GChina: The Vixen/Yecao

The Vixen: What is the main source of conflict between Junshi and his wife, Xianxian?

• They have different views on politics and gender roles

• Junshi is unfaithful to Xianxian

• Junshi wants to move abroad, but Xianxian refuses

The Vixen: How does Xianxian feel about her role in the marriage?

• She is content with being a traditional wife

• She feels frustrated and constrained by Junshi's expectations

• She believes Junshi is a perfect husband

The Vixen: What does the conflict between Junshi and Xianxian reveal about gender roles in the story?

• It reinforces the idea that men and women should have separate duties

• It shows that women in early 20th-century China had complete freedom

• It highlights the growing tension between traditional expectations and modern ideals

The Vixen: What can Junshi’s struggle symbolize in a broader social context?

• The total triumph of modern feminist ideals over traditional values

• The difficulty of holding personal expectations in great times of change

• The downfall of the Chinese aristocracy

The Vixen: Why did Junshi originally choose Xianxian as his wife?

• He believed she was malleable "uncut jade" and could be shaped into his ideal partner

• He admired her strong-willed independence and refusal to conform

• He wanted a wife who would challenge his beliefs and change him

The Vixen: Why is Junshi now dissatisfied with Xianxian’s behavior?

• She has become more submissive than he wanted, making her uninteresting

• She has completely abandoned him and run away

• She has now begun asserting her own identity and beliefs

Yecao: What is standing in the way of Yecao and Nanxia’s relationship?

• Yecao is currently already married to a different man

• Nanxia is way too ugly and Yecao can't stand him

• Yecao is dedicated to her work and writing, and is not drawn personally to love again

Yecao: What does Yecao’s struggle in her relationship with Nanxia symbolize?

• The ease with which love and politics coexisted at the time

• The difficulty women faced in balancing love and independence in revolutionary China

• The belief that personal relationships were always more important than social change