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2022/23 School of Chinese Research Student Seminar

控制、誘哄與愛——重讀《聊齋誌異》中的妻妾權力關係

Controlling, Coaxing and Love: Reinterpreting Power Structure within Domestic Relationship in Liaozhai Zhiyi

Speaker: Miss CAO Murong

Date: May 5, 2023 (Fri)

Time: 17:30 - 18:45

Language: Putonghua

Mode of Delivery: 100% Face-to-face

Venue: CPD-3.29, Central Podium Level 3, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU

在《聊齋志異》的417個篇章中，有多達一百八十餘篇故事致力於描寫家庭內部生活秩序；不過與《紅樓夢》等明清世情小說不同，《聊齋》的著眼點不在龐大宗族體系中複雜的倫理關係，而在於夫、妻與妾組成的小家庭及其所承載的社會秩序。妻妾之間的女性關係被描寫得既細膩動人不失新意，而又充滿作者本人對家庭秩序理當如何的道德寄託。對這些故事進行分類歸納，會發現作者有意識地運用一些人物關係模型和敘事模型，來描述與指導家庭中妻妾相處的方式。本報告將會列舉《聊齋》中多篇有關家庭的文本，剖析其如何通過模仿既存的親緣與性緣模型來重構自己理想的妻妾關係，並進一步探討以蒲松齡（1640-1715）為代表的男性文人如何回應與重塑應時代而變動的家庭內部性別秩序。

Among the 417 chapters of "Liaozhai Zhiyi," there are more than 180 stories dedicated to depicting the order of domestic life. However, unlike secular novels such as "Dream of the Red Chamber" in Ming and Qing dynasties, "Liaozhai" focuses not on the complex ethical relationships within a large clan, but on the family consisted of husband, wife, and concubines and the social order carried behind the inter-relationships of these individuals. The wife-concubine relationships are portrayed delicately with originality, while also conveying the author’s moral commitment to the family order. Upon classifying and summarizing these stories, it is apparent that the author consciously employs certain character relationship models and narrative models to describe and guide the interaction between wives and concubines within the family. This report will provide examples from multiple texts about domestic life in “Liaozhai” and analyze how they reconstruct the ideal wife-concubine relationship by imitating existing models of kinship and sexual relationships. Furthermore, it will explore how male literati, represented by Pu Songling (1640-1715), respond to and reshape the changing gender order within the family in their time.

ALL are welcome*
*Pre-registration (Click HERE) is requested.