User:Breadrhix/Miss Sophia's Diary

History

Miss Sophia's Diary is a diary-style short story written by Chinese female writer Ding Ling in 1927. The background of the story's creation is in modern China during the low tide of the May Fourth Movement. At that time, many educated young people generally felt panic and distress due to the collision between the passion inspired by the May Fourth Movement and the cold reality.

Under the influence of the May Fourth Movement, China's female consciousness has gradually awakened, and modern Chinese intellectuals began to advocate the improvement of women's social status and the pursuit of the new era of love. However, because the social background at that time was still in the period of groping under the state of new cultural enlightenment, the author Ding Ling also felt sad and confused about how to resist the predicament of women's sexual desire suppression and unequal status under traditional Chinese feudal thought. Her protagonist Sophia is described by the modern Chinese writer Mao Dun as the epitome of "a young woman's rebellious screamer who is burdened with the suffering and trauma of the times" In this period. [1] Through the love entanglement between Sophia and Wei Di and Ling Jishi in the novel, as well as the love life of the friends around Sophia, Ding Ling brings readers back to the era full of distress and trauma.

Major themes: Sophia and the Awaking of Female

Ding Ling uses the diary as a form of writing, and this form of writing is an important form to write about women's self-identity. This form redefines Sophia, the diary's protagonist, as a voyeur, depicting a self-portrait of the struggle between female identity and modernity; Sophia is the main character, the protagonist, and the reader, combined in one person. But although this technique once succeeded in shaping the identity of a Chinese man, this masculinist writing style fails to create a female identity. [2] Sophia constantly engages in the paradox of self-torture and narcissism coexisting in her diary, trying to define herself as an autonomous and independent woman, being an image that does not exist in traditional Chinese society. Sophia is a self-centered character who has both a strong desire and firm principles for love and does not change because of outside judgments. And unlike traditional women, Sophia has always been dominant in her relationships, she wants someone to love her and pay attention to her just because of her as a person, not because of the identity attached to her[3]. She is a representative of the new era of women who dare to face their emotions and get rid of the feudal concept. Sophia's self-awareness is very strong, advocates freedom of love and marriage, and seeks mutual spiritual understanding.

Sophia is indifferent to Weidi's advances, even though she knows she can manipulate Weidi with every move she makes, and Weidi is willing to do anything for Sophia. Sophia's attitude towards Weidi is ambivalent and complicated. She feels that Weidi always cries in front of her, unlike a man, but she also wants Weidi to come and visit her. But if Weidi came, Sophia would feel annoyed again. She has a myriad of conflicting thoughts inside her, but no one understands her. The diary says: "I’ve always wanted a man who would really understand me. If he doesn’t understand me and my needs, then what good are love and empathy? [4]". And although Weidi loves her, but will never be Sophia's favourite person, Sophia said "I’d like Weidi a whole lot better if he’d wise up, but he persists with these stupid abandoned displays of affection.". She writes her inner turmoil in her diary, but her frustration at not being able to be understood is further emphasized by the process of being read by others. Sophia tries to get Weidi to read her diary and let Weidi know what she is thinking but ultimately fails.

Ling Jishi (Ling) is another main male protagonist in the story, when Sophia first saw Ling, she was attracted to Ling immediately. In Sophia's Diary, January 1, she mentioned it was the first time finding a man can be attractive. "His stature, pale, delicate features, fine lips, and soft hair are quite dazzling enough" this sentence describes a living, good-looking man (page 55). However, Ling's charm exceeds his appearance. He also has an "exclusive quality" for Sophia. Ling is like the ideal character in the film, elegant and comes from a good family, even with studying abroad experience. In a word, Ling's extraordinary charm makes hopeless Sophia fall in love with him.

Meanwhile, Ling is also a sophisticated, calculating, and clever man. His character and abilities make him able to force people to get what he wants, whether women or interpersonal relationships. It may be that life is too easy for Ling, making it possible for him to have a narrow point of view. He focuses on making profits and neglects the importance of mind and spirit improvement. All Ling needs is money; he needs money for catering, and he needs money for love because his love was only a momentary pleasure gained by spending money on prostitution.

Ding Ling created Miss Sophia's Diary after the May Fourth Movement. Although feudal influence still exists under the historical and cultural background, most young people are looking for freedom. This situation shapes the conflicted character. The description of Ling's attractive appearance is an implication of gender reversal. After the May Fourth Movement, Miss Sophia, as a liberated young woman, can choose her life partner by herself and appreciate the beauty of man. This way resists the ethical evaluation and moral judgment of women's bodies by men's discourse. It challenges and deconstructs the privilege of men's cultural body and desire and protecting women's rights.

Although Ding Ling uses beautiful feminine adjectives to describe Ling's appearance, Ling does not require any beauty of females. His soul is shallow, and his life goal is pursuing money, fame, and low-class pleasures. He looks gentle to Sophie, but all his moves to Sophie satisfy his selfish desires. Ling has a natural prejudice and contempt for women under traditional discourse. Sophie's rational self-restraint stimulates the conflicted character of Ling and takes turns to prevail, making it possible for her to turn off the affection to Ling. This is an implication to the audience that the Liberation of the human is not only the rules and traditions but also the progress of ideologically. After the Liberation, women were no longer manipulated by sexual desire but ultimately returned to rational choice and made the proper judgment.

According to Yang and Li (2014), they believe Ding Ling reversed the images of traditional women in Miss Sophia. Instead of man dominating the relationship, Sophia displays confidence, independence in sexual relations. Although Sophia is hopelessly falling in love with Ling, she decides to terminate the relationship in the end. This transition of feelings represents the awakening and enlightenment of women after the May Fourth Movement. It implies rejecting and disapproving of the relationship, in which male-dominated and female subordinated in the feudal tradition.[5]

Historical significance

The process of Sophia getting along with these two male characters is also the process of Sophia's analysis of her inner self. From confusion to firmness, Sophia got out of the plight of the times and found a new way out. Thus, Sophia's character is the incarnation of the pursuit of ideals produced by young women who experienced the May Fourth Movement at that time. She is no longer feudal and conservative, but boldly admits women's sexual desire and strives to pursue the unity of spirit and flesh. love. The ending of Sophia means that the liberation awakens the female consciousness and attacks the feudal ideology in the male-dominated, female-minored social structure. The May Fourth Movement played an obvious enlightening role in the direction of liberating women's consciousness, and took a big step on the ideological level.