Example Of Critical Thinking On Chinese Literature

In the story of Ying-Ying, she appears to be an ideal incarnation of the emotional and sensitive self. She appears to be a woman of very pure character who guards her innocence very jealously. She appeared very rigid in response to the advances of her lover. But she also possesses a very pure and childish heart and she finally submits to the persistent advances of Chang. When in the company of her lover she appears a complete contrast to her strict and rigid figure. At the scene of her first encounter with her lover, she appears to be timid and shy. Her reaction during and after the first physical encounter with Chang depicts how hard it was for her to compromise on her innocence. Her purity and her innocence along with her sincerity is the central theme of her personality. The Story of the Western Wing depicts Yingying’s in her all charming glory and appearance. The story also portrays a conflict in Ying-Ying’s personality, on one hand compromising on her innocence was a great burden on her conscience while on the other hand she finds it hard to reject the advances of young Chang. In the Story of the Western Wing, the character of Yingying appeared more passionate than hesitant. The longing and reservation found in the character of Oriole in the story of Ying-Ying are absent from the Story of the Western Wing. In the later version, the character of the heroine depicted as more of a loving, passionate and happy woman who has not suffered the misery and pain of desertion and the betrayal of her lover.   
In the Story of the Western Wing, our heroine is a manifestation of feminine sensibility. In the Story of the Western Wing only her delicate and loving side is in focus while in the earlier version the strong, forbearing, self-controlled and imperturbable side comes to light after she has been deserted and betrayed by her lover. Though she looks a fragile figure in the matters of love but once comes out of the domain of love she appears to be a very self-controlled disciplined and strong woman. She bears the pain of rejection with dignity like a realist and brave woman. 

Works Cited

Chen, Yuan. "The Story of Ying-ying." Classical-Language Short Stories. n.d.
Wang, Shi-fu. The Story of the Western Wing. University of California Press, 1995. print.