The Construction of “New Woman” in Chen Hengzhe’s Autobiography

Abstract

This essay examines the autobiography of Chen Hengzhe (1890-1976) (see Appendix), a relatively less studied woman writer, historian, and critic in modern China. Through the study in four aspects, namely, the pursuit of modern education, simple appearance, great leaders, and the ambassadors of culture, the author’s research indicates that Chen’s construction of “new woman” has been influenced by complex historical and cultural forces such as the Chinese traditional culture, Western culture, and the iconoclastic spirit of “the New Culture Movement”. Meanwhile, Chen’s gender consciousness is also an important element. Moreover, Chen’s pioneering standing and her own experiences of studying abroad makes her take the lead in conceiving women’s leadership and their roles in global culture communications. In the late Qing and the early Republic, traditional values and norms of womanhood were severely challenged. Chen’s construction of “new woman” is her conscious effort to define a new womanhood and is an integral part of the ongoing exploration of Chinese women for modern womanhood. Through the examination of Chen’s “new woman”, this paper seeks to enrich our understanding of the complexity of modern Chinese women’s exploration of modern womanhood.