Ban Zhao

[Zoey McKinney]

The excerpts from Ban Zhao demonstrate how dualism plays a central role in her philosophy. She discusses Yin and Yang, which is the classic example of complementary, interdependent forces. Ban Zhao notes the need for firmness as well as compliance in a marital relationship, intimacy as well as respectful distance, control and service. You can tell that women's lives were filled with these kinds of contradictions. In order to present herself as honorable, Ban Zhao has to deprecate herself to show that she is humble. It's interesting that she advocates for the education of girls as well as boys, which is generally an empowering thing, but the reason behind it is so that the girls are able to properly serve their husbands and thus maintain the balance in their marriage. I think Ban Zhao is interesting because her life contradicts itself - she spent it demonstrating subservience and modesty, and she did it so well that she became famous. In a way I think she found a way to thrive even under the oppressive society she lived in.