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In a Bronze Mirror: Eileen Chang’s Life and Literature

Gender and Sexuality/Desire, Longing, and Ill-Fated Romance

Originally published in 1944, Red Rose White Rose was adapted to a film by Stanley Kwan 50 years later. Scenarios in it resonated with Chang’s upbringing and it also reflected Chang’s value of love in some ways. Chang delineated the dilemma that the traditional man faced when he encountered two women and she revealed the paradox that male made decisions at every turn. Two women in the novel symbolled the different gender stereotypes in terms of social values in China at that time. They were the incarnations of the woman who was bound by China's traditional cultural identity versus the independent woman. It is interesting if we place her work along with the First-wave feminism, which held during 1860 to 1945. Chang was nurturing feminism in the East. Chang mentioned that Lian Huan Tao, Chuang Shi Ji, as well as Yin Baoyan Song Hua Lou Hui were produced during her prolific period. These pieces of work were drafted after Red Rose White Rose. It took her a while to make up her mind to publish them.

Chang mentioned her another work Rouge of The North a few times between her correspondence with Hsia. Rouge of The North portrays a distorted change of a woman, Yindi, in a dramatic way. Yindi, who marries the blind, bedridden son of a rich and noble family has no power in speech. The twisted domestic relation, the unsatisfying family life, and the exacting dictates of her husband's mother, leaves Yindi in a hopeless situation. After her demanding mother-in-law passed away, she moved out of the big house with her son. Absurdly though, when her son gets married, Yindi has become a perverted mother-in-law and inflicted pain on others. She constantly blames and emotionally tortures her daughter-in-law in a vicious and brutal way. Chang expounds the tragedy across three generations, conveying her idea that marriage is attributed to women’s plight. While holding a negative perception of marriage, in one letter written to Hsia regarding Rouge of The North, Chang implies that “our generation is impoverished with a love life in youth.” The disbelief in marriage, and the yearning for true love, both occur in Chang’s mind.

