A Study of Female Images in China Ancient Literature

The Shaping of Female Images in Ancient and Modern Quyi Works and Its Significance

Wandering in China Quyi Ancient and Modern People Gallery, you can see the swaying female images, such as Wang Zhaojun, Zhu Yingtai, Meng Jiangnu, White Snake, Wang Erjie, Wang Baochuan, Cui Yingying, Lin Daiyu, Qingwen, Du Shiniang, Mulan, Mu, Jie Jiang, and the old woman with two guns. , are names with deep historical memory and/or sadness.

Female image-building is a long topic, and we list several main aspects here.

First, the female image of pursuing love independence and happy marriage.

1.

Love itself is an eternal topic in literature and art, and for women, it is also an important part of pursuing a better life. The so-called Iraqis are on the water side. ""Hold your hand and grow old with your son. Many poems in The Book of Songs reflect China women's active pursuit of love and romantic fantasy. Even under the ancient etiquette system of "matchmaker's words, parents' orders", the protagonists in the story, whether they are palace princesses, good women, ordinary people or prostitutes in brothels, all show their true feelings, love for their loved ones and persistence in life and death, reflecting the precious spirit of purity, sincerity and affection. For example, the story of Daiyu, based on the classic Dream of Red Mansions, was first adapted into Tears by Han Xiaochuang, a disciple of the Qing Dynasty. Since then, there have been many other genres of tracks such as "Dai Yu Buries Flowers", "Dai Yu Sorrow for Autumn", "Dai Yu Burning Draft" and "Farewell to the Nightingale", which created a sponsor. The Romance of the West Chamber is from Hui Zhen Ji written by Yuan Zhen in Tang Dynasty. It was originally a tragic story of a scholar who had no virtue and "abandoned it at the beginning of chaos" When The Story of the West Chamber was overturned by Dong Jieyuan in the Jin Dynasty, Yingying and Zhang Sheng finally had a happy ending after some tortuous efforts. The images of Cui Yingying and the matchmaker, the heroines in Wang Shifu's zaju The West Chamber adapted in Yuan Dynasty, are fuller and more real. Since the late Qing Dynasty, the "Romance of the West Chamber" of folk music has been popular for a time, centering on the comedy elements of the love of talented people and beautiful women. Liu Baoquan's The West Chamber, Yingying's View of Flowers, Yingying's View of Painting, Copying Red, The Book of Matchmakers, and Ma Rufei's Tanci Yingying Listening to the Piano have all become well-known classics. There are also some interesting sketches, such as Plum Blossom Drum Crossing the West Chamber and JD.COM Drum Tearing the West Chamber. Well-known folk stories, such as Liang Zhu's story and The Legend of the White Snake, are presented more perfectly from the perspective of female images. In Xiashan, Liang Zhu, Qin Shu, Shandong Province, Eighteen Farewells by two people, Yingtai Crying Soul by Henan pendant, Hong Jiu Pumu by Xuzhou Qin Shu, Hong Jiu Married by Hubei ditty, Liangzhu Becomes a Butterfly by Jing Yun Drum, and Liang Zhu's sad love tragedy makes people feel sad. There are also many tracks that reflect the image of White Snake and Xiaoqing as "snake spirits", such as Jinshan Temple, Lake Tour with an Umbrella, Shuijinmanshan, Broken Bridge Club and Legend of White Snake. Other famous tracks expressing free love stories are: Nanyin's Chen Sanwu Niang, Qiu Jiang (representing the love story of Chen Miaochang and Pan Bizheng), Henan pendant and Hubei Xiaoqu, and JD.COM drum "Wu Jiapo Dog Cuisine" (representing the story of Wang Baochuan) (according to Sanyan, Wang Erjie Sifu and Wang Erjie Crying Floor). In that feudal era, which regarded free love as a "scourge", these Quyi works revealed the significance of breaking through feudal ethics by describing the free love between men and women in the streets and lanes. The external beauty and spiritual beauty of women make these tracks have beautiful and lasting charm, which lasts forever.

