One Hundred Years of Solitary One Hundred Years of Solitary Light: Rites of Passage for Light: Rites of Passage for Modern American and Modern American and Chinese Women Writers, Chinese Women Writers, 1899-19961899-1996

Xianfeng Mou Xianfeng Mou Purdue UniversityPurdue University

ThesisThesis

Modern American and Chinese women writers Modern American and Chinese women writers share a similar cultural journey while share a similar cultural journey while manifesting a significant cultural difference.manifesting a significant cultural difference.

Methodology Methodology

Use Bakhtin’s theory of dialogism and Use Bakhtin’s theory of dialogism and heteroglossia to analyze how women writers heteroglossia to analyze how women writers position themselves and construct meaning of position themselves and construct meaning of their existence both within and beyond their their existence both within and beyond their cultural environmentcultural environment

SignificanceSignificance

To promote women writers’ global or cosmic To promote women writers’ global or cosmic perspectives in their artistic visions for humanityperspectives in their artistic visions for humanity

To promote the belief that a leader has to serve To promote the belief that a leader has to serve those she leads those she leads

To advocate love and interconnection during To advocate love and interconnection during cultural interaction and globalization cultural interaction and globalization

To promote mutual borrowing and mutual To promote mutual borrowing and mutual strengthening for cultural interactionsstrengthening for cultural interactions

To advocate change to combat cultural To advocate change to combat cultural suffocationsuffocation

Women Artists’ Three-stage Women Artists’ Three-stage cultural journeycultural journey

1. 1. Departure for self-discoveryDeparture for self-discovery

2. 2. Return of the realized self to serve Return of the realized self to serve the communitythe community

3. 3. A second departure to embrace A second departure to embrace humanity or cosmos humanity or cosmos

From hereFrom here

Corresponding change Corresponding change of perspectives: stages of perspectives: stages

1& 21& 2 Unilateral perspective Unilateral perspective

Restricted and ideal perspectives gradually Restricted and ideal perspectives gradually converge converge

Multiple perspectives gradually convergeMultiple perspectives gradually converge

Corresponding change Corresponding change of perspectives: Welty of perspectives: Welty

3.13.1 Multiple perspectives gradually convergeMultiple perspectives gradually converge

Corresponding change of Corresponding change of perspectives: Wang Anyi 3.2perspectives: Wang Anyi 3.2

http://www.cdcontrol.com/alanfreeman/dna2.gif

A rotating human DNA structure A rotating human DNA structure

Change of narrative positions Change of narrative positions through three stagesthrough three stages

Narrative forms 1: Narrative forms 1: Chopin Chopin

Narrative forms 2: Su Narrative forms 2: Su QingQing

Narrative form 3: Narrative form 3: HurstonHurston

Narrative form 4: Zhang Narrative form 4: Zhang JieJie

Narrative form 5: WeltyNarrative form 5: WeltyCosmic Self in an Eternal Cosmic Self in an Eternal

MomentMoment

Narrative form 6: Wang Narrative form 6: Wang Anyi’s worldAnyi’s world

Conclusion Conclusion

Women writers in these two cultural Women writers in these two cultural traditions experienced a departure—a returntraditions experienced a departure—a return—a second departure.—a second departure.

American women writers believe women can American women writers believe women can triumph over disasters whereas Chinese triumph over disasters whereas Chinese women writers do not offer such traumatic women writers do not offer such traumatic victories. victories.

To survive, women writers have to relinquish To survive, women writers have to relinquish their selves.their selves.