Existential Crisis of Women: Sexist Language in Ha Jin’s Waiting

Abstract

This paper examines the status of women in Chinese society as depicted in Ha Jin’s Waiting. The female characters represent females who have historically been subjected to commodification and discrimination across various cultural landscapes. In a similar vein, numerous cultural and economic elements contribute to the oppression of women in China, where they have been persistently denied fundamental rights and the freedom to express their opinions. The article presents Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s feminist critique of the patriarchal culture in China as depicted in the novel. It narrates the experiences of two Chinese women who have endured suffering for eighteen years due to a man whose service regulations forbade him from divorcing his wife to marry another woman. The results of the research suggest that women should not be influenced by men to conform to stereotypical behaviors and responses within society. The novel effectively portrays the harsh realities of women's exploitation and gender discrimination perpetuated by language in a patriarchal society. By minimizing the roles of female characters, the novelist upholds male ideologies that depict women as weak, inferior, innocent, and submissive, while portraying men as powerful, wise, superior, and well-educated in the historical context of China. In doing so, the study highlights the stereotypical gender roles, threats, challenges, and male dominance in the realms of family, education, and sexuality.