• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.56
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• pp.267-295
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• 2014

The purpose of this paper was to introduce the material status of women's epistolary literature published in modern study materials for writing letters in Chinese in 1920~30s and analyze gender consciousness shown in them. To this end, five kinds of representative modern study materials for writing letters in Chinese in 1920~30s were selected and 55 women's letters published in them were summarized. Through this, it was pointed out that the subjects of women's epistolary literature are mainly 'males' of families and the form of 'reply.' This implies that the authors of modern study materials for writing letters in Chinese recognized women's Chinese letters as a secondary means to prepare for inevitable communication with men rather than the leading medium of communication. The first aspect of gender consciousness shown in women's epistolary in modern study materials for writing letters in Chinese is to reaffirm the traditional gender order by calling and resetting women as the position and role in the family. The second aspect of gender consciousness is that female education materials which seemed to reflect the modern gender order are actually mentioned under the very skeptical view. The third characteristic aspect of gender consciousness is that the motif of 'discipline about economic activity' is only noticeable in women's epistolary published in modern study materials for writing letters. This setting was regarded as a means that the authors of modern study materials for writing letters in Chinese transferred the responsibilities of maintaining livelihood and managing household to women. Women's epistolary in modern study materials for writing letters in Chinese is the material which is noticeable in terms of showing the possibility of female Chinese Writing in modern times but according to the analysis of this paper, it is the text showing female form and women's writing judged within thoroughly male-centered imagination. That is, women's epistle text has a significance that allows us to read conservative reentry of modern study materials for writing letters in Chinese more clearly.