2. Loyalty and perseverance.

In the Tang Dynasty, Fu came from the story that "Han Ping's wife" was forcibly separated by Wang. Both of them were double-hearted, praising Han Ping's wife's virtue, chastity and constancy. Meng Jiangnu's story of crying over the Great Wall, from her literary transformation to her in Qing Dynasty, to her crying over the Great Wall in Jing Yun drum and Shandong drum, has always been portrayed as a weak, lonely and sad "little girl" of the Qin Dynasty who is tenacious, persevering and brave in resisting tyranny. The Blue Bridge Club, which reflects the love tragedy between Lan Ruilian and Wei Jingyuan, is widely circulated among the people in the north. Qin Shu, Errenzhuan, Xihe Drum and other songs have been interpreted, praising their loyalty to love. In the traditional story of infatuated women with broken hearts, the heroic loyalty of female characters is praised and the ungrateful men are condemned. For example, Du Shiniang's story "Legacy of Brothel", Dan Xian's "Du Shiniang" and Zhu Qin's "Du Shiniang Throwing into the River" tell the story of Du Shiniang, a brothel woman, saving herself and Li Jia, a rich son, from adversity. I don't want Li Jia to be treacherous and sell it to Sun Fu. In desperation, Du Shiniang denounced Sun Fu and Li Jia, threw the treasure in the treasure chest into the river and finally jumped into the rolling waves. Shi Pai Dan Xian's singing is wonderful, presenting Du Shiniang, who is stronger than gold and resolute, and her emotional world, which strongly resists social oppression and defends personal dignity, to the audience completely and satisfactorily, making people cry and cry. Such plays include You Sanjie and Yuanyang Sword, which tell the story of You Sanjie in A Dream of Red Mansions, Detective, which begins with the story of Wang Kui's betrayal, and disloyal disciple Li's book, Disloyal Hate, etc.

Second, create a heroic image of a woman who contributes to the world and dares to sacrifice.

Heroines can be divided into five categories. The first category is the image of female generals.

In China traditional opera stage and Quyi program, there are many glorious images of female generals who heroically killed the enemy. They fought with swords and spears to defend their country and cut off their henchmen. This image originated from the northern folk song Mulan Ci. Hua Mulan, a woman disguised as a man and joined the army as her father, was the first female hero in ancient times. Mulan from Sichuan Yangqin joined the army, Mulan from Lanzhou Guci joined the army, Mulan went beyond the Great Wall, Mulan returned to her hometown, Mulan from Xihe Gushu swept north, and Xu Lixian began to play the lyrics with new Mulan. The ballad "Saying Yue", the northeast drum "Liang Hongyu" and the Henan pendant "Playing Jinshan" shaped the image of Liang Hongyu, as well as the Xihe drum "Mu Xia Shan", Xihe drum "Yang Jinhua Seizes India" and Xihe drum "Twelve Widows Urging the West" in the story. After liberation, Lin Hongyu sang "Mu is in command", which was transplanted from China traditional opera. She Taijun and Jose talked about the military situation on the border while playing chess. Just then, Yang sent the seal of Marshal, Mu said that he was brave and good at fighting, died for his country, and Marco was buried with him, but he was ignorant and picked up the seal of Marshal angrily. She Taijun taught his granddaughter-in-law to put the country first, and Mu returned to the battlefield at the age of 53, saying, "Whoever doesn't take the lead, who doesn't lead troops" went out to eliminate evil and make contributions. Mulan, Yangmen, Liang Hongyu and other China women convey the spiritual significance of "magnificence" which is different from China's female beauty.

