Matthew Zebro

Paragraph 2 Historical Perspective

There has been a long lineage of prejudice against women in most eras of Chinese history. One of China’s oldest books, the Book of Changes “divides the world into two complementary elements: the Yin and the Yang,” Yin referring “to the feminine or negative principle” and Yang referring “to the masculine or positive principle,” (Gao 115). Some of the oldest collected Chinese poetry portrays the same level of sexual inequality, like in the Book of Poems or Classic of Odes which shows great distinction in treatment between the sexes, “when a baby boy was born he was laid on the bed and given jade to play with, and when a baby girl was born she was laid on the floor and given a tile to play with” (Lin 131). While there was an underlying divide, it wasn’t until Confucianism that men became obsessed with female chastity and women viewed as sub-servants, even possessions for their husbands/men. According to the Book of Rites “Males had their proper work, and females had their homes” which highlights the emerging ridge between how the two sexes were viewed in society at large (Legge 365). This distinction stood for the different roles that men and women were suppose to assume for a harmonious society. Overall the Book of Rites encouraged feminine virtues desirable from the male point of view ranging from being neat and obedient to performing domestic tasks like cooking and cleaning to respect for the husband’s family and friends (Gao 115). These feminine virtues were transformed into codes during the Han Dynasty. The most notable codes from this period are “the Three Obediences and Four Virtues” which require women to obey men at all times (father, husband, and son) and have the virtues of sexual “morality, proper speech, modest manner, and diligent work,” (Gao 116). One of the most well known subjection of women is bound feet. Bound feet were regarded as a sign of beauty and upper class and “the only reward of it is the appreciation of men,” which in turn is suppose to increase “woman’s pride and “self-assurance” (Gao 119). Women were meant to live for their husbands and men, during the Song Dynasty the remarrying of widow was made a crime and it became common for women to commit suicide in the event of their husband’s death. Women faced discrimination from the second they were born to the day they died. It was a travesty for a woman to give birth to a girl and it was always decided that it is the mother’s fault and it would bring great shame to her, it was her job to give birth to a boy. Confucianism, with its separation of men and women into their respected roles, created a division between the sexes. Confucianism saw this divide as a way to promote social harmony and according to Lin Yutang in his influential book My Country and My People, Confucianism understood in its’ “best spirit” portrays this divide “not as a subjection but as a harmony of relationships,” (Lin 133). Overall, evidence shows that the male obsession of the morality of women in early known Chinese history can be attributed to Confucianism and the interpretations of Confucian scholars.

As noted in the previous paragraph, Confucianism laid the framework for the patriarchy we are so familiar in seeing when looking at ancient China. While men were the primary teachers and enforcers of these values, many women happily and actively promoted the same values. One of example is Pan Chao who, as

Works Cited

Gao, Xiongya. "Women Existing for Men: Confucianism and Social Injustice Against Women inChina." Race, Gender & Class, 10.3 (2003): 114-125.

Legge, James, trans. Li Chi: Book of Rites: An Encyclopedia of Ancient Ceremonial Usages, Religious Creeds, and Social Institutions. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: U, 1967. Print.

Ivanhoe, Philip J. Confucian Reflections: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2013. Ebook Library. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.

Mair, Victor H. The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature. New York: Columbia UP, 1994. Print.