Female Agency in Chang's and Wang Anyi's Short Stories

Introduction: Two Visions of Female Agency

There are numerous points of similarity between Eileen Chang's "Shame, Amah!" and Wang Anyi's "Granny." Both stories depict the lives of Chinese domestic workers, and each tale is set during the same time period — the years surrounding the Second World War. Furthermore, both authors are Chinese and display a marked affinity for the intimate details of Chinese culture, which factors prominently in each respective tale. Still, there is a distinct point of differentiation between these works when it comes to the notion of female agency and how it is displayed in each piece.

It is significant that female agency factors into each of these tales. However, "Granny" is largely a story about a somewhat unconventional matriarch who becomes the provider for a host of people. The concept of female agency in Chang's piece, by contrast, is centered on conventional notions of masculinity and the attendant gender issues found in a largely patriarchal society. Thus, female agency is expressed in unconventional ways in "Granny," while the prevalence of male dominance in "Shame, Amah!" yields stereotypical expressions of female agency as being subservient to that of men.

Independent Agency: Granny as Self-Reliant Matriarch

This thesis becomes immediately apparent upon even a cursory reading of both works. The titular character Granny is endowed with a substantial amount of female agency, of which the protagonist in "Shame, Amah!" is decidedly bereft. Possibly the most critical distinction between these two characters involves the presence — and absence — of men and their effect on each respective domestic worker.

Granny lives a life in which she is able to work on her own and take care of numerous other people without involving a man, as the following quotation demonstrates: "Most had been widowed while still young, or were married to shiftless or preposterous husbands and had yet to bear a son. Such was the case with Granny. Bereft of family support, they were forced to be self-reliant" (Anyi 34). This passage is pivotal to Granny's characterization and emblematic of her agency. The author states that Granny consistently relies on herself, in part because of the absence of a dominant male presence in her life. She is not married and does not have a son to provide for her. This sort of female agency is demonstrative of a strong, assertive power which characterizes not only Granny but other nannies as well. Such independent agency for women is not found in Chang's work.

Dependent Agency: Ah Nee and the Master's Influence

Instead, female agency in "Shame, Amah!" is expressed almost exclusively in relation to men. Ah Nee, the story's protagonist and a domestic worker, is primarily dependent upon her male employer for her lot in life. She derives her income from him and requires his largesse to survive. She also has a husband, so that she is far from independent. Regardless, her dependence on her male employer does not permit the sort of autonomous agency which Granny has. Instead, Ah Nee requires her master, his wealth, and his material resources to provide for what she needs. She thus demonstrates agency in a way predicated on her ability to get what she wants from a man. The author states that Ah Nee "never stole tea except when her husband came" (Chang 105).

This quotation signifies a different sort of agency than that illustrated in "Granny." The power Ah Nee is able to exercise is firstly predicated on her master's material possessions — in this case, his tea. Furthermore, her behavior is decidedly devious, as she commits a social transgression in the form of theft. There are no such indiscretions on the part of Granny, who is able to assert her agency in a much more positive manner. Nonetheless, because Ah Nee is dependent upon her master for so much, she is only able to exercise her agency in relation to him and in a much less constructive way.

In general, there is a dependent quality to the female agency found in "Shame, Amah!" that is conspicuously absent in "Granny." As previously mentioned, Ah Nee's agency is only notable as it exists in relation to her master. However, other female characters demonstrate agency in this same way — in relation to the quintessentially domineering male figure of Master. Master's characterization is significant for a couple of reasons. First, he is a European living in Asia, which signals a clear social status underscored by his wealth. Second, he is a bachelor with myriad women vying for his attention. This second point is of paramount importance because it creates a situation in which female characters can only exercise agency in relation to this wealthy, single foreigner. This is apparent when Ah Nee reflects that "the new one must be a capable girl if she could make him spend money on her" (Chang 111).

Conclusion: Antipodal Perspectives on Women's Power

In summary, these two tales illustrate female agency in Chinese literature from antipodal perspectives. Granny has an independent, positive female agency that nurtures other family members and transcends her professional sphere to encompass family and finances. Ah Nee has an agency dependent on men, which is emblematic of the dependent female agency found throughout Chang's work as a whole. The agency in the former work is more beneficent and reflective of genuine power; that in the latter is weaker and far more contingent on the largesse of men.

Works Cited

Anyi, Wang. "Granny." 462–469. 2000. Print.

Chang, Eileen. "Shame, Amah!" in Eight Stories by Chinese Women. Ed. Nieh Hua-ling. Taipei: The Heritage Press, 1962. pp. 91–114.