A Study on the Interaction between Gender Morality and Free Love in Early 20th Century China : Centered on Du Cheng Shu&Qu Jiang's Love Letter

Abstract

This article attempts to answer the question of "love" and why it has been prohibited from entering the public sphere in Chinese history. This article takes the "Love Letter Incident" as a case study and uses the process tracking method to analyze the love letter incident between Du Chengshu (杜成淑) and Qu Jiang (屈疆). In this event, various social groups interacted on this matter, so this article horizontally compared the thinking and self-expression of young men and women in the face of love issues and vertically explored the premature and delayed disclosure of love issues under the trend of gender equality in China since the early 20th century. Examining and evaluating love issues by various parties in the public sphere is necessary for private love writing to move toward the public sphere. Through various evaluations of love letters, the issue of love has entered the public sphere. However, in China at the beginning of the 20th century, the issue of love still faced scrutiny from traditional Chinese gender morality and morality, making it difficult for love issues to be made public. This article finds that in early 20th-century China. The concept of "gender equality" accompanied by China's modernization movement (May Fourth Movement) was valued by society, and the morality of "gender equality" has never been established. However, Chinese society still maintains an unfriendly attitude towards women, and the perception of gender inequality is still considered normal.