ABSTRACT
The writings of Julia Kristeva touch upon many areas, from literary criticism to psychoanalysis, to political philosophy. The force of her rhetoric and that of other French post-structural philosophers is all too often relentless and overpowering. Part of the problem of understanding arises from the intellectual posturing in and appropriation of concepts and terminology from other disciplines.2 Kristeva herself has had particular associations with China. When her Des chinoises (About Chinese Women) appeared in 1974, it was applauded for the insight of its analysis and it continues to be anthologized as an authoritative text. Her subsequent works also continued to make occasional reference to China and the Chinese. In this chapter, I will first argue that Kristeva's work shows consistent misunderstandings in her construction and contemplation of China. Secondly, I will explore how a Kristevan analysis of gender identity, which arose as a result of this contemplation, can be applied legitimately to modern Chinese literature.