Following this tradition, many revolutionary heroines have emerged in the creation of red classics since the founding of the People's Republic of China. For example, the classic rhyme drum "The Heroine Builds the Lake", which represents the heroic sacrifice of Zhou Wenyong and Chen Tiejun revolutionary couple Qiu Jin, and the plum blossom drum "The Tragic Wedding" which welcomes the butcher's knife in crisis, Han Ying, the captain of the Red Guards, and his mother are all shaped according to the classic rhyme drum "Han Ying Meets Mother" adapted by Honghu Red Guards. Based on the novel Red Rock, Jiang Jie's stories include storytelling Jiang Jie by boat, Sichuan Zhu Qinjiang's sister going up the mountain, Hubei ditty Jiang Jie Entering the Mountain, Jiang Jie being arrested, Jiang Jie dying and so on. Plum blossom drum embroidered with red flag, Allegro carjacking, shaped the glorious image of Huaying Mountain political commissar with two guns. The novella "Liu Hulan" eulogizes Liu Hulan's glorious deeds, the Hubei ditty "Heart of a Child" eulogizes Li Auntie who died to cover platoon leader Wang during the Liberation War, and the rhyme drum "Xiang" eulogizes the fragrance of young female workers who died in Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Factory. A Farewell to a Thousand Mile Embankment: An Interpretation of Chunlan and Yuntao in the novel Red Flag. There are drum words "New China Mulan Guo Junqing", "Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Little Girl" and "Zhao Yiman" until the Northern Shaanxi Express "Huang Wenxiu, a model of the times". Countless heroines, female warriors, heroines, female Eighth Route Army, female cadres, female party member and female models sang the main theme of Quyi.

The second category is the image of female Xia.

Legendary images of chivalrous women appeared in folklore and mystery novels in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, such as Nie Yinniang, Hong Fu and Hong Xing in the legend of the Tang Dynasty, Bao Jinhua in the ballad The Three Heroes of the Tang Dynasty and The Green Peony. Jing Yun Drum "Sting" is a reserved play of Liu School's Jing Yun Drum, also known as Snow Goose Stabbing Tang Dynasty, which is adapted from the book "Stabbing Tang Dynasty" in Qing Dynasty. "Xueyan pricked Tang Qin's women's true spirit festival, half rewarding her husband's ambition and half calling her stupid and blind", which shaped Xueyan Niang's image as a chivalrous woman who avenged her husband, saved the people, was not afraid of violence, dared to sacrifice and was determined.

The third category is the image of a virtuous and strange woman.

The Jingyun Drum Changbanpo is adapted from Han Xiaochuang's disciple's book Changbanpo, also known as Orphan Michaelis. Mrs. Meade was injured in the war and hugged her young master. Zhao Yun came to the rescue alone. In order not to get into trouble with General Zhao, Mrs. Mi entrusted the young master and died in a dry well. She interprets the image of Mrs. Mi who sacrificed her life for righteousness with meticulous artistic techniques, which has become an enduring classic. During the Warring States Period, the deeds of Zhong Wuyan (Yan), the mother of Qi State, were widely circulated among the people. The earliest prototype is the story of a civilian in a salt-free land who risked his life to remonstrate with the king of Qi. In the evolution of later generations, her name changed from "no salt" to "glamorous" in Gu Zhuo. The drum words in "Heroes of the Spring and Autumn Period" said that Wuyan was a fairy. One day, she took a bath in the Yaochi and saw people fighting. CoCo Lee was determined to come down to earth to calm the war. In a hurry, she mistakenly put on hag skin and reincarnated and left the house. Qi recommended to Yan Ying, and the king of Qi went to Sangyuan to visit Xian, making him a queen, and later broke his word. Zhong Wuyan went to war for Qi, and suffered many defeats and was framed in the palace for many times. In order to protect the King of Qi, he narrowly escaped death at the board meeting. But because of its ugly appearance, it has always been rejected by the king of Qi. "Zhong Wuyan has it, and Xia Yingchun has nothing." Finally, she broke away from convention and waved flags in the cottage to recruit her husband. The King of Qi finally changed his color and returned to Zhong Wuyan, where the State of Qi became powerful and the monarch and princess were combined. Heroes in the Spring and Autumn Period is one of the six famous storytellers. Guangdong Muyu's book Queen Zhong Wuyan, the ballad No Salt Ugly Girl or Legend of No Salt Queen (I), and Mongolian storyteller Zhong all praised her literary skills and created a country with extremely ugly appearance and unique talents.

