•  
  •  
 

Abstract

This study examines how Jane Austen and Ling Shuhua represent women’s conceptions of selfhood through domestic narratives during periods of modernization in their respective societies. Drawing on Anthony Giddens’ theory of modern intimacy and Gary Kelly’s analysis of the bourgeois cultural revolution, this comparative analysis explores how their works reflect broader societal transformations through the depiction of intimate domestic spaces. Through detailed textual analysis of Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice and several of Ling Shuhua’s short stories in Collected Essays of Ling Shuhua, this study demonstrates how both authors employ domestic settings not merely as backdrops but as dynamic spaces where women negotiate identity and challenge patriarchal structures. The analysis reveals that while both authors strategically use domestic spaces as sites of contestation between tradition and modernity, their approaches reflect distinct cultural contexts and varying stages of social transformation. Austen’s novel suggests possibilities for achieving modern, egalitarian relationships within domestic spaces, particularly through Elizabeth Bennet’s journey toward a marriage based on mutual respect and self-improvement. In contrast, Ling’s stories emphasize the persistent tensions between modern consciousness and traditional constraints, portraying educated women who remain bound by internalized traditional values despite their modern sense of self. The study examines how both authors faced similar criticisms for their focus on domestic “triviality” yet transformed these seemingly minor details into powerful vehicles for social critique. Their different narrative strategies—Austen’s free indirect discourse versus Ling’s detached third-person narration—reveal distinct approaches to exploring women’s psychological development and social constraints. This comparative analysis illuminates how domestic narratives can serve as crucial sites for examining women’s negotiation of identity during periods of social change, while also highlighting the culturally specific manifestations of women’s agency in English and Chinese cultural contexts. Through close examination of their literary techniques and thematic concerns, this study contributes to our understanding of how women writers across different cultural and temporal contexts have employed domestic narratives to engage with broader questions of modernity, gender, and social transformation.

Download

Share

COinS