“I, a woman will fight them for you.” : An intersectional analysis of Lady Zhurong, the only woman to lead an army into battle in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Abstract: Beside the innumerable male characters in the Chinese classic, The Romance of The Three Kingdoms, there is one female general: Lady Zhurong (祝融夫人). This thesis addresses the research gap in studying the unique case of Lady Zhurong, the only woman in the novel that leads an army in battle. By using a qualitative method, the thesis investigates how Lady Zhurong’s portrayal is influenced by her gender. An intersectional theory is used to contextualize how her ethnicity as Nanman (南蛮) and her social status intersects with her gender. Furthermore, it compares her to how other minor male generals are portrayed. The analysis finds that Lady Zhurong’s character should be understood from the context of her ethnic background and the overall negative portrayal of the Nanman. Nevertheless, as suggested in the story through the description of the Nanman, some gender norms differ between them and the Chinese society of the time. This enables her to have more autonomy than other women which in turn enables her to fight on the battlefield and lead an army. Despite the general negative depiction of the Nanman, Lady Zhurong’s portrayal, performance, and the expectations of her as a general is equivalent to that of the male generals in the story. Compared to other Nanman generals she even outperforms them. However, her character should not be understood as merely an emasculation of the other Nanman-generals. Lady Zhurong has agency, and the findings can contribute to our wider understanding of women’s multifaceted roles in traditional Chinese society.