As determined by women’s reproductive capacity, natural ethics is intrinsically linked to female identity. With the advancement of the feminist movement, women gain degendered social identities along with the associated ethical obligations. The intense mental pressure resulting from the inevitable conflicts between the natural and social ethics of women makes the ethical dimension a key factor in the analysis of female madness. By the end of the 20th century, with the development of ethical perspectives, there was an increasing number of cases of female madness resulting from ethical conflicts in American and Chinese literature, both with distinctive cultural characteristics. Based on a comparative study of Mo Yan’s Frog and Toni Morrison’s Beloved, this paper aims to explore the ethical conflicts in female madness, and their connection to multiple female identities, while discussing the role of Chinese and American cultures in the progression of female madness and the reshaping of ethical concepts. Through infanticide, Gugu and Sethe assert their rights within society and their agency in ethical decision-making, but, as a result, they suffer from the ethical burden of their actions, which ultimately drives them to madness. The physical return of dead children, as a representation of the resurgence of natural ethics and maternal identity, accelerates the process of madness. American Christian traditions, alongside Chinese ghost and spirit culture, imbue the ethical return of the dead with distinct meanings. The redemption made by Gugu and Sethe, localized according to the distinct sin and shame culture, alleviates female madness by reconciling women’s maternal function and affirming their maternal identity. In conclusion, Gugu and Sethe’s madness is a consequence of conflicts between their identities and the ethical responsibilities assigned to them by their respective era, highlighting the dilemmas women face in pursuing ethical subjectivity. Chinese and American cultures play essential roles in female madness, imparting distinct characteristics and connotations based on their different cultural traditions. In nature, the emergence and alleviation of female madness reflects the evolving reconfiguration of the ethical system, and the dynamics and balance between women’s multiple identities in the new era.

Historical narration in literature has a long tradition in the development of world literature. Using literature to tell historic stories is also the common point between William Faulkner and Jia Pingwa, whose masterpieces The Sound and the Fury and The Mountain Whisperer show distinctive historical narrative features, both of which represent history through literary fictionalization. They re-imagine, reconstruct and reflect history with family legends and village stories respectively, reflecting their unique literary and historical views. Based on the historical narrative theory of Stephen Greenblatt of the New Historicism School, this paper firstly analyses how the two novels use literary fantasy to carry out historical narratives, and compares the similarities and differences of the two novels in the narrative strategies of reconstructions of history from the perspectives of multi-perspective narration, marginal narration and fragmented narration. Secondly, it discusses the two writers reflections on the relationship between literature and history through historical narratives from three aspects: the origin of the works, the intention of writing and the involvement of myth. Both writers have made profound reflections on the relationship between literature and history, but Faulkner intended to metaphorize the disintegration of the American South and the spiritual crisis brought by the invasion of capitalism through the family stories, reflecting a profound humanistic spirit in the deep structure. And Jia Pingwa breaks through the restrictions of official grand narrative by folk stories. With the comparative study, this paper finds that both novels reconstruct history by dissolving grand narratives, but because of differences in times and cultural backgrounds, different narrative strategies are applied in the process of reconstructions. The two writers reflections on the relationship between literature and history makes the novel intertextually significant in historical memory and reflects the important role of literature in reproducing and enriching socio-historical contexts.

Adaptations were all the rage in the Shanghai theatre scene during the fallen period, and Li Jianwu's Wang Deming, adapted from Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, is one of the best. Guided by the 'Artistic Illusion Theory', Li Jianwu uses adaptation strategies of Sinicization to successfully create the characters of Wang Deming and Li Zhen, critiquing the 'chic' Chinese national character. Li Jianwu's adaptation inherit the tradition of critique of national character since the May Fourth Movement, simultaneously present the aspirations of intellectuals on the eve of and in the early years of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression to change from their predecessors and reestablish moral norms.This paper analyses Li Jianwu's adaptation practice and the cultural and social motives behind it, thereby revealing its significance in the process of Shakespeare's Sinicization and the nationalization of Chinese drama.