Desire and Desperation: An Analysis of the Female Characters in Cao Yu's Play The Thunderstorm

Lightning. Thunder. Storm. Since ancient times people have interpreted natural phenomena as the expression of the will of Heaven, often as a sign of Heaven's displeasure. Many authors have used the image of a thunderstorm to describe dramatic events and to sharpen conflicts in their characters' lives.1 Cao Yu falls within this tradition in his famous drama The Thunderstorm.