The Story of the Stone & Bibliography - Thesis Proposal Example

Full The Story of the Stone by Cao Xueqin (A thesis proposal) 05 July I. Thesis ment - women of ancient China (as of during the Qing Dynasty period) were repressed in their sexuality. This is because of the strict Confucian values that society placed on proper decorum in the relations between the male and female; The Story of the Stone is a good and reflective example of this situation as the protagonists are portrayed as always demure but like in other cultures, people always find ways to circumvent these societal prohibitions but for those who did not, ultimately suffered for repressed emotions.II. Introduction – this portion gives a brief background of the author of this wonderful story, the prevailing social situation at the time of the Qing Dynasty, the position of women in Chinese society, the strong influence of Confucian ethics on all aspects of Chinese life, and a brief synopsis of the story as an allegorical portrayal of Chinese Qing society. III. Discussion – main body of the paper with the following sub-topicsA.

Social life in the Qing Dynasty period (1644-1911)B. The influence of Confucian ethics on sexual relations between the two gendersC. Power of parental authority and approval on arranged marriagesD. Adolescent life in the Qing Dynasty (chaste and erotic romances)E. Angst and anxiety among Chinese adolescents during the Qing DynastyF. Chinese and Western viewpoints on self and sexuality (polygamy and polygyny)G. Significance of The Story of the Stone in Chinese literature (male privileges)H. The prevailing theme of self-delusion and self-destruction by the use of a mirrorIV.

Conclusion – the Chinese youth are like just everyone else who feels the same emotionsA. Analysis of the topic – insights and lessons gained from The Story of the StoneB. Author’s conclusions – a comparison of the Qing period and the modern period today Annotated BibliographyCao, Xueqin. The Story of the Stone. Vol. 1. London, UK: Penguin Classics, 2012. Print. This is the first volume of a two-volume work which covers the first chapters of a very long novel. Volume I is from chapters 1-26 only (while Vol.

II are on chapters 27-53). An excellent guide for those who want to read the original material of this story in its English version with all the nuances and subtleties involved in a translation. Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. The Inner Quarters: Marriage and the Lives of Chinese Women in the Sung Period. Berkeley, CA, USA: University of California Press, 1993. Print. Ebrey is considered as one of the eminent writers of ancient Chinese history and this book serves as a good point of comparison with life under the Sung and Qing Dynasties when Chinese culture attained a Golden Age under the Sung period.

Mann, Susan. Precious Records: Women in China’s Long Eighteenth Century. Redwood City, CA, USA: Stanford University Press, 1997. Print. This book provides excellent materials on how women actually lived during the Qing Dynasty as it chronicles even the lives of ordinary people during this time. The book serves as a good reference of contrast with the book of Ebrey on life under the Sung.McMahon, Keith. Misers, Shrews, and Polygamists: Sexuality and Male-female Relations in Eighteenth-century Chinese fiction.

Durham, NC, USA: Duke University Press, 1995. Print. This book offers an excellent insight into the social life during the Ming (1368-1644) and the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties of the late imperial period of China. In particular, it gives the reader a good idea how Confucian ethics are disregarded in favor of having multiple wives and mistresses as a symbol of male privilege among the aristocracy or even among common men (for those who can afford the extra expenses involved). The book is a guide on the literary portrayals and representations of sexuality and gender.

Yee, Angelina C. “Self, Sexuality, and Writing in Honglou Meng.” Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 55.2 (1995): 373-407. Print. This is an excellent reference material for background information on the novel and how The Story of the Stone influenced modern Chinese literature. It provides a very good analysis of the themes, influences, and underlying individual conflicts among Chinese people, in particular those who belonged to the aristocracy under the Qing Dynasty period. The analysis of pre-modern China’s premier novel is well taken.

Due: July 05 @ 9:35 a.m.