From Dependence to Autonomy: Constructing Female Subjectivity and Expressing Awakening in Random Notes on a Trip to Sichuan
Abstract
Random Notes on a Trip to Sichuan is a travelogue written by Chen Hengzhe in 1935 during her journey to Sichuan, accompanying her husband Ren Hongjun. In Notes from a Sichuan Journey, Chen employs a nuanced female perspective to document and critique the constraints faced by traditional women, thereby revealing the autonomous consciousness of awakened women while expressing a profound yearning for comprehensive female emancipation and a gender-equal social order. Based on Random Notes on a Trip to Sichuan and grounded in theories of subjectivity construction and gender order, this study systematically reviews and interprets the descriptions of women's living conditions within the text. On one hand, most women remained deeply entrenched within the patriarchal shackles of male supremacy, exhibiting a high degree of dependence on men in marriage, economic matters, and social participation. On the other hand, some young women influenced by new ideologies had begun to awaken, actively pursuing education, marital freedom, and independent personalities.
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