Lessons for Women, Ban Zhao

[Monica Munguia]

In Lessons for Women, Ban Zhao assists women in describing and learning their gender role.  She proceeded by first describing herself.  I was immediately captivated by the adjectives used in the first paragraph.  She used “unsophisticated, unenlightened, and by nature unintelligent.”  This was as I understood it to represent humility that she was not smart enough but was fortunate enough to receive some form of education.  Then she proceeds to outline the fears infused if she faltered in her gender role.  This would lead not only to shame on her family but also on her ancestors.  So other women would stay on the right path and not fall into this pit of despair, she outlined lessons to help others.  These included humility, the ways of husband and wife, how to distinguish respect and caution, the four qualifications of being a woman, and implicit obedience.  Once again lessons are described with examples and details along with various adjectives to influence women.  I found in the inclusion of adjectives to have a persuasive tactic.  Where they really lessons or persuasive strategies to keep order in the household?  The more I learn of these women, the more I understand the strategies they used to survive.  They were told how to behave and what their roles would be in life; yet, they also manipulated household members to get what they wanted.  So, it seems as though it was a game; yet, if women did not have the upper hand, they could be subjected to harm.