Keywords: Ming and Qing literature; Female awakening; Female literature
Female literature is an important part of literature and ideological trend in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Female literature includes, but is not limited to, works created by female writers and literary works with women as the theme. The prosperity of female literature in Ming and Qing dynasties marked the awakening of female consciousness, which was embodied in the awakening of female self-consciousness and the recognition of women and women themselves by society. In China's feudal society for thousands of years, women's roles were fixed between wife, children and mother. Due to ideological constraints, women's right to speak and influence in society was minimal. The process of promoting the awakening of female consciousness by Ming and Qing literature is slow and difficult, but with the development of society, the development prospect of female consciousness and female literature is very considerable.
First, the awakening of women in Ming and Qing literature
(A) Women's awakening to literary creation
Since the opening of Chinese historical dynasties, there have been many female writers and literary works with women as their themes. There are famous women writers, such as Cai Wenji in the Three Kingdoms period, Yu in the Tang Dynasty, Li Qingzhao in the Song Dynasty, and then literary masterpieces, such as Qingpingdiao, Tang poems describing women's images, and poems praising women's love by Butterfly and Song. However, the vigorous development of female literature appeared in the middle and late Ming Dynasty. Taking Wanli as the dividing point, Wang Yangming's mind-learning thoughts were spread, social thoughts were further liberated, women's consciousness gradually got rid of the shackles of China's traditional ideas, and women's social influence was gradually improved.
Women show great interest and enthusiasm in literary creation, and influenced by geographical and blood relations, there has been a phenomenon of female literature gathering, and even through the phenomenon of association to increase exchanges between female literati. Female literati attending unified parties or the same community often have similar ideas, similar languages, and extremely similar origins and experiences. In this way, their creative enthusiasm is fully mobilized and they constantly improve themselves through the exchange of inner thoughts. Moreover, in this way, the accusation of traditional public opinion is no longer facing a certain person, and they share this accusation together, which greatly increases their creative courage. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the literature of extended family was deeply rooted and the family culture developed and prospered. With sufficient economic and social foundation, they paid more attention to family education, and many women with creative talents emerged, such as Yang Huyun and yang hu Zhuang. At the same time, the awakening of female consciousness also promoted the diversification and enrichment of literary genres in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Besides poetry, Sanqu and Zaju are also rich. Famous female writers include Ye Xiaowan (the drama Dream of Yuanyang), Ma Shouzhen (the drama Biography of Sansheng), Pisces and Jiang Yujie (Jane).
Secondly, women began to collect and carve the works of themselves and other female writers. Taking Ming and Qing Dynasties as the dividing point, the preservation of female writers' works before Ming and Qing Dynasties can not be separated from the editing and engraving of male literati. Traditionally, when sorting out women's works, men often sort them according to the author's status and the quality of the text. Until the Ming and Qing Dynasties, although many female literary works were still edited and engraved by men, with the liberation of thoughts, women's ideology in Ming and Qing Dynasties began to awaken, and they were no longer satisfied with men's eyes, in order to express their true feelings to the public. Shen Yixiu, a famous female scholar in Ming Dynasty, is a typical representative. She abandoned the previous male arrangement, which can be called very different. She tries to express women's writing mood and embodies a meticulous and pragmatic style. Her collection "Any Silk" is a collection of works by 18 outstanding contemporary women, which is very valuable.