Abstract:
As Mainland China transitions from a planned socialist economy to one more
market-focused, its economic successes have garnered attention worldwide. However,
this astounding economic growth brought with it a number of negative side effects,
including corruption and a resurgence ofprostitution. Gender relations have also
undergone major shifts from state mandated gender equality in the Mao era to a call for
the refeminization ofwomen in the Reform era. How is the Chinese population
navigating this transition? In this thesis, I utilize existing melodrama theory and relevant
sociological studies to explore how three Chinese TV dramas-I'm Not a Hero (2004),
Close to You, Make Me Warm (2006), and Give Me a Cigarette (2006), later renamed
Evening Rain--expose and explore some of these existing social problems, providing a platform for their viewers to reflect on and explore these issues on their own.
