"Women's Virtues and Vices"

[Anonymous]

It is ironic that the mother teaches a lesson of diligence so that her son will avoid a life of subservience as a servant, whereas subservience is considered a virtue for women. This creates a double standard. How interesting in this story that Menchus' mother seems to be a single parent.

[Anonymous]

On the reading, Women's Virtues and Vices, it's interesting how some of the qualities mentioned are still expected of women on some cultures around the world. I started laughing aloud when I got to the part where Mencius' is displeased with his wife not being fully dress. She is so devastated, that she wants to go home to her mom, because she feels like a guess in her husband's house. I like Mencius' mother straightens him out after he didn't behaved properly by knocking first before entering. He deeply respects his mother and listens and takes her advice, that's to me is admirable.

[Anonymous]

I also find it funny and somewhat contradictory that Mencius responded to his Mother in this way. Particularly when he outlined that a woman was to be subordinate to her father in her youth, her husband as a mature woman, and when she became older, to her eldest son. During the Han dynasty women's status was low. The three subordinations and the four virtues of virtue, speech, countenance and merit was expected throughout the imperial period. Patriarchy evolved throughout history in China. Women enjoyed much more freedom during the Tang dynasty. During this time, women had more freedom as it relates to dress and outside leisure. During the Song dynasty, foot binding became more common. In the Ming dynasty, women were not expected to marry even if widowed at young age.
Although, some features of patriarchy remain, China has made much progress as it relates to the status of women. Perhaps, this can be attributed to working women and their ever increasing economic power.

[Anonymous]

Women in many other cultures seem to be treated similarly. The ranking for women on a world wide level is questionable. Like here in America we have male politicians in Texas making legislation for women's right regarding birth control. They have closed down many Planned Parenthood Centers! I digress. But in Africa, for example when I went to Nigeria I was shocked when my aunt who I was just meeting for the first time told me, " You are a Mrs. Nobody if you don't have a husband." I was taken aback by her comment. She said, " What good is all your education and degrees if you don't have a husband!" It seems men around the global always want to dominate with their double standards but like the saying goes,"Behind every man is a Strong Woman!"

[Anonymous]

I also at first chuckled at the wife's[font=arial, sans-serif] intransigent behavior at "not being fully dressed.[/font]
However, even with a 21st century perspective we can relate.
(In 2nd person) You worked all day, you come home and find your spouse sitting around the house in a bathrobe. You: "You didn't get dressed". Spouse "Why bother, too much work".
Would you be upset, or a little annoyed?

[Anonymous]

This is very true. Women tend to be subjected to many things. Thank you for making connections to concerns that women still face today.

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

The Mother of Mencius describes a woman who is a hard worker. She is also strict with her son. She is focused on what is right and good for her family and is an example of how a woman should be in the author's view. The woman tells her son to go to school and take it seriously. When he leaves school and tells her he did not feel like going, she uses her knife to cut a piece of cloth that she had been toiling over all day. The article says that she told her son that when she slacks off on her work, then they end up in poverty or even worse, someone else's slave.

[Author]

Posts