Women's agency in ‘The Scholars': A narrative analysis of marriage relations and Self-Determination
从婚姻关系书写看《儒林外史》之女性出路“自谋”

摘要

本文聚焦《儒林外史》中的女性群像，系统考察了封建婚姻框架中女性的生存策略。通过对《儒林外史》中身处不同阶层的六个女性人物形象加以分析，展现了她们在性别压迫下的智慧与韧性。无论是追求婚姻中的身份认同，还是寄望于功名富贵，抑或追求独立自由，这些女性在传统伦理约束下的选择与行动，既体现了她们对自我价值的追求，也折射出传统社会性别关系的深层困境。她们的命运轨迹，不仅是个体生存状态的写照，更是特定历史语境下女性处境的缩影。

Abstract

This article focuses on the female characters in “Scholars”(Rulin Waishi), systematically examining the survival strategies of women within the framework of feudal marriage. By analyzing six female characters from different social strata in the novel, the study reveals their wisdom and resilience under gender oppression. Whether pursuing identity recognition in marriage, hoping for fame and fortune, or seeking independent freedom, the choices and actions of these women under traditional ethical constraints not only reflect their pursuit of self-worth but also reveal the deep-seated gender relations in traditional society. Their life trajectories are not just portraits of individual survival states, but microcosms of women's conditions in a specific historical context.