A Woman Is Compelled to Fight her Own Battle - Book Report/Review Example

A woman is compelled to fight her own battle to secure an honorable place, an equitable status in the society. Introduction An author, howsoever intelligently may try to sweep under the carpet, cannot help but articulate one’s own life experiences in the literary creations. The reflections of such experiences can be observed in the dispositions of the characters. The authors of “The Net” and “A Place of One’s Own” are Ouyang Zi and Yuan Qiongqiong respectively. The former was published in the year 1961 and the latter in the year 1980, in the thick of the feminist movement between 1960s and the 1980s I n Taiwan. They deal with the saga of their main female characters and how they successfully challenge the crisis of their lives. The stumbling block in the married lives of both women originates from the patriarchal system of marriage. The difference in their challenges to the system acts as the barometer of the progress of the feminist movement and the drastic changes in the social environment for the women in Taiwan. Yu Wenqin is not willing to abide by the rules of the game, resists status quo, but unsuccessful in her efforts as she surrenders to her husband’s authority. As for Jingmin, her marriage is not of her own choice. She decides to leave her husband to live an independent life. But the marked difference between the two characters is not as per the expectations of the readers. The bold step of leaving her husband is taken by the traditionally weak and subservient woman Jingmin. Whereas Yu Wenquin is progressive, modern in her outlook, yet she chooses the option of falling in line as per the wishes of her husband. This difference is the barometer of the progress of the feminist movement and the drastic changes in the social environment for the women in Taiwan. Jingmin’s challenge to male fraternity through breakthrough, however, fails and her avowed mission of gender equality does not succeed and she is as unsuccessful as Yu Wenqin. Nevertheless the challenge by both the women needs to be appreciated, considering the prevailing circumstances of the time. The state plays a part in the oppression of women, through the framework of laws and its implied consent to the societal traditions. These two Taiwan short stories highlight how the traditional family structure and the social environment adversely affect the main female characters. Not much has changed in two decades from the publication of “The Net” in 1961. The issues confronted by the female protagonists are almost the same. Their predicament of staying in the bond of marriage though they are not willing to accept it by heart! With the agonies caused thorough the unfavorable power balance, one of them was compelled to terminate the marriage relationship abruptly in search of freedom. Until 1976, no platform existed to voice the genuine grievances of women in Taiwan. Because of the peculiar socio-political conditions in vogue in the country, feminist movement was restricted to individual citizens and organizations. With the lifting of the martial law in the year 1987, feminism flowered into a mass movement and the articulation of the characters as depicted by the authors of the above two stories needs to be understood in this context. The stories can be identified as the products of pre-awakening and awakening periods in the history of the women movement of Taiwan. The major crisis for the characters in both the stories relates to the psychological subjugation of women. Yu Wenjin happens to meet her college boyfriend, Teng Peizhi on the street, and that moment is the beginning of her awakening and she suddenly realizes that she has submitted all along to her husband Ding Shizhong totally. Ou-Yang Tzu writes, “Since their marriage two years ago, she had given herself up to him, offering him everything --her body, her mind, her will. (188) In the two years of her married life her surrender to the whims and moods of her husband was total and she had no individuality of her own. She was part of her husband’s self. The awakening leads her, though hesitantly, to make a polite request for a temporary separation. She instantly experienced a shock when her husband agreed to accede to her request. She was unable to fathom the implications of her own decision and collapsed and threw herself at his feet. She entreated him not to abandon her. Her courageous effort to recoup her original-self needed great efforts and took a long time, but her surrender was instant. Unlike Yu Wenjin, who is responsible to begin the confrontation in her marriage, the main character in “A Place of One’s Own” finds herself obligatorily thrown into the center of the conflict. A desperate development takes place in the life of Jingmin at the most unexpected time. An important aspect concerning her future is sought to be discussed in a congested restaurant in front of three strong men and her husband Liangsan. She is outnumbered by her male counterparts and a psychologically fearful scene is created by the author. Her husband makes the tragic announcement that he wants to shift her to an apartment so that his mistress, who is pregnant, can move to his house. The author writes, “To him it was just as easy as throwing out an old newspaper” (196). Jingmin had been married for seven years and she was unable to bear him a child. The poor lady is totally dependent on her husband and she is a novice, a simple woman, and she does not even possess the knowledge or the route from the restaurant to reach her house. With this description, the author creates a situation when all concerned, her husband, the three strong men and the readers think that the only option before Jingmin is to accept the arrangement of her husband. But she has absorbed the shock to emerge as a strong woman and she equivocally declares that she is not inclined to accept the offer of separation, but wants a divorce. The author writes about her decision thus: “I don’t want to separate…Let’s get a divorce” (p.197)That is the turning point in her life and she decides to embark upon a strenuous path, not pre-meditated though. She does not know what would be in store for her but she has made the instant decision to take the historical step that would make any Taiwan woman proud. The concluding sentence of the story adds glory to her character is penned thus by the author: “But she was not the same. She was an independent, confident woman.” (p.205)Her process of awakening was unstoppable. Conclusion: The authors have intelligently articulated the beginning of the saga of women in Taiwan endeavoring for independence and equality between sexes. Both Yu Wenqin and Jingmin try to fight for their rights in their own way. Both challenge the patriarchal system of marriage. The dissimilarity is that Yu Wenqin retreats, whereas Jingmin marches ahead. It is remarkable to note that this difference between the two characters’ choices fundamentally reflects the changes in women’s awareness and social environment during the period. Turn the pages of history in any part of the world relating to the struggle of women for equality. Notwithstanding the mass of literature on the subject, notwithstanding the laws and enactments passed, in the ultimate analysis, a woman is compelled to fight her own battle to secure an honorable place, an equitable status in the society. She remains at the receiving end at every stage of life, in any type of relationship. Works Cited Ouyang Zi. “The Net.” Tran. Ouyang Zi. The Unbroken Chain: An Anthology of Taiwanese Fiction since 1926. Ed. Joseph S. M. Lau. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1983. 185-94. Print Yuan Qiongqiong. “A Place of One’s Own.” Tran. Jane Parish Yang. A Place of One’s Own: Stories of Self in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Eds. KwokKan Tan, et al. Hong Kong: Oxford UP, 1999. 193-205. Print Read More