The fourth category is the image of a mother who understands the righteousness deeply.

In ancient times, it was stipulated that the bounden duty of women was to educate children, especially mothers played an important role in children's education. Quyi works show that mothers instill positive values in their children, such as helping the poor, upholding ideals and justice, patriotism and so on. Before Yue Fei went to war, Yue Fei's mother tattooed "Loyalty to the Country" on her back. It was her mother-in-law's move that made Yue Fei a hero against gold all her life. Xu Mu scolded Cao Xunzi in The Immortal Immortal, and Zhou Mu in Ning Wuguan. , all understand the righteousness, lambaste treacherous court officials, teach their children to serve the country, and even sacrifice their lives for righteousness to motivate their children to fight. In addition, there are many works in the anti-epidemic quyi that praise the mothers of medical staff for "caring for everyone" and support their children to fight against the "epidemic situation".

The fifth category is the image of women who have contributed to national harmony.

In ancient times, there was a special group of women-maids or royal princesses. Because of the pro-family policy at that time, they were "far away" from ethnic minority areas by the court. They bid farewell to their loved ones and stayed away from their hometown, making contributions to consolidating border peace and safeguarding national unity. Wang Zhaojun, a famous historical figure, is one of the outstanding representatives. His deeds were first seen in Hanshu. In the Tang Dynasty, there were Wang Zhaojun's Bianwen and Shu Nv Zhuan Zhaojun's Bianwen. Wang Zhaojun, whose real name is Wang Qiang, has a beautiful face. It is said that the painter Mao Yanshou deliberately paints ugliness, which is not liked by people. After that, he voluntarily (or was forced) to marry Hun Khan and died because he missed his hometown. Many works of Fujian Nanyin tell the story of Wang Zhaojun, such as Steep Mountain, Listening to the Sorrow of Wild Goose, Fear of Life, Farewell to Hsi Chin, Sorrow in My Heart and so on. There are songs such as Plum Blossom Drum, and precious volumes such as To Hongyan and Zhao Jun Bouquet in Hexi area of Gansu Province. Wang Zhaojun's loyalty to the Han Dynasty and his yearning for his hometown revealed everywhere in these works are the embodiment of the Confucian thought of "loyalty to the monarch and patriotism". The story of "Zhaojun leaving the fortress" has been spread through the ages, and Wang Zhaojun's beautiful and honest image has far-reaching influence. Princess Wencheng had a close relationship with Tubo Songzan Gambu in the Tang Dynasty, which opened a new era of friendship between Tang and Tubo. The newly created plum blossom drum Princess Wencheng tells the story of Princess Wencheng's entry into Tibet, and she went west without hesitation with the feeling of daring to take responsibility, sowing the seeds of Chinese culture on the plateau and bearing fruitful results. Wang Zhaojun and Princess Wencheng, as "peace messengers" of national harmony, will be immortal.

Third, create female images that resist the shackles of feudal ethics and dare to struggle.

It is difficult to find such a person in ancient orthodox literature: glib, outspoken, eloquent, naturally talkative and uninhibited. The eloquent story of Song people (the rhyming system is similar to Allegro) shaped the image of such a fiery bride, which originated from the popular Fu in Tang Dynasty. Books. Li Cuilian is a rare comic figure in the history of literature. Dissatisfied with complicated etiquette, he scolded the matchmaker and became the best man at the wedding. After marriage, I disobeyed my in-laws and quarreled at my own expense. Finally, he was divorced by her husband, and her family couldn't help becoming a monk. Li Cuilian insisted on self-individuality, fought for women's rights and equality by means of "speaking", and sang the first voice against ethical codes. Such characters were not tolerated in the secular world at that time, especially in the Ming and Qing Dynasties when Neo-Confucianism was the mainstream discourse, and such female images fell silent. It was not until the founding of New China that Li Shuangshuang appeared on the screen as a representative of the struggle for equality between men and women and the "provocative beauty" of women, and songs such as Chaozhou Songs Album were adapted accordingly. As far as the height and breakthrough of women's rebellious image are concerned, the tanci created by women writers in Qing Dynasty, such as Yu Chuanyuan, Hua, Zaishengyuan, Bi, Zi, Fei and Yuan, show the upsurge of independent self-awareness of intellectual women in Qing Dynasty. Qiu Jin's tanci "Poetry of Beijing Taste" is more like a declaration that women rush out of the family cage to realize equality between men and women.

Fourth, create a female image with outstanding talents and Chinese virtues.

The new folk art has shaped the hard-working, kind, dedicated and helpful female images in real life. They are good doctors who persist in treating patients and saving lives at night, urban beauticians and sanitation women workers who work hard in Tianjin golden dawn morning, Ernie, a volunteer who sews clothes for river workers in Xiaonier, Henan Province, and an epidemic prevention nurse who resolutely goes out in the development of cutting off long hair ... the female image in the new folk art. The new folk art has also shaped the images of female writers and artists. For example, The White Girl Tells Stories by Jingyun Drum reproduces the story of a white girl and a black girl telling stories by Daming Lake. The Story of Pipa by Jingyun Drum makes Bai Juyi feel * * * when she hears the superb playing skills of pipa girls and the unfortunate fate of women. The novella Embroidery God explains the growth story of Shen Shou, a master of Suzhou embroidery. The novella Lin sings the indissoluble bond between literary talent Lin and architecture. In Quyi, the image of female intelligent figures was created, and women's intelligence was praised. She Taijun is going to give a gift to the Emperor of the Song Dynasty. The heroines in the book "Three Difficult Grooms" of the younger generation, the new novella "Comment on Tan Tan", the story of Shi, Dixin and Queen Bigfoot are all smart, independent and able to achieve great things. New Quyi works are willing to show lively, cheerful and healthy female images in women's daily lives, such as kicking shuttlecock, flying kites, breaking watermelons, picking cotton with Henan pendants, borrowing and dancing, and so on.

To sum up, we can look at the characteristics of female images in Quyi in two stages. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, women's lives were very cramped, and women's images were dominated by love and family. After the founding of New China, with the advancement of women's liberation and the national policy of equality between men and women, women have displayed their ambitions and talents on all fronts, and the portrayal of women in red themes has become a prominent highlight. With the development of the times, the proportion of female images in Quyi is increasing, which is not only influenced by social changes, but also the cause of the main body of creation and performance. Since 1930s, actresses have gradually become the main body of stage presentation of various kinds of music, and their artistic creativity has also been stimulated. The female images in the works are organically integrated with the images and emotional worlds of the actors, such as Four Treasures of Flowers, Queen of Plum Blossoms, Du Shiniang, Shi Huiru, Dan Xian, Sang Honglin, Jingyun Drum, Tang Qin and Zhu Huizhen. In addition, in reflecting the "public sphere" and "private sphere", Quyi, which represents the extreme, is as important as Lin Daiyu and has artistic charm. "Big woman" has the respect of "big", and "little woman" has the cuteness of "small", swaying and becoming interesting.

However, compared with the important role played by women in today's social life, the female images and discourse expressions in Quyi are still insufficient, and there are also imbalances among various schools. There are defects in the female discourse of cross talk, storytelling, allegro and quick book, and the female images are relatively scarce. For another example, in the battle against the COVID-19 epidemic, more than 70% of the medical staff are women, and the dauntless and tenacious spirit of female heroines such as Li Lanjuan, Xia Sisi and Gan Ruyi has long been a dazzling spiritual banner in the hearts of thousands of people in Qian Qian, but excellent Quyi works are rarely reflected. It is expected that our writers and actors of Quyi will pay more attention to the expression of women's main discourse in the future, create more female images that love the party, love their country, work hard, be positive and make contributions, show China women's "half the sky" in a diversified and all-round way, and build a beautiful and charming landscape.