英文摘要 |
A History of Floral Treasures (pin hua pao chien 品花寶鑑) is a novel depicting the lives of actors in Ching Dynasty, which includes much information about male homosexuality at that time. According to historical accounts of Ching, acting was not a respectable occupation, however, the novel reveals a popular fashion in patronizing androgynous actors, or male prostitutes in some cases, in the society. With its rich descriptions of physical and emotional relationships between androgynous actors/prostitutes and intellectuals, A History of Floral Treasures provides valuable clues to the social and theatrical aspects of the Ching society. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, this paper explores how actors in late Ming and early Ching became male prostitutes, how male homosexuality took root in the Ching society, and how male prostitutes took on feminine characteristics, and how they influenced the society. Second, this paper analyzes the historical background of male prostitutes in A History of Floral Treasures, the attitudes of their patrons, mostly intellectuals, and the erotic interactions between characters in the novel. The analysis shows that there were good reasons for such a craze for androgynous actors/prostitutes. |