To conduct the study general scientific research methods such as comparative, analytical, and comparative-historical were used. The research is based on relevant recent studies, including the author's reflection and analysis of Chinese literary works from the Han, Tang, and Yuan dynasties.

Keywords

Chinese literature, Chinese female characters, reception

= = 题目The Evolution of Chinese Female Characters Perception in the West Based on Chinese Literature = =

摘要

中国文学是关于中国人的生活方式、传统和文化的丰富历史知识来源。 尽管中国古代和古典文学的研究受到汉学家的高度重视，但对中国文学中女性角色发展的研究仍然是一个相对缺乏研究的领域。 在本文中，我们旨在追溯中国女性角色的演变过程，同时分析西方读者对中国文学中女性形象的看法，同时考虑影响西方读者对文学作品看法的关键因素。 为了进行研究，使用了比较、分析和比较历史等一般科学研究方法。 该研究基于近期的相关研究，包括作者对中国汉唐元文学作品的反思和分析。

关键词

中国文学，中国女性角色，接待

Introduction

The relevance of the research topic is attributed to the lack of a structured comparative analysis of female images and the identification of the main differences and factors that had a significant impact on the formation of the female image in Chinese literature of different historical periods. The practical significance of the conducted research lies in the possibility of studying, analyzing, comparing, and identifying the features of the images of Chinese women from different periods, as well as in the way their images were perceived in the West. The theoretical significance of the work lies in an attempt to analyze female images based on stories and novels by Chinese authors of 206 B.C. - 1368 China. The literary works analyzed in the research cover the period from the Han Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty.

1.1. Women's Images in Western Literature.

Literary works usually serve as an accurate reflection of people's lives in different historical epochs. They can combine and represent the personal position of the author regarding specific historical events, social problems as well as culture and traditions of the country. Literary artworks are of great historical value because they provide scientists and historians with a clearer picture of the past. In particular, the following points get described quite often: customs, appearance (including dresses and biological portraits), social stratification, the presence or absence of social equality between two genders, moral and ethical values, and characteristics of people's images. Undoubtedly, at the initial stages of the development of writing and literature in most cultures of the world, male characters typically tend to always be prescribed the main role. This was due to some historical and social factors. Since ancient times, a man was considered a food provider and a guarantor of safety for the family. If we turn to the later model of a man in the written fiction of European countries, we can note the following male figures would prevail: male knights, brave warriors, and witty tacticians.

In terms of Russian literature, one can see that the main figures to come into prominence were heroic bogatyrs, knyaz's (often regarded as the analog name for a "prince" in a Western canon), and their military campaigns and battles. The main role in the works of the initial stage of writing was assigned to men, and it wasn't until many centuries later that the first female images written by female authors began to appear. The start of female education in Russia is considered to be 1764, when the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was founded in St. Petersburg, which became the first secular educational institution in Russia. (Ivan Solovkov 1985, 21) The dominance of male authors in the literary field has led to many female figures being perceived by the reader as one-sided and unrevealed to the full extent.

Russian literature is rich in descriptions of simple peasant women who are "beautiful in any clothes" and "dexterous for any work." Such female characters would be described as responsible for the well-being of her children and family in one of Nekrasov's poems called "In Russ hamlets women are dwelling": "Her consciousness is clear and strong, She finds salvation in her work, She gets a reward for all she did: Her family does not struggle in need" (Translated by Saitova Madina) However, it cannot be argued that the image of Western female characters remained static and did not change over time. Many well-known Russian authors in their poems, stories, and poems present to the reader their female image, which was formed based on the author's worldview and was endowed with unique features. In other works by Western writers we can also view how women were portrayed: in Coventry Patmore's poem "The Angel in the House" which is considered to be one of his most renowned ones, it is possible to note the influence of patriarchy on moral principles and social values. This poem gained wide popularity in the 19th century, in which a woman is credited with the roles of an exemplary wife and caring mother. The woman in the work of Coventry Patmore does not show excessive independence and does not go against her husband's will. Similar character traits were praised by the authors of many other European countries of that time.

At the end of the XIX century - the beginning of the XX century women in Europe began to have more opportunities and, as a result of the suffragette movement, gained the right to vote equally with men, they also obtained the right to have personal property, the right to divorce their husband, and the right for decent education and working outside their homes. At the beginning of the 20th century, women were no longer perceived as the weak and helpless sex; Having equal rights with men marked the beginning of an era of new women's and men's literature, in which the female image runs counter to the canonical image of the ideal woman of past centuries.

The common values of Western women include the desire to be a loving mother and a reliable wife. Based on this, we can conclude that for women of the XVIII-XVIV centuries such character traits were praised: diligence, hospitality, modesty, loyalty, etc. After English women started to fight for their rights, women from other European countries followed their example and also actively began to pave their way for freedom from patriarchy, which as a result led to a change in the social position of women in society, and, therefore, was reflected in literature and portrayal of Western women.