Jumping Through Hoops: Autobiographical Stories by Modern Chinese Women Writers

Introduction

Introduction This collectio n o f autobiographica l narrative s produce d i n Chin a durin g World War II testifies to the diverse ways in which modern Chinese women writers tel l th e storie s o f thei r lives . I t showcase s th e nin e writers ' extraordinary experience s include d i n Xie Bingying's (1906-2000 ) classi c anthology entitle d Selected Autobiographies of Women Writers (Nil zuojia zizhuan xuanji 7 1945) . Publishe d a t th e initiativ e o f Xi e an d th e femal e editor Huan g Baoxun , th e origina l collectio n represent s on e o f th e rar e concerted effort s t o gather women's life stories in one volume i n China i n the firs t hal f o f th e twentiet h centur y an d fo r a lon g tim e t o come . I t i s noteworthy particularl y becaus e th e antholog y cam e ou t whe n i t ha d become increasingl y difficul t fo r wome n writer s t o mak e thei r persona l voices heard. Highlightin g th e unconventionalit y o f these narratives , th e front cove r of Xie's book features the portrait of a Western woman wearing long curly hair, earrings, and a low-neck dress. She looks half submissivel y and half defiantly t o her lowe r right, with her righ t hand o n he r heart, a s if full of stories that she hesitates and yet strongly desires to confide i n th e reader. Thi s portrai t gracin g th e cove r o f th e boo k embodie s th e complicated connectio n betwee n moder n Chines e women' s autobiographical practic e an d it s Wester n "model " whic h I attemp t t o unfold i n thi s introduction . The narratives in the translated collection include: An E's (1905-1976 ) "How I Left M y Mother" (W o zenyan g lika i de muqin , 1944) , Ba i Wei' s (1894-1987) "Jumpin g Throug h Hoops " (Tia o gua n ji , 1944) , Ch u Wenjuan's (1907-? ) "Imprint s of Life" (Shengming de yinhen, 1943) , Lin Beili's (1916—? ) " A Journe y o f Twenty-Seve n Years " (E r sh i q i nia n d e lucheng, 1943) , Peng Hui's (1907-68 ) " A Brief Autobiography" (Jia n da n de zizhuan, 1943) , Xie Bingying's "Midpoint of an Ordinary Life" (Pingfa n de ba n sheng , 1943) , Ye Zhongyin's (1912-? ) "M y Autobiography " (W o 2 • INTRODUCTIO N de zizhuan, 1943) , Zhao Qingge's (1914-99 ) "Ca n This Also Be Called a n Autobiography?" (Ye suan zizhuan?, 1943), and Zi Gang's (1914-88) "Self Criticism and Self-Encouragement" (Z i kui yu zi mian, 1943) . Through th e personal live s of the autobiographica l subjects , thes e narratives inde x th e historical an d politica l turbulenc e i n earl y twentieth-centur y Chin a an d during th e Wa r o f Resistanc e agains t Japan . The y ar e ver y seldom , i f a t all, foun d i n othe r collection s o f Chines e women' s writin g tha t exis t i n Chinese o r i n English . Instead o f usin g th e titl e o f th e origina l Chines e book , I cal l thi s anthology Jumping Through Hoops: Autobiographical Stories by Modern Chinese Women Writers. I employ Ba i Wei's "Jumpin g Through Hoops " as part o f the boo k title, because her metaphor bring s to life al l the female subjects ' struggles fo r independenc e an d th e frustration s the y ha d encountere d a s women i n their careers and family life . Bai's vivid imag e of the hoops als o clinches my argument abou t the tremendous cultural and political hurdle s that stoo d i n th e wa y of autobiographical storytellin g i n China sinc e th e 1930s, a s I will elaborat e below . It is my hope tha t thi s translated antholog y will play multiple roles i n promoting modern...