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A letter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1966. In this letter dated August 19, Eileen Chang describes publishing "Yuan Nu" has become a mess. She gives Hsia full authority to decide the publication of "Yuan Nu" in newspaper and in book form. She also thanks Hsia for writing a reference letter to Radcliffe. This letter mentions Wang Jingxi, Yu Lihua, Wang Dingjun, and Joseph Lau. The USPS 11 cents-airletter stamped 20 Aug 1966 Washington DC is addressed to "Mr. C.T. Hsia, 205 Chia Hua Street, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China" from "Chang, 1315 C St. SE, Apt. 22, Washington, D.C. 20003."; 張愛玲寄給夏志清的信, 1966. 這封信註明8月19日寫的. 張愛玲描述"怨女"事接洽得一團糟. 她委託夏志清全權代辦連載"怨女"與出單行本的事. 也感謝夏志清為她寫介紹信給Radcliffe. 信裡提到王敬羲, 於梨華, 王鼎鈞, 及劉紹銘. 信封上有十一分錢的郵票印章, 郵政戳印日期為1966年8月20日華盛頓, 信封上有收件人地址"Mr. C.T. Hsia, 205 Chia Hua Street, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China" 及寄件人地址"Chang, 1315 C St. SE, Apt. 22, Washington, D.C. 20003."
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A letter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1974. In this letter dated June 9, Eileen Chang mentions about her old short stories: "Lian Huan Tao", "Chuang Shi Ji", "Yin Baoyan Song Hua Lou Hui", "Hong Bai Mei Gui", "Shi Ba Chun", and "Tan Kan Shu". She also talks about her research study on Ding Ling. Then she asks Hsia to help her search for books in Columbia University Library. The envelope has USPS 13 cents-airmail stamp with dated stamp of 10 June 1974 Los Angeles. CA is addressed to "Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 West 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" from address "Chang, 1825 N. Kingsley Dr., Apt. 305, Hollywood, CA 90027."; 張愛玲寄給夏志清的信,1974. 這封信註明年6月9日寫的. 張愛玲提到幾篇舊的小說"連環套", "創世紀", "殷寶灩送花樓會", "紅白玫瑰", "十八春", 及"談看書". 也提到寫丁玲的研究. 並請夏志清至哥大圖書館幫忙找書. 信封上有一個十三分錢的空運郵票, 郵政戳印日期為1974年6月10日洛杉磯, 並有收件人地址"Professor C.T. Hsia, 415 West 115th St., Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" 及寄件人地址"Chang, 1825 N. Kingsley Dr., Apt. 305, Hollywood, CA 90027."
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A letter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1966. In this letter dated July 8, Eileen Chang mentions that she will apply for a fellowship in September to translate "Hai Shang Hua". She also discusses about translating "Jin Suo Ji" with Hsia, and asks Hsia to handle publishing "Yuan Nu" for her in Taiwan. The envelope has USPS 5 cents-stamp with dated stamp of 9 July 1966 Washington DC is addressed to "Mr. C.T. Hsia, 415 West 115th Street, New York, N.Y. 10025" from address "Reyher, 1315 C St. Se, Apt. 22, Washington, D.C. 20003." The back of the envelope has a note saying "books has been received, thank you."; 張愛玲寄給夏志清的信, 1966. 這封信註明7月8日寫的. 張愛玲提到九月申請譯"海上花"的fellowship. 也跟夏志清討論翻譯"金鎖記", 並請夏志清在台灣時處理出版"怨女"事宜. 信封上有五分錢的郵票, 郵政戳印日期為1966年7月9日華盛頓, 並有收件人地址"Mr. C.T. Hsia, 415 West 115th Street, New York, N.Y. 10025" 及寄件人地址"Reyher, 1315 C St. Se, Apt. 22, Washington, D.C. 20003." 信封背面寫有一句"書剛收到, 謝了."
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An airletter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1966. In this letter dated Sept 14, Eileen Chang informs Hsia of her new address. This letter also has an attachment to Mr. Ping Xingtao. This attachment explains that the version of "Yuan Nu" publish in Crown Press should not be used for her book. The envelope has 5 USPS 5-cents stamps. The back of the envelope is stamped 16 Sept 1966 Washington DC; also has one Taiwan stamped 22 Sept. It is addressed to "Mr. Chih-tsing Hsia, 205 Chin Hua Street, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China" from "Reyher, 1315 C St. SE, Apt. 22, Washington, D.C. 20003."; 張愛玲寄給夏志清的信, 1966. 這封信註明9月15日寫的. 張愛玲告知夏志清新家地址. 並附上寄給平鑫濤的信函. 信裡面說明皇冠連載"怨女"係原以為遺失之稿, 不同意皇冠根據連載"怨女"出書. 信封上有5張5分錢的郵票, 信封背面有郵政戳印日期為1966年9月16日華盛頓及另一個台灣郵政戳印日期為9月22日, 信封上有收件人地址"Mr. Chih-tsing Hsia, 205 Chin Hua Street, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China"及寄件人地址"Reyher, 1315 C St. SE, Apt. 22, Washington, D.C. 20003."
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Eileen Chang's grandmother and her mother, [s.d.] Eileen Chang's grandmother and her mother， [s.d.]. When my grandmother was 18 years old, she took this picture with her mother. It seems like she's baring a laugh. It's probably the Caucasian photographer under the black cloth. -- "Dui Zhao Ji", p 033; 张爱玲的祖母与她母亲的合照，[s.d.]. "我祖母十八岁的时候与她母亲合影。她仿佛忍着笑，也许是笑钻在黑布下的洋人摄影师。-- 对照记，p 033
Letter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1965 A letter from Eileen Chang to C.T. Hsia, 1965. In this letter dated October 31, Eileen Chang discusses about her novel "Yuan Nu" with Hsia. She also expresses her interest to translate the Chinese classic novel "Hai Shang Hua" into English. In this letter, Eileen Chang mentions the Chinese author Nie Hualing whom she has heard of. The USPS 5 cents-envelope with dated stamp of 1 Nov 1965 Washington DC is addressed to "Mr. C.T. Hsia, 415 W. 115th St. Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" from"Chang, 1315 C St. SE, #22, Washington, D.C. 20003."; 張愛玲寄給夏志清的信與信封, 1965. 這封信註明10月31日寫的. 張愛玲於此信中與夏志清討論她的作品"怨女", 並表示對翻譯中國小說"海上花"有興趣. 信中也提到曾聽過作家聶華苓的名字. 信封上有五分錢的郵票, 郵政戳印日期為1965年11月1日華盛頓, 並有收件人地址"Mr. C.T. Hsia, 415 W. 115th St. Apt. 22, New York, N.Y. 10025" 及寄件人地址"Chang, 1315 C St. SE, #22, Washington, D.C. 20003."