The Rhetorical Feminization of China in Contemporary Chinese Novels of Transnational Love and Marriage:Origin, Development, and Evolution

摘要

Gender metaphor which China and the western nations follow started from the enlightening ideas of the intellectuals of the late Qing dynasty and the May 4 Movement. Although the specific ideas were different, under deep national anxiety, China was actually considered as a enlightened and awakened "feminized" role. This rhetorical feminization of China reappear in Contemporary novels in mainland China in the literary form of transnational love and marriage stories. It has experienced different discourse patterns of the self-love mutual analogy between China and its feminized role, different quality selfevaluation, and the possibilities of being deconstructed and adapted in the national development in the new century. Exploring the discourse formation of the rhetorical feminization of China and its text expression will be an effective way to introduce the national perspective into the social gender analysis.