Abstract
This article examines the East Asian folkloric fox spirit (huli jing, kitsune, gumiho) primarily in terms of its morality, connecting traditional and contemporary East Asian worldviews with globalized academic discourses. We question the relationship between its fox and human forms and its triad of moral extremes—indifferent amorality, villainy and supererogative self-sacrifice. Fox tales balance competing idealizations: the superhuman exotic fantasy of the fox spirit and the ideological dominance of human identity and values. An equilibrium emerges, celebrating transgression of patriarchal values while also containing these progressive moves within traditional social structures and the romantic marriage plot.
Recommended Citation
Hart, Carina and Lyu, Yiyin. "Moral Extremes and Suprahuman Potentialities in Tales and Adaptations of the East Asian Folkloric Fox Spirit." Marvels & Tales 39.2 (2025). Web. <https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/marvels/vol39/iss2/2>.
Hart and Lyu_East Asian Folkloric Fox_Abstract and Bio.docx
