Cai, loosely translated as "literary talent," is an attribute describing profound lyricism, deep intellectuality and analytic skill.
[1] Although it was acknowledged that both women and men possessed cai, the phrase nuren wucai bian shi de 女人無才便是德 (for women, lack of literary talent is a virtue)[1] summarizes the dominant sentiment that the literary field was traditionally a domain for men.
[2] Female writers helped bring forth themes such as romance, marriage, gender roles, and women's politics.
[2] The aesthetic nature of poetry was highly regarded, while fiction was viewed as an avenue taken because of a failed career or commercial venture.
Other notable female poets in Chinese history were Gao Zhixian, Xue Tao, and Li Qingzhao.
However, the recognition of poets like Li Qingzhao was often overshadowed by male writers who adopted female personas or attributed their works to women.
[3] This practice blurred the authenticity of female voices, making them harder to recognize and influencing how women’s contributions were perceived.
The Chinese revolution's spectre emerged from the chaotic period of decades after the British Opium War in 1840 and the subsequent imperialist invasion.
[4] Women of this period were faced with the dilemma of protesting oppressive ideals stemming from Confucian ideology or remaining loyal to their family and maintaining peace and order.
[5] Eileen Chang, Lu Yin, Shi Pingmei and Ding Ling were four of the most influential feminist writers.
[5] This "Mulanian" style of writing submerged true feminine identity, rendering the female perspective neglected and hidden in the male-dominated political and aesthetic arenas.
These writers include Lu Yin, Xie Wanying, Shi Pingmei, Ding Ling, Xiao Hong, Eileen Chang, and San Mao.
She was a modern Chinese writer, employed various vernacular genres to explore women's living conditions at the turn of the 20th century.
She employed redefinition and diary fiction as major rhetorical strategies to challenge the sexist assumptions in the prevailing patriarchal discourses and empower Chinese women.
Her pen name Bing Xin carries the meaning of a morally pure heart and is taken from a line in a Tang Dynasty poem by Wang Changling.
Her novels show personal characteristics in material selection, conception, characterization, narrative structure and language skills.