Gender Alienation: A Comparative Analysis of Language Between Cheng Dieyi and Conventional Genders

Abstract

“Farewell My Concubine” is a full-length novel written by Lilian Lee. Set in Beijing from the 1920s to the 1980s, the story centres on a narrative of the Peking Opera circle in the Republic of China era, revolving around three core characters: Cheng Dieyi, Duan Xiaolou and Ju Xian. It explores the themes of betrayal, idealism and complex emotional attachment. Unlike conventional male protagonists in traditional novels, Cheng Dieyi’s unique upbringing shapes his self-perception, which deviates from normative gender identities of men and women. Such deviation renders his behaviours, language and thinking patterns distinct from those of ordinary people. Taking linguistic differences as its core focus, this paper explores the subtle disparities between Cheng Dieyi’s language shaped by his “misassigned physical gender” and that of normative males and females, and analyses the underlying causes, so as to enrich the research and interpretation of this character.