Sisters in Crime: Women and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial Chinese erotic fiction
<p>This research aims to investigate the literary representation of the female relationships and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial China erotic fiction. Focusing on the plots of touqing 偷情 (having secret sexual affairs), this research utilises five selected examples of vernacular erotic...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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2022
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| _version_ | 1826310342465028096 |
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| author | Wai, C |
| author2 | Tan, T |
| author_facet | Tan, T Wai, C |
| author_sort | Wai, C |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>This research aims to investigate the literary representation of the female relationships and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial China erotic fiction. Focusing on the plots of touqing 偷情 (having secret sexual affairs), this research utilises five selected examples of vernacular erotic fiction composed around 1572-1730 as the main source to investigate women’s lives and social activities in illegal circumstances: Langshi 浪史 (Chronicles of the Libertine), Xiuta yeshi 繡榻野史 (Unofficial History of the Embroidered Couch), Rou putuan 肉蒲團 (The Carnal Prayer Mat), Taohua ying 桃花影 (Shadow of Peach Blossoms), and Dengcao heshang zhuan 燈草和尚傳 (Legend of the Candlewick Monk).</p>
<p>Bonded with their own desire to be fulfilled, female participants of illicit affairs each have a specific role, function, and things to offer, forming a network comprised of these unlikely sisters in crime. To understand how such a network functions and sustains, female characters of the texts will first be grouped and analysed based on their image and common traits respective to their chief identity in the text. The discussion will then lead to an investigation of the interactions portrayed to reveal the respective role of each female type and their implications for the perceived female relationship under the exceptional circumstances of collaboration on sex crimes. The research will also compare the relationships portrayed in erotic fiction and other literature of the era, including Honglou meng and Jin Ping Mei, to illustrate the unique behaviour and network derived from the collective participation in illicit sexual affairs.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:48:59Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oxford-uuid:c757e01c-c61c-43ad-99c7-a92224b58a2a |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:48:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:c757e01c-c61c-43ad-99c7-a92224b58a2a2023-06-30T09:31:59ZSisters in Crime: Women and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial Chinese erotic fictionThesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_db06uuid:c757e01c-c61c-43ad-99c7-a92224b58a2aChinese fiction--Qing dynasty, 1644-1912Chinese fiction--Ming dynasty, 1368-1644Females in literatureErotic literature, ChineseEnglishHyrax Deposit2022Wai, CTan, T<p>This research aims to investigate the literary representation of the female relationships and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial China erotic fiction. Focusing on the plots of touqing 偷情 (having secret sexual affairs), this research utilises five selected examples of vernacular erotic fiction composed around 1572-1730 as the main source to investigate women’s lives and social activities in illegal circumstances: Langshi 浪史 (Chronicles of the Libertine), Xiuta yeshi 繡榻野史 (Unofficial History of the Embroidered Couch), Rou putuan 肉蒲團 (The Carnal Prayer Mat), Taohua ying 桃花影 (Shadow of Peach Blossoms), and Dengcao heshang zhuan 燈草和尚傳 (Legend of the Candlewick Monk).</p> <p>Bonded with their own desire to be fulfilled, female participants of illicit affairs each have a specific role, function, and things to offer, forming a network comprised of these unlikely sisters in crime. To understand how such a network functions and sustains, female characters of the texts will first be grouped and analysed based on their image and common traits respective to their chief identity in the text. The discussion will then lead to an investigation of the interactions portrayed to reveal the respective role of each female type and their implications for the perceived female relationship under the exceptional circumstances of collaboration on sex crimes. The research will also compare the relationships portrayed in erotic fiction and other literature of the era, including Honglou meng and Jin Ping Mei, to illustrate the unique behaviour and network derived from the collective participation in illicit sexual affairs.</p> |
| spellingShingle | Chinese fiction--Qing dynasty, 1644-1912 Chinese fiction--Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 Females in literature Erotic literature, Chinese Wai, C Sisters in Crime: Women and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial Chinese erotic fiction |
| title | Sisters in Crime: Women and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial Chinese erotic fiction |
| title_full | Sisters in Crime: Women and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial Chinese erotic fiction |
| title_fullStr | Sisters in Crime: Women and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial Chinese erotic fiction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sisters in Crime: Women and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial Chinese erotic fiction |
| title_short | Sisters in Crime: Women and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial Chinese erotic fiction |
| title_sort | sisters in crime women and illicit sexual affairs in late imperial chinese erotic fiction |
| topic | Chinese fiction--Qing dynasty, 1644-1912 Chinese fiction--Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 Females in literature Erotic literature, Chinese |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT waic sistersincrimewomenandillicitsexualaffairsinlateimperialchineseeroticfiction |