Expressions of gender-biased language in the work “Ai Tu Van” of the female author Lê Ngọc Hân

Abstract

“Ai Tư Vãn” is the only work by Le Ngoc Han to mourn over her husband, King Quang Trung. Sincerity, profound language, powerful words by a royal educated female were clearly expressed in her poem. Through the poem, we can see a woman with deep love for her husband and children, a woman with worries about the fate of the country, a woman for the family and a woman in the role of a Queen. The language in her poem always manifested the clearest influences of social factors on the poem. We want to go through “Ai Tư Vãn” to learn more about the social factors which exerted influences on the author’s language in the work, especially the influences of gender on the author’s word choice in a specific communication strategy consistent to the context of communication of the work.