Homer's Helen and Bai Juyi's Yuhuan: Beauty, Subjectivity, And
Homer’s Helen and Bai Juyi’s Yuhuan: Beauty, Subjectivity, and Ethics By Suiyun Pan (David) Honors Thesis Department of English and Comparative Literature University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 2020 Approved: ____________________________________________ Abstract A beautiful woman, in the history and literature of ancient Greece and ancient China, is often presented as a controversial figure who can initiate dramatic events. On the one hand, people enjoy and praise her beauty. On the other hand, these same appreciators may blame the beautiful woman for morally corrupting them and generating chaos—even when such chaos is the product of the decisions and conduct of men. The mysterious Greek composer Homer and the renowned Chinese poet Bai Juyi are not ignorant of the unfair treatment of women in their societies. Throughout his Iliad and Odyssey, Homer reconsiders the reputation of his beautiful yet infamous heroine, Helen. As the poet shows a great interest in Helen’s morality and sociality, criticism of this “war-causing” beauty is called into question. Likewise, in “Song of Everlasting Regret,” Bai Juyi demonstrates the goodness of Yang Yuhuan, a “troublemaking” royal concubine in Tang China. Going even further than Homer, Bai is concerned with Yuhuan’s self- awareness and subjectivity. Nevertheless, neither Homer’s epics nor Bai’s poem should be interpreted as a feminist corrective to legend and history. Both poets redefine their beauties in ways that ultimately canonize the literary exploitation of women. Introduction When introduced to the western world, Yang Yuhuan 楊玉環 (719-756 CE), also known as Yang Guifei, Precious Concubine Yang, or Imperial Consort Yang, is often referred to as “the Chinese Helen of Troy.” We compare Yuhuan to Helen not only for the similarities of their beautiful appearance and romantic experiences, but also for the similar role they played in each of the empires that immortalized them—ancient China and ancient Greece, respectively.
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