On June 9, our last session, we examined the role of women in Chinese society during the Han dynasty. After reading “Lessons for Woman,” I thought all Chinese women during this period devoted themselves to the virtues of being a good woman. But, I discovered that was not the case. In “Women’s Virtues and Vices,” there is a letter written by a man named Feng Yan who plans to divorce his wife for being a horrid woman (Chinese Civilization: Sourcebook, pg. 72-76). It is interesting to read the misery of this man. Yan states that his wife “jumps all over...like the tyrant Xia Jie” for eating too much or eating too little (pg. 74). His wife is in bed all day and spends her time “screaming fiercely” (pg. 74). He continues his lament by commenting on her lack of good housekeeping skills. I can’t help but feel sorry for this poor man. But, Yan’s story reveals that the daily life of the Chinese people could be vastly different from the ideals of the Confucian text. I now see Liu Xiang or Ban Zhao as agents that serve to perpetuate, or reinforce, the virtues of an ideal society.
.
