64 pages • 2 hours read
She Who Became the Sun
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Historical Context: The Red Turban Rebellion
Three Chinese dynasties are important to this novel: Song, Yuan, and Ming. The Song dynasty (960-1279) was the last to be ruled by the Han people until the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). In between was a series of invasions by neighboring ethnicities culminating in the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), which was ruled by Mongols. Bianliang (modern-day Kaifeng) was the capital of the Song. The Red Turbans, poor farmers who wore hats of red cloth, were one of several peasant groups that rose against the Yuan. They rebelled not only against economic exploitation but against Mongol rule.
The real Zhu Chongba (here, referred to as Zhu Yuanzhang) was the youngest son of a poor farming family. After the deaths of his parents and older brother, Zhu joined a Buddhist monastery where he stayed until 1352 when he left for the Red Turbans (he was 24). He rapidly rose to a position of command and married Ma Xiuying (who would later become empress). Zhu’s army took several cities, including Jiankang (today called Nanjing) and Suzhou, where he defeated Zhang Shicheng. After this victory, in 1368, Zhu declared himself emperor and established the Ming dynasty.
Socio-Historical Context: Mongol Social Structures
The Mongols divided their society into strata, according to the order in which various peoples submitted to Mongol rule. Mongols were on top, followed by the Semu whose name refers to a heterogenous combination of several different ethnicities, including Uighurs and people from the modern region of the Middle East. Next came the Han and then the Nanren of southern China. The Han people in the Yuan categorization are distinct from the Han, who make up the majority ethnic group in modern-day China. The Yuan group included ethnic groups besides the Han, such as Khitans, Jurchen, and Koreans. The Nanren was similarly diverse, consisting of southern Chinese people and other groups who today would not be considered Han Chinese. While ethnicity indicated social status, it was possible to have a certain level of social mobility—there were several instances of both Semu and Nanren officials, for example.
China is very culturally diverse; the current government recognizes 56 ethnic minorities, though there are likely more. One such minority is the Hui. Culturally, the Hui are similar to the Han (here, the contemporary Han people); the main difference lies in religion. Traditionally, most Han follow Buddhist and/or Daoist principles. Hui, on the other hand, are traditionally Muslim.
Authorial Context: Shelley Parker-Chan
Shelley Parker-Chan (pronouns: she/they) is a genderqueer Asian Australian author with New Zealand and Malaysian Chinese diaspora heritage. They are a former diplomat and international development advisor who worked on human rights, gender equality, and LGBT rights in Southeast Asia.
She Who Became the Sun is Parker-Chan’s debut novel. Parker-Chan has stated that rather than writing about war, they wanted to write gender. Ouyang in particular reflects some of their struggles with gender and societal acceptance. Regarding their inspiration for the novel, Parker-Chan cites their interests in monks, Chinese dramas, and queering gender roles.
Parker-Chan says that they wrote She Who Became the Sun as a nod to Chinese dramas and web novels, but they were also influenced by Western media and their experiences as a mixed-heritage, genderqueer person. They also have expressed taking liberal creative license with Chinese history to better tell their story including condensing historical timelines. These liberties are evident in their decision to split the historical figure Wang Bao into two characters, Esen and Wang Baoxiang to better explore ethnicity and masculinity. Ouyang is their creation. Parker-Chan uses a mix of their own experiences and historical inspiration to craft a historical fantasy that explores current gender and ethnicity issues.
Unlock all 64 pages of this Study GuidePlus, gain access to 9,150+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features: