Escape Paths in the Works of Contemporary East Asian Female Writers

Abstract

In contemporary East Asian female writers’ works, “escape” emerges as a core strategy for women confronting existential dilemmas, manifesting as a dialectical triad: physical breakout, implicit resistance and subjective reconstruction. Physical breakout refers to women’s decisive rupture from domestic and social spaces; implicit resistance centers on everyday tactics of defiance within institutional crevices; and subjective reconstruction reveals escape as a vital means of self-reinvention. These escape paths not only mirror the shared ethical shackles and bodily discipline imposed on East Asian women under Confucian patriarchy but also highlight distinct regional symptoms of East Asia. By dissecting the complexity of escape paths in contemporary East Asian female literature, this article unveils the symbiotic relationship between women’s breakout, resistance, and awakening, mapping the intellectual landscape of East Asian female writers.