Androgyny in Late Ming and Early Qing Literature

Contents

Acknowledgments ix introduction Androgyny Defined 1 one Androgyny in Chinese Philosophy 7 two Gender Ambiguity in Late Ming and Early Qing Culture 15 three The Plum in the Golden Vase A Prelude to the Androgyny Craze 47 four The Peony Pavilion A Paean to the Androgynous Ideal 69 c o n t e n t s five Scholar-Beauty Romance Idealistic Expression of the Androgynous Vision 95 six The Peach Blossom Fan An Ambivalent Hymn to Political Androgyny 127 seven The Dream of the Red Chamber A Shattered Dream of Androgyny 155 eight Conclusion: Androgyny as Literary Trend and Strategy in Fashioning Chinese Literati Identity 199 appendix Symbolic Values and Gender Associations of Some Flowers and Plants in Chinese Literature 211 Notes 215 Glossary 283 Selected Bibliography 287 Index 313 viii Contents ...