INTRODUCTION 1
A．Chen Ran and Amy Tan—A Biographical Sketch 2
B．Rationale for a Comparison between Chen Ran and Amy Tan 8
C．Organization of the Book 19
CHAPTER Ⅰ SETTING THE SCENE AND A LITERATURE REVIEW 21
A．Research Questions and Selection of Materials 21
B．Research Methodologies 23
C．Previous Scholarship on Chen Ran and Amy Tan 34
CHAPTER Ⅱ MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP—FROM REBELLION TO RECONCILIATION 51
A．Representations of the Mother in Contemporary Western and Chinese Narratives 51
B．A Thematic Comparison on Mother-Daughter Relationship 59
CHAPTER Ⅲ HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIP—FROM ATTACHMENT TO BANISHMENT 81
A．Awakening Identity in Westem and Chinese Female Literary Tradition 81
B．A Thematic Comparison on Heterosexual Relationship 87
CHAPTER Ⅳ SISTERHOOD—FROM CONSOLATION TO SALVATION 121
A．Sisterhood Is Powerful 122
B．A Thematic Comparison on Sisterhood 126
C．Acceptance of Sisterhood:A Cross-Cultural Comparison 146
CHAPTER Ⅴ ACOMPARISON OF METAPHORICALIMAGERIES 159
A．Dreams,Illusions and Women's Identity Crisis 159
B．The Mirror and Women's Self-Recognition 169
C．Birds and Women's Dream of Independence 175
CHAPTER Ⅵ WRITING STR ATEGIES OF CHEN RAN AND AMY TAN 185
A．Chen Ran's Personalized Writing and Gender-Transcendent Consciousness 185
B．Amy Tan—Talk Story and Matrilineal Reconstruction 201
C．Divergent Strategies,Same Pursuit 212
CONCLUSION 219
REFERENCES 225