批评家、（剧）作家、“诗人思想家”、“新法国女性主义”的代表人物埃莱娜•西苏被誉为“仍然健在的、最受人尊敬的、最杰出的知识分子之一”。其“女性书写”理论是被学界讨论最多，但也是被误读误用最多的理论，虽曾颇具争议但至今仍对西方女性主义思想具有深远影响。西苏通过“女性书写”构想了一种超越父权制话语模式的全新书写形式，旨在颠覆西方形而上学等级化了的二元对立，摒弃西方传统思维中以自我为中心的思维定式，用一种“能够动摇现存意识形式及其知觉和表述模式的方法接纳他者”，为他者开辟可以产生各种可能性的空间。“女性书写”从心理分析和哲学（尤其是解构主义哲学）中汲取营养，主张挖掘无意识潜力，把一切置入过程之中，强调意义的开放性和多元性。本研究采用宏观的理论阐述和微观的文本分析相结合的方法，通过细读西苏具有代表性的理论文本，以“女性书写”理论为中心，探讨作为其根基的“性别差异理论”和“语言观”，同时也关注其后期诗学转向。本研究分为五章。第一章探讨性别差异理论。本章首先从总体上区分弗洛伊德和西苏的性别差异理论并界定西苏理论文本中交叠使用的三个概念：女人、妇女和女性，然后从享欲、他者双性同体论和赠礼理论三个方面论述西苏的性别差异理论。第二章聚焦语言观问题。认识差异在西苏看来是建构女性“自我”（主体）的第一步，对主体的建构是在语言中完成的。本章从拉康的语言观以及英美－法国女性主义的语言观之争出发，探讨西苏语言观的形成背景、理论特色以及对妇女语言的建构。西苏建构的全新的妇女语言是被其称为“第三身体”的、介于父权制语言和某种未知但理想的女性语言之间的“际语言”。第三章梳理“女性书写”理论。本章的侧重点在于澄清对“身体”和“书写身体/用身体书写”的误解，而对“女性书写”理论本身的讨论则围绕“谁来写（号召妇女）”、“写什么（书写他者）”和“怎么写（挖掘无意识）”三个维度展开。第四章关注“女性书写”的三个阶段。西苏在上世纪90年代初提出，写作就如去“死亡、梦和根”的学校接受教育。这一观点代表了西苏理论由政治向哲学再向诗学的转向，可以看作西苏本人对“女性书写”理论的修正和发展。第五章阐释西苏的隐喻思维。在理论文本中运用隐喻阐明观点是西苏的创举，也是其对“女性书写”理论的实践。本章选取西苏最具代表性的三个隐喻“绘画”、“音乐”和“橙子”，探讨它们与“女性书写”的关系，以期体现西苏理论的“诗性”。本章与第四章一道，标识了西苏理论所具有的“性别诗学”的性质。西苏以“女性书写”为核心理论的“对性别差异的诗意书写”从某种程度上说是西方女性主义思潮中具有划时代意义的宣言，它揭示了父权制社会如何通过特权化了的思维及话语模式压抑、禁锢、盗用、改写了他者的身体和书写，重新发现（发明）一种全新的、以不排斥他者差异为特质的诗性（女性）的书写、阅读和思考方式。西苏理论是对“诗思合一”的实践，是（性别）差异的宣言书，其“孤标傲世”、“口角噙香”的特质使其在二十世纪理论思潮中至今仍占据着不可替代的位置。 关键词：“女性书写”；性别差异；语言；诗性

Hélène Cixous，critic, writer (playwright), “poet-thinker” and one of the leading figures of “New French Feminism”, has been viewed as “one of the most respected and celebrated French intellectuals living today”. Her Écriture Féminine, though having been controversial and most often mis-read and mis-used, has still been widely discussed and highly suggestive for Western Feminist reflection. Through Écriture Féminine, Cixous has presented a boundless space with alternative possibilities for the other and has envisioned a distinctive style of writing exceeding patriarchal discourse with the purpose of undermining western metaphysical and hierarchical binary oppositions, relinquishing the self-referential way of thinking as well as accepting the other “in ways which will necessarily call into question the prevailing ideology and its mode of perception and expression”. Inspired by psychoanalysis and philosophy (especially deconstruction), she has been advocating exploring the unconscious and keeping the opportunity for meanings open and plural.This dissertation, with reference to Cixous’ typical theoretical oeuvres, delineates her Écriture Féminine theory from five aspects, specifically, “Sexual Difference Theory”, “Language Theory”, Three Dimensions of Écriture Féminine, “Three Steps on the Ladder of Writing” as well as “Metaphorical Thinking” by means of interpreting theories as a whole and close reading certain texts in particular. The first chapter includes a discussion of the issue of sexual difference. It first distinguishes the insights of Freud and Cixous concerning sexual difference and defines the three concepts frequently used in Cixous’ theoretical writings: woman, women and feminine. Then it explores Cixous’ theory from three perspectives, specifically, jouissance, the other bisexuality and “the concept of the gift”. The second chapter focuses on the issue of language. Taking Lacan’s language theory as well as the debates between Anglo-American and French Feminists as a starting point, this chapter looks in detail at Cixous’ language theory, including its background, theoretical features and woman’s language which is seen, by Cixous, as “the third body” or “the interlanguage” moving between patriarchal discourse and some unknown while ideal feminine discourse.The third chapter examines Écriture Féminine with the emphasis on clarifying the meaning of “body” and “writing the body/body writing” from three dimensions, to illustrate, who (appealing for women), what (writing the other) and how (contacting with the unconscious).The fourth chapter deals with “the three steps” of Écriture Féminine. Since 1990s, Cixous has been reiterating that writing resembles going to the schools of “the dead, dreams and roots”, which can be considered as Cixous’ own modifications of her Écriture Féminine, and which marks the turn of Cixous’ theory from being political to philosophical, then to poetic. The fifth chapter analyses Cixous’ metaphorical thinking. Mobilizing metaphor as means of transportation is a Cixousian way of boosting the poetic benefit in theoretical works. Through correlating Cixous’ three typical metaphors “painting”, “music” and “orange” with her Écriture Féminine, this chapter explores the poetic hallmark of Cixous’ theory. This chapter, together with Chapter Four, identifies Cixous’ theory as “sexual poetics”.In a sense, Cixous’ “poetic writing of sexual difference”, which centers on Écriture Féminine, can be thought of as a declaration that is a landmark in the Western Feminist Movement. It exposes how the other’s body and writing have been repressed, imprisoned and appropriated by the privileged patriarchal thinking and discourse, and reinvents a brand new way of poetic (feminine) writing, reading as well as thinking which will never annihilate the other’s difference. Cixous’ theory, which is not only the praxis of intimating poetry and philosophy but also the manifesto of (sexual) difference, holds an indispensable position in the 20th century thoughts due to its “outstanding” and “lyrical” quality.Key words: Écriture Féminine; sexual difference; language; poetic