LITERARY INTERPRETATIONS ON WOMEN’S ROLES IN WAR: THE CASE OF BEGGARS OF THE PAST BY CHU LAI

DOI: 10.18173/2354-1067.2025-0019

Abstract

Beggars of the Past is one of the excellent novels by Chu Lai, who specializes in the topic of war and soldiers. This novel has interpreted the women's roles in wars to create another legend about heroes. Based on feminist criticism, this article uses research methods including case study, social history, statistics, and meta-analysis to show how Chu Lai writes about the roles of women in war. Women participate in the battlefield space, which is often associated as a solely macho place, in many different ways: as heroic female soldiers who directly hold weapons to fight the enemy, as caretakers who heal wounds, and as balancers who balance the physiological and psychological life of soldiers. Approaching female characters from this perspective creates a dialogue voice with the traditional gender order.