The Metaphor from an Evil to a Lover: Changes in Ancient Chinese Society through the Image of Cui Yingying in The Romance of the West Chamber (9th to 17th Century AD)

Wenbo ZHAO; Wei  Wang

doi:10.48161/qaj.v5n3a1649

Authors

Wenbo Zhao International College, Krirk University, Bangkok 10220, Thailand.
Wei Wang International College, Krirk University, Bangkok 10220, Thailand.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48161/qaj.v5n3a1649

Keywords:

cui Yingying, the romance of the west chamber, female image, social transformation, evil, love.

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of Cui Yingying’s image in The Romance of the Western Chamber to analyze the construction of female identity amid China’s sociocultural transformations from the 9th to 17th century. Through comparative textual analysis and gender theory, the paper traces Yingying’s transformation from a negatively portrayed figure in the Tang Dynasty—often labeled as a seductress, Youwu (尤物), abandoned woman, or prostitute—to the Yuan Dynasty’s reimagined heroine in Wang Shifu’s adaptation: a bold, intelligent, and emotionally complex woman who challenges societal norms. By the Ming Dynasty, the story’s widespread adaptation into prints and vernacular literature solidified its status as a cultural icon, epitomizing the idealized narrative of “lovers finally getting married.”The findings reveal that Yingying’s shifting image reflects the interplay of Confucian ethics, patriarchal values, and economic shifts within Chinese Society. The rise of citizen culture in the Ming Dynasty further reshaped female subjectivity through operatic adaptations. This process offers a significant case study for understanding the evolution of gender ideology in pre-modern China.

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