The Evolution of Hui'an Women's Image in Chinese Cinema

บทคัดย่อ

Hui'an women are a special ethnic group of the Han nationality living in four towns in the east of Hui'an, Quanzhou, Fujian.This paper uses textual analysis to study the evolution of the image of Hui'an women in Chinese cinema from a feminist perspective, and explores the changes in the social status and female consciousness of Hui'an women in different historical contexts. The image of Hui'an women in films have undergone four stages of evolution: before the founding of New China (1949), the Great Leap Forward period (1958-1960), the early stage of reform and opening up (1980s), the 21^stcentury. In the first stage, the tragic image of Hui'an women in feudal society implies the budding of female consciousness; In the second stage, the game between national ideology and traditional gender culture has shaped the image of "Iron Lady" of Hui'an women; In the third stage, the conflict between closed society and modern civilization has shaped the image of women who strongly oppose patriarchal discourse; In the fourth stage, the image of Hui'an women  includes independent women who break traditional gender roles and power structures, pursue self-worth, as well as women who have not yet established new values in the transition between modern and traditional society. The evolution of the image of Hui'an women in films reflects the improvement of their social status and the process of female consciousness from germination, development, to sublimation. At the same time, it exposes the dilemma faced by Hui'an women in different historical contexts. This study contributes to a reflection on the process of liberation and development of marginalized female groups from the perspectives of society, culture, and gender.