A Comparative Study of Mulan in The Song of Mulan and The Woman Warrior
Abstract
Maxine Hong Kingston is the first Chinese American who secures an important place for Chinese American literature in American literary world. Her first novel The Woman Warrior reproduced the story of Mulan, the well-known heroine of The Song of Mulan. The Song of Mulan was composed in the Southern and Northern Dynasties by an anonymous writer. The two works both portray Mulan as a heroine. However, different backgrounds have different effects on the features of Mulan. Mulan in The Woman Warrior is a modern feminist under the impact of American culture while Mulan in The Song of Mulan is a traditional woman under the impact of Chinese culture. Through a comparative study of Mulan, this thesis draws a conclusion that the east and west cultures make influence on Mulan. And the east and west cultures have reached in tergration through the difficult process of clashing and confronting.
Key Words: The Woman Warrior; The Song of Mulan; Feminism; Racial Discrimination
摘要
美国华裔女作家玛克辛•洪•金斯敦是第1位成功使美国华裔文学为美国主流文化接受的华裔作家。在其处女作《女勇士》中，她改写了《木兰诗》中家喻户晓的巾帼英雄花木兰的故事。《女勇士》和《木兰诗》都将木兰描述成了英雄。然而，作品中迥异的时代背景却赋予了木兰不同的性格特点。《女勇士》中的木兰是1个深受美国文化影响的现代女性，而《木兰诗》中的木兰是1个儒道文化统治下的`传统妇女。通过对木兰形象的对比研究，本文总结出作品中的人物塑造受到了东西方文化的影响，同时东西方文化在长期的冲突、磨合之后也已经达到了融合。
关键词：《女勇士》、《木兰诗》、女性主义、种族歧视
