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Feminism calls for women’s liberation, freedom and rights, which becomes a theme of modern and contemporary literature. The core of feminism is against the patriarchal oppression and all kinds of cultural hegemony. Since the end of the 19th century, feminism became to encourage more and more women to pursue equal rights. Western feminist attach great importance to the gender differences in the social, cultural and historical construction, make efforts to restore women's voice beyond male history, and express women’s struggle under patriarchy. Feminism in the developing countries, though, is less scale of the west and relatively late, the theme of the feminist in social life is similar for both of them.
2. Female images in Yan’s novels.
2.1 Yan’s life and works
Yan was born in Shanghai, China. She served in the People's Liberation Army during the Cultural Revolution, in Tibet and later as a journalist in the Sino-Vietnamese War. In 1998, she went to Columbia College of Art for further study and got a MFA degree as the first Chinese alumni of the college. Her early works focus on soldiers’ inner feeling in the special age and then transfer to a new direction after living abroad. She starts to expose the multiple human natures hidden beyond the varied immigrant people, rethink the history of China in other perspective and return to the original state of life. Generally speaking, concentration on human nature is always the center of Yan’s works. Yan has a unique point of view on explaining human nature. However, as a female writer, Yan prefers and is good at expressing her strong emotion in describing women’s lives. Yan clings to shape female images, focuses on women's survival, and especially dedicates to the pursuit of female freedom.
When living in Nigeria, Yan with her husband wrote "The ninth widow", “the epic of a woman” and “Aunt Duo he”, etc. Living in Africa is one of her important turning points. In spite of great scenery in Nigeria and its lean culture, Yan witnessed African people's suffering lives, and saw those who had no idea what to eat in the singing and dancing. Their calm attitude towards misery was a shock and also an inspiration to Yan, who used the hidden thoughts and emotions of the heart for more mature thinking about women's survival. (Yan Geling, 2005)
Her stories include SiaoYu, A woman's epic, The Banquet Bug, The Lost Daughter of Happiness, The flowers of war, as well as a story collection entitled White Snake and Other Stories. (Wikipedia)
2.2 Writing style
Yan geling’s novel themes are extensive. Human thinking and women experience are covered from beginning to end. Yan's works before going abroad mostly are around army life and educated youth. When staying in the United States in the early age she focused on immigration. After settling in the United States her works are often a reflection of her youth and county. Geling Yan’s novels are extensive, from the mainland to abroad, from villages to cities, including a variety of female images. Women she writes have a strong power to survive in the harsh situation. She uses feminine body symbol, hair and eyes to shape a special woman character. In her novels, there are always two main lines: love and predicament. (Cheng Qijin, 2006)
Yan geling's female characters share one character in common that they are humble and on the edge of the disadvantaged position. In the process of creating their personality, she marks them the suffering consciousness and tragic fate.（Song Wei, 2005）Her works reveal both objective, calm, humorous female image and explore the human nature.
Yan Geling is good at choosing of background, scenery and the atmosphere of the set. The organization of the structure is very sophisticated.
2.3 Female images
2.3.1 The image of women in rural area
The ninth widow, published in 2008, is called the represented transition work of Yan Geling. The story covers a long time span from 1940s to 1980s, marking many significant historical events including Anti-Japanese War, Liberation War, Land Reform, the Great Leap, and Cultural Revolution and so on. The heroine, Wang Putao, hides her father-in-law who is sentenced as a bullying landlord for over 40 years. She is one of the marginalized women in Yan’s works.