Book
Wanton Women in Late-Imperial Chinese Literature
Models, Genres, Subversions and Traditions
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Edited by:
Mark Stevenson
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2017
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About this book
The contributors to Wanton Women in Late-Imperial Chinese Literature: Models, Genres, Subversions and Traditions draw attention to ‘wanton woman’ themes across time as they were portrayed in court history (McMahon), fiction (Stevenson), drama (Lam, Wu), and songs and ballads (Ôki, Epstein, McLaren). Looking back, the essays challenge us with views of sexual transgression that are more heterogeneous than modern popular focus on Pan Jinlian would suggest. Central among the many insights to be found is that despite gender performance in Chinese history being overwhelmingly determined by the needs of patriarchal authority, men and women in the late imperial period discovered diverse ways in which to reflect on how men constantly sought their own bearings in reference to women.
Author / Editor information
Mark Stevenson, Ph.D. (2000, University of Melbourne) is an Honorary Fellow at Victoria University, Melbourne, and currently teaches Anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His publications on sexuality in Chinese history include Homoeroticism in Imperial China (Routledge, 2013).
Wu Cuncun, Ph.D. (2002, University of Melbourne) is Associate Professor in Chinese Literature, University of Hong Kong. Her most recent book is Drama Beyond the Drama: The Private Apartment System and Beijing Theatre Culture, 1790-1911 (HKU Press, forthcoming, in Chinese).
Wu Cuncun, Ph.D. (2002, University of Melbourne) is Associate Professor in Chinese Literature, University of Hong Kong. Her most recent book is Drama Beyond the Drama: The Private Apartment System and Beijing Theatre Culture, 1790-1911 (HKU Press, forthcoming, in Chinese).
Reviews
"...the book as a whole offers important new insights into the way traditional Chinese women were controlled." - Ellen Widmer, Wellesley College, in: NAN NÜ 20:2
Topics
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
April 18, 2017
eBook ISBN:
9789004340626
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
214
eBook ISBN:
9789004340626
Keywords for this book
China; Ming; Qing; sexuality; transgression; polygyny; feminism; history; drama; fiction; song; tanci; shan'ge; kunqu
Audience(s) for this book
Specialists working on gender and sexuality in late-imperial China, as well as wider audiences interested in questions of gender and representation in literature and history.
