| Tsai-sheng-yuan, a t'an-tz'u narrative written by Ch'en Tuan-sheng (1751-1796) in the eighteenth century, is primarily a work about women. Utilizing an art form chiefly popular in Ch'en's time among women, it tells the story of a woman who tries to find a balance between her love for a man and her attraction to the dramatic success she herself achieves while disguised as a man. It can be seen as presenting a feminist vision promoting the emancipation of Chinese women, but it does so within the context of the largely Confucian values which had been institutionalized as the norm of Chinese society at the time. This dissertation is a study of the narrative techniques of the author and their influence on the reading of the work.;A brief biography of the author is provided to facilitate the reader's understanding of the many autobiographical references which arise in the Tsai-sheng-yuan. Since the work was left unfinished by Ch'en and was later completed by another woman, Liang Te-sheng (1771-1847), a biography of the latter is also presented, along with a discussion of how her completion of the story embodies a more institutionalized view of women and thus undermines Ch'en's vision. The body of the dissertation explores the author's use of various narrative techniques to develop her themes. |
