Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.

Non-UMass Amherst users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.

Dissertations that have an embargo placed on them will not be available to anyone until the embargo expires.

ORCID

N/A

Access Type

Campus-Only Access for Five (5) Years

Document Type

thesis

Degree Program

Chinese

Degree Type

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Year Degree Awarded

2019

Month Degree Awarded

September

Abstract

Danmei, a genre of Chinese online fiction very popular among young Chinese females, refers to narratives of male-on-male romance. Studies of danmei, however, have been limited to the fields of Chinese language and literary studies. The genesis, development, and impact of danmei have not been systematically studied in a broader context. This thesis gives a detailed account of the emergence of Chinese danmei online fiction and its development by introducing studies of Japanese Boys Love culture, the source of danmei, and Western Slash Fiction. I also provide a case study of Beijing Gushi (Beijing Story), one of most influential Chinese danmei narratives and some other online danmei narratives in order to discuss Chinese young Chinese females’ thinking about gender equality, women’s rights, and the family. The rise and popularity of danmei fiction show that, while young Chinese females have already noticed the gender inequality in Chinese society and are eager for change, the patriarchal ideology still controls them. At the same time, danmei offers women a fantasy space to assert their subjectivity.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/12780909

First Advisor

Enhua Zhang, Amanda C. Seaman

Second Advisor

Stephen D. Miller

Download
Off-campus Download

Share

COinS