Androgyny in Late Ming and Early Qing Literature

"The frequent appearance of androgyny in Ming and Qing literature has long interested scholars of late imperial Chinese culture. A flourishing economy, widespread education, rising individualism, a prevailing hedonism - all of these had contributed to the gradual disintegration of traditional gender roles in late Ming and Qing China (1550-1750) and given rise to the phenomenon of androgyny. Now, Zuyan Zhou sheds new light on this important period, offering a highly original and astute look at the concept of androgyny in key works of Chinese fiction and drama from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries.". "Based on in-depth readings, exhaustive reasearch in Chinese and English secondary sources, and analytical approaches from Western cultural criticism, Androgyny in Late Ming and Early Qing Literature will be welcomed by students and scholars of gender studies as well as those interested in Chinese literature and history."--BOOK JACKET.