A Comparison of Chinese and Western Prostitute Images from the Perspective of Feminism

Abstract

“La Traviata” is the representative work of French writer Alexandre Dumas and also the representative work of Western prostitute image creation. The Yuan drama “Saving the Prostitute” created by Guan Hanqing, a famous dramatist in the Yuan Dynasty, is the representative of the image description of the prostitute in the Yuan Dynasty. From the perspective of feminism, this paper aims to compare the depiction and shaping of prostitute images in Chinese and Western literature and culture from three aspects: the origin of prostitutes in the Middle and Western countries, the influence of the commodity economy and overseas trade on prostitute groups and the reflection of male writers on their own circumstances with prostitute images. By deeply analyzing the evolution and characteristics of prostitute image in different historical backgrounds of China and the West, this paper reveals the profound influence of social and cultural factors on the image shaping of prostitutes.