Ideal Womanhood in Chinese Thought and Culture

[Jennifer Chang]

Wang mentions that an ideal women through Confucius teachings can be described through virtue, talent, and beauty. She argues that women have not been “victims of patriarchy”, but rather are seen with a rather important and prestigious role as a mother, wife, and daughter. Wang’s interpretation of the role of women in Confucius ideals were very interesting. She describes that women’s capabilities through Liu Xiang’s examples and stories are celebrated rather than undermined. While she describes all these perfect examples of virtuous, talented, and beautiful women, I can also see the amount of pressure and expectations it puts on the women!