From Text to Screen The Role of Feminism in Adapting Female-Oriented Internet Literature to Chinese Television Drama

This thesis investigates the adaptation of female-oriented internet literature into Chinese television dramas from 2011 to 2021, with a particular focus on how feminist ideologies are negotiated and represented across the adaptation process. It explores four interconnected dimensions: the feminist perspectives embedded in adapted narratives and visual representations; the influence of female creators’ gender identities and understandings of feminism on their creative choices; the specific adaptation strategies shaped by feminist consciousness; and the reception of these works by female audiences. Addressing a notable gap in existing media and adaptation studies, this research examines how feminist discourses are interwoven with commercial imperatives in Chinese television drama. It highlights how such adaptations function as sites of ideological negotiation, where representations of femininity are constructed, contested, and circulated. The study demonstrates that Chinese adaptations of female-oriented internet literature serve not only as commercial entertainment but also as potent vehicles for feminist expression, often navigating tensions between market demands, state regulation, and feminist ambitions. This thesis situates neo-feminist discourse within China’s post-socialist configuration. Following Lisa Rofel, I conceptualise contemporary China not as straightforwardly neoliberal but as a site where neoliberal elements are selectively assembled through ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics’, forming a national project of global reordering (Rofel, 2007, p.33). Within this framework, media texts function as arenas where cosmopolitan aspiration, consumer desire, and Chineseness converge to generate new forms of gendered subjectivity. Moving beyond traditional semiotic analysis, this study approaches media adaptations as spaces of cultural negotiation that mediate emergent female agency and sexuality, revealing how gender representation participates in China’s re-imagining of itself. Employing a multi-method approach, the research integrates feminist criticism, interviews with media professionals, case studies, and audience analysis. This methodology allows for a comprehensive analysis of the adaptation processes, the creative intentions behind the portrayals of female characters and plots, and the audience’s reception of these adaptations. The thesis reveals that adaptations of female-oriented internet literature often showcase complex negotiations of gender, where feminist ideologies and commercial imperatives intersect. Interviews reveal that, although media professionals may not explicitly label their work as feminist, their creative processes often reflect a feminist consciousness. Audience analysis, particularly through the case study of The Legend of Zhen Huan 甄嬛传(2011), highlights how feminist themes influence viewer perceptions and engagement with the narratives. The survey of female audiences demonstrates a significant relationship between feminist awareness and expectations for gender portrayal in the media. Beyond the Chinese context, this thesis offers broader contributions to feminist media studies in non-Western settings. Its multi-method approach—integrating textual analysis, industry interviews, and audience research—provides a transferable and adaptable framework for investigating media adaptation and gender politics across diverse cultural landscapes. The Chinese case challenges Western-centric feminist paradigms by demonstrating how feminist consciousness can be shaped and articulated within market-driven, state-regulated media systems, revealing alternative modes of negotiation between feminism, authorship, and commercial production.<p></p>

Author dc:creator

• Yang Lu (21040580)

• female-oriented internet literature
• adaptation studies
• neo-feminism
• Chinese television drama
• gender representation
• female audiences

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved
• Open Access after 2027-07-05

Identifier

10779/exe.30931691.v1

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:figshare.com:article/30931691