A Contrast Study on Chinese and American Feminism Reflected in Martial Security War and Desperate Housewives

趙凌志

【Abstract】Both Marital Security War and Desperate Housewives reflect modern Chinese and American women's double pressure and challenges in marriage， career， life etc. This paper made a contrast study on Chinese and American feminism.

【Key words】feminism； the differences； Martial Security War； Desperate Housewives

I. Introduction

In 2010， the Chinese famous director Zhao Baogang directed a TV play Marital Security War， which made a great splash in China. This TV play can be best described as a great challenge to the traditional beliefs.The other TV play， Desperate Housewives was directed by American Broadcasting Company， the audience rating has went up sharply since its launched in 2004，which also reflects the awkward situation of women in male-dominated world.

II. Manifestations of Feminism Reflected in Marital Security War and Desperate Housewives

2.1 Feminism in Marital Security War.In the male-dominated world， men think that traditional wife is just a home services worker and it will be hard to understand if they go out for work. The traditional gender concept that women are confined to family chores dominated in the Chinese society for thousands of years. But nowadays it is not hard to find that female's request of changing fixed image have appeared. Although males still take charge of the situation， changes are coming on the way.

Li Mei and Guo Yang's family mode is more traditional relatively. Li Mei wants to be a good wife who is willing to live a peaceful life， help the husband and teach the children in the beginning. While when her friend Yang Dan attracts her to be a CFO in her company， she comes to aware that her dream is significant too and it is a good way to realize her value.

2.2 Feminism in Desperate Housewives.In Desperate Housewives， housewives' dilemma under the happy marriage has been revealed from the perspective of feminism and their fighting for their own rights.

This TV play moulds four female images， they use a unique behavioral pattern to deal with their household duties， neighborhood etc. Although they are independent， strong， individualized and don't always follow their husbands' advices， it can not change the downtrodden facts by males.

III. Differences of Feminism Reflected in Marital Security War and Desperate Housewives

3.1 Incomplete independence vs independence.In Marital Security War， although most modern Chinese women have gotten their economic independence， they still have a kind of deep attachment of family in their heart which is also their tragedy in their destiny. On the way to change the male-dominated world， females always get confused about their self-awareness.

When referring to Gaby in Desperate Housewives， we may think of her selfishness， arbitrary and vanity. Gaby chooses Carlos as her husband just because of his money at the very beginning， money can provide her with the abundantly material life and meet her vanity.

3.2 Transitory relaxation of feminism vs final success.In Marital Security War， the theme is partly ironic to some extent， just as dialogues in this TV play， for example， “If a family wants to be peaceful， then either women make a sacrifice or men make a concession”， “one mountain unbearable two tigers”etc. From the end of this TV play， we can see it is woman who make a concession， those women who made their efforts to fight for their rights .

Although Desperate Housewives is filled with contradictory expression to some extent， females' strive for freedom and equality achieves its final success from the four housewives' ultimate fate. The conversation between Carlos and Gaby in the end of the TV play reflects males' dislike of the change of females' role directly.

IV. Causes of the Differences of Feminism in the Two TV Plays

The source of females' dependence on males derives from females' subordinate status under the value system in male-dominated society. Simone de Beauvior posed a quite penetrating question in her book “The Second Sex”， why females reduce to the status of“the second sex”？ then she hit the mark with a single comment， females are not born as“females”， but are formed gradually. The culture of patriarchy which regards males as major players and females as “the other” is the source of the discrimination of females and then it establishes the gender relationship of domination and subordination. This kind of relationship roots in Chinese people's heart even now.

References：

[1]Betty Fridan，The Second Stage[M].Harvard University Press.1986.

[2]Germanine Greer， The Whole Woman[M].Black Swan.2007.

[3]Michel Foucault，The Order of Things[M].Routledge.2002.