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Ancient china and the qin dynasty womens roles
Ancient china and the qin dynasty womens roles
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Most outcasts of history had a particular, exclusive life; full of struggles against the society ever since birth and grew up with a heart made out of steel from the harsh criticism they have endured. They differ from the community within their beginning to their end, and many of their stories end up becoming legends and gaps of the past that nobody will be able to reincarnate. China’s first and last female emperor, Wu Zetian, was one of these exclusives. Ever since birth, her history of tactics to the people around her; in order to ascend the throne, juxtaposed towards society’s attitudes of women at the time; through her breakdown of gender stereotypes and quick knowledge, and offered a new perspective to the world of just how cruel and beautiful women can be. She successfully destructed all accumulated views of women in the Tang Dynasty, and created her future in the way she wanted it – on top of every man in her country. She was an outcast – somebody who juxtaposed against the demands of her. She was history. …show more content…
Her unfazed attitude towards society’s expectations of women shocked the country – from marrying more than one man to killing her child to poisoning her family – she became a figure no one else would ever replace. Only her legacy will live on, as well as all the effort she has put into pushing away the boundaries and limits for women, in order to show the world, that women can be just as cruel. Historian C.P. Fitzgerald wrote, “Without Wu there would have been no long enduring Tang dynasty and perhaps no lasting unity of China,” and just with this simple quote, it can be observed that throughout her shocking tactics she used in order to become emperor of China, she indeed succeeded and showed the entire country just how dangerous and cruel a woman can be – completely opposite to the stereotypical expectations in their
Ban Zhao wrote Lessons for a Woman around the end of the first century C.E. as social guide for (her daughters and other) women of Han society (Bulliet 167). Because Zhao aimed to educate women on their responsibilities and required attributes, one is left questioning what the existing attitudes and roles of women were to start with. Surprisingly, their positions were not automatically fixed at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Ban Zhao’s own status as an educated woman of high social rank exemplifies the “reality [that] a woman’s status depended on her “location” within various social institutions’ (167). This meant that women had different privileges and opportunities depending on their economic, social, or political background. Wealthier noble women would likely have access to an education and may have even been able to wield certain political power (167). Nevertheless, women relinquished this power within the family hierarchy to their fathers, husbands, and sons. Despite her own elevated social status, Ban Zhao still considered herself an “unworthy writer”, “unsophisticated”, “unenlightened’, “unintelligent”, and a frequent disgrace to her and her husband’s family (Zhao). Social custom was not, however, the only driving force behind Zhao’s desire to guide women towards proper behavior.
The united States Declaration of independence states that all men are equal, but aren’t all women as well? Nowadays, the numbers for the population are at an increase for the support in gender equality, with the capture of feminist labels. The seek for equality between men and women, and criticize the privileges that arouse by gender differences. However in Old China, males control almost everything due to a patriarchal society. At that time, not only men, but also women are influenced by male chauvinism. In the Jade Peony, written by Wayson Choy, female characters are affected by an unequal perspective despite their age group.
In today’s world, many societies would treat the children indifferently, caring for them and respecting them as an individual. However, in the Qing Dynasty, the gender of the child made a huge difference. This is viewed in The Story of the Stone by the children of the several concubines and how they are able to progress through society. Boys born through concubines are able to reach a place of power in the instance that a male child that is going to be the heir of a royalty or family dies. Therefore, the next male child would fill in to place, including concubine’s children. This is another example throughout The Story of the Stone of the differences in gender relations. Men are able, despite being the child of a mistress, to prevail in society during the Qing Dynasty due to their gender. Males are able to assume positions of power in their life despite who their mother is. Women who are born from a concubine, however, do not have such opportunities, and are viewed as just another girl in the family, and will never have the chance to excel from just being the daughter of a mistress. This shows the Dynasty’s lack of respect for women as a gender in a powerful position as the head of a family or ruling. Girls in the Qing Dynasty did not get the same opportunities as men, as seen above when it comes to positions of
In the patriarchal, Confucian influenced, Han dynasty, a woman’s role and social status was far from equal to that of a man. In Ban Zhao’s work Lessons for a woman she depicted the role of a woman, as a lower-class member of society. Hidden beneath the stereotypes of what a woman was supposed to be, Ban Zhao was a rarity of her time as she excelled as a historian and teacher.
Because they did not have a traditional role in government, women had work their way around the system to gain any type of political leverage. Empress Lu violated every cultural and social norm by retaining power as a regent throughout the reins of her son, grandson and adopted grandson. Tradidtionaly regents ruled from behind the scenes while the emperor himself was unable to make decisions, usualy due to age or heath complications, however Empress Lu eradicated any competitors for the thrown. As the end of her reign was nearing, she expected her nephews to succeed her. Even as the first empress, not unfamiliar with disrupting tradition, she left the emperorship to the next male in her bloodline (Doc. 5) not a female. Though Empress Lu defied all expectations of women, her power as an Empress was still undisputed due to the Mandate of Heaven, an idea originating in the Shang dynasty....
Comparatively to the narrator in the story, both Lu Zongzhen and Wu Cuiyuan experience change in character as they realize the life they are living is not what they actually want. However, while being temporarily apparent to both characters that change is necessary, only one of them chooses a different path. While their self analysis is correct, their realization is temporary and not feasible in their actual lives due to the pressure of maintaining a good image in society. However Wu Cuiyuan does realize this, to Lu ZongZhen everything on the tram was a non-occurrence. Being sealed off on a tram from the rest of the world gives the people inside a chance to stop and think about their deeper issues - at first many seem to be opposed to that
The Chinese possessed strong beliefs about astrology, so when it was prophesised that a women ruler would soon ascend the throne word quickly spread throughout the common people. It was predicted that within 30 years this woman known as ‘The Prince of Wu’ would rule over China. Whether or not Empress Wu’s rise to power was due to ‘heaven ordained fate’, she fulfilled the prophecy and became China’s first woman ruler in the 7th century. Historians, scholars and common people alike have long debated Wu’s reign. She is commonly referred to as an evil usurper due to the way she took power. However whether she fully deserves this reputation is to be examined. As the only female Chinese ruler, Wu challenged traditional gender roles and legitimized herself as a leader at a time when women were not meant for such positions. Empress Wu came to power through self-determination and a remarkable gift for politics. Once on the throne, she kept her power by all means necessary, often those means being murder and betrayal. Some of her actions were undoubtedly cruel. However once she was established as an empress conducted a mostly peaceful and prosperous reign. Empress Wu was by definition a usurper of the Chinese throne however not necessarily an evil one. She was manipulative and ruthless yet brilliant and exceptionally gifted. Her rise to power through sheer determination is to be commended despite the harsh tactics she used along the way.
I am a junior currently enrolled in the AP Language and Composition class. For our summer reading assignment, incoming juniors were required to read the famed novel, Zeitoun, written by Dave Eggers. Zeitoun is a non-fictional story about a Muslim-American named Abdulrahman Zeitoun who resides in New Orleans during the events of Hurricane Katrina. Throughout the story, the audience learns to sympathize, while also builds up an instantaneous affection towards Zeitoun. Although, initially I had sympathized for Zeitoun before, the profuse amount of controversy surrounding the truth makes me reconsider why I have ever evoked a strong sense of sympathy for this man. Others argue that Zeitoun should be continued to be read because of the main intention
Maxine