A âGloriousâ Dream of Awkward Romance: Humor and Desire in Wang Yunâs (1749-1819) Fanhua meng
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Abstract
Wang Yunâs (1749-1819) Fanhua meng (A Dream of Glory, 1769) is one of the very few extant chuanqi plays written by women in late imperial China. Its female protagonist, who is frustrated by social restrictions placed on women, transforms into a man in a dream. The dream content revolves around the protagonistâs romantic adventures, which feature many awkward and laughable moments. As a fantasy about transgender experience, Fanhua meng has been the subject of critique for its embrace of patriarchal values as well as praise for its reflection on patriarchal depravity. These conflicting views attest to the complexity of Wang Yunâs use of humor in the play. This article explores how and why Wang Yun depicts her protagonistâs journey of desire in a comic mode, and how Wangâs contemporary male readers responded to Wangâs humor. It argues that Wangâs use of humor provides a palatable coating for a provocative reflection on the male privilege of being a desiring subject. As a whole, Wangâs play challenges the vision of worldly success promoted by the long-established and male-dominated chuanqi drama tradition. As a case study, this article draws attention to humor as a mode of self-writing for women writers in late imperial China.
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| å ¨é¨æé´ | è¿å»ä¸å¹´ | è¿å»30天 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| æè¦æµè§æ¬¡æ° | 996 | 236 | 19 |
| å ¨ææµè§æ¬¡æ° | 105 | 8 | 1 |
| PDFä¸è½½æ¬¡æ° | 160 | 19 | 2 |
A âGloriousâ Dream of Awkward Romance: Humor and Desire in Wang Yunâs (1749-1819) Fanhua meng
äºNAN NÃSearch for other papers by Yanbing Tan in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Wang Yunâs (1749-1819) Fanhua meng (A Dream of Glory, 1769) is one of the very few extant chuanqi plays written by women in late imperial China. Its female protagonist, who is frustrated by social restrictions placed on women, transforms into a man in a dream. The dream content revolves around the protagonistâs romantic adventures, which feature many awkward and laughable moments. As a fantasy about transgender experience, Fanhua meng has been the subject of critique for its embrace of patriarchal values as well as praise for its reflection on patriarchal depravity. These conflicting views attest to the complexity of Wang Yunâs use of humor in the play. This article explores how and why Wang Yun depicts her protagonistâs journey of desire in a comic mode, and how Wangâs contemporary male readers responded to Wangâs humor. It argues that Wangâs use of humor provides a palatable coating for a provocative reflection on the male privilege of being a desiring subject. As a whole, Wangâs play challenges the vision of worldly success promoted by the long-established and male-dominated chuanqi drama tradition. As a case study, this article draws attention to humor as a mode of self-writing for women writers in late imperial China.
| å ¨é¨æé´ | è¿å»ä¸å¹´ | è¿å»30天 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| æè¦æµè§æ¬¡æ° | 996 | 236 | 19 |
| å ¨ææµè§æ¬¡æ° | 105 | 8 | 1 |
| PDFä¸è½½æ¬¡æ° | 160 | 19 | 2 |
