Comparative Analysis Of Female Writing Of Margaret Atwood And Lin Bai

Margaret Atwood and Lin Bai were female writers, in Canada and China respectively, and both have a place in the contemporary literature in each country. This paper utilizes the method of parallel study to compare the similarities between the two female writers' compositions and the differences due to each social, historical, political factors and so on. By this way, it would be possible to prospect the change which may happen in Chinese female literature in the future.The comparing between Atwood and Lin Bai's compositions consists of three aspects as below:The first one is the analysis of the characteristics of the two female writers' personal writing. Personal writing reflecting in the novels is the first person narrative and autobiographical. Atwood used first-person narrative, and the combination of first person and third-person narrative. Lin Bai mainly used first-person narrative in her novels. The female characters of Atwood's novels usually have the experience of migration between forest and cities, while the female characters of Lin Bai's novels mostly have left country to town. Through the personal writing method female writers oppose the way of "grand narrative" before, challenging the values which mainstream narrative and male narrative usually pursued, that creates chance for the history of women to be re-written.The second one is to describe the theme of the female writing of Atwood and Lin Bai, which reflecting the survival condition of women. The life dilemma of women is mainly embodied in women's fear of "body" and fear of marriage. In addition, female writing also reflects the different stages of female growth, the female characters of Atwood's novels are usually the female intellectuals from middle class, who are deeply influenced by the second Western Feminism Thought, and the female characters of Lin Bai's are female intellectuals who entering into cities from countries. Through female writing Atwood and Lin Bai realized that the opposition between different genders could be resolved by mutual understanding, and intend to realize the gender harmony.Finally, this paper also reveals the significance of their writing in the development of literature, which may enlarge the boundaries of female writing space. Atwood's female writing is not only different from the male discourse, but also is the female discourse in the background of Canadian colonies. The folk discourse in Lin Bai's novels is considered by critical circles as one of the signs of the turning of Chinese contemporary female writing. Turning from caring women into concerning about disadvantaged groups, female writing breaks down the pale literature images of women and expands the space female writing. So female writing makes a breakthrough in traditional limitations of writing, tending towards a broader literary space.