A Comparative Study On The Female Images In Lawson's And Lu Hsun's Stories

Lawson and Lu Hsun are great writers who rank high both in their respective nations and in the world. Critics have made numerous researches in their works. However, no one has examined their stories and female characters in a comparative way. The present paper attempts to compare the female images in their short stories. It reveals some similarities and differences between these images as well as the causes for their specific features respectively.The first chapter is to introduce the two writers and their works, focusing on the main characteristics of their writings. On the basis of collection and analysis of the researches in their works, the author of the paper presents his own ideas on the female images in their stories.The second chapter is assigned to have a general survey of these female characters and the authors' main concerns in depicting them. In his bush stories, Lawson devotes himself to delineating the Australian bush life and the national spirit. His female images are actually collective archetypes of the pioneering bush heroes. By picturing their miserable lives, Lawson aims at eulogizing their virtues. Lu Hsun portrays some miserable Chinese women in the feudal society. They epitomize the national character and the social realities of that period. By describing their tragedies, Lu Hsun intends to arouse a national awakening so as to break up the old social order.The third chapter compares these female images in detail and shows some similar and distinctive features of them. Firstly, they have similar social status. They are inferior to men and exist as men's appendages. But their status still varies. The bushwomen occupy a marginalized position in the bush and function as a loved and feared object for men, while the Chinese women live at the bottom of the feudal society, with no status or right to speak of. Secondly, they are alienated and seem to be abnormal in some way. Victims as they are, they still submit themselves to the social order and even internalize the social norms as their guidelines. However, the alienation is represented in different forms. The hostile bush alienates the bushwomen physically and reduces their femininity; moreover, the bush exercises its divisive influence on human relationships and alienates one human being from another. Eventually women are disintegrated spiritually. The Chinese women are persecuted by the feudal forces, resulting in their loss of wife's rights and swell of maternity. Thirdly, all of these women lead a harsh existence and suffer a tragic fate. Both Lawson and Lu Hsun show a deep sympathy for their tragedies. But here still lies something different. The bushwomen are victims to the bush and the bushmen rather than to the social system, whereas the Chinese women are victimized by the feudal society and its conventions instead of particular persons. Meanwhile, the authors show different concerns about the fate of these women. Lawson is to produce a tree picture of the Australian bush life and eulogize the national character, while Lu Hsun tends to criticize the social system and appeal for a social reform.The fourth chapter explores the reasons for these characteristics. It is the cultural traditions and the historical backgrounds that define these female images in their respective settings. The Australian bush tradition plays a vital part in literature and determines Lawson's depiction of his bushwomen. Nevertheless, the Chinese feudal culture and the historical background of that time make Lu Hsun choose his women as a breakthrough for social appeals.The paper makes a historical interpretation of these female images from a comparative perspective. The main features of these images are presented and relevant cultural information for authors' creation is also uncovered. It is hoped that it may provide some hints for further researches into Lawson and Lu Hsun.