Analysis Of Wang Anyi's Song Of Everlasting Sorrow Women

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In Wang Anyi's novel Song of Everlasting Sorrow women's friendship is a major theme; however, many of the friendships fail. Wang Qiyao's struggles with figuring out who she took an enormous toll on her relationships with both Wu Peizhen and Jiang Lili. If Wang Qiyao could not understand herself, how could Qiyao's friends genuinely sympathize with her? While Wang Qiyao was already struggling with her identity after Qiyao failed the screen test the release of her pictures from the photo-shoot Mr.Cheng forced Wang Qiyao to re-evaluate herself, "She was now confused as to who she really was, and this drove her desperation. Although Wang Qiyao thought of herself as a poised, dignified, refined woman, who can think for herself, thus her …show more content…

One illustration that occurred with both Wu Peizhen and Jiang Lili was how Wang Qiyao viewed the relationship as if her friends should be grateful that she is even hanging out with them in the first place. "Before long, it was more like Wang Qiyao was doing her a favor by going with her"(28). While with Jiang Lili Wang Qiyao initiated their friendship with the hopes of maybe gaining a little bit of attention from Jiang Lili's saying that "Maybe the others would end up giving their excitement over to her"(48). Although it is true that the friendship between Wang Qiyao and Wu Peizhen was more genuine, the friendship between Wang Qiyao and Jiang Lili was not without ulterior motives for either party. Both Wang Qiyao and Jiang Lili could gain something other than company from their friendship. For Wang Qiyao the main benefit of being Jiang Lili's friend was purely for monetary and material gains "Staying with the Jiang family had hundreds of benefits, but not a single one rightfully belonged to her"(85). In contrast, Jiang Lili's reason for having Wang Qiyao around was for social gains. Jiang Lili desired to flaunt Wang Qiyao's beauty to gain recognition and divert her insecurities. In both cases, the friendships were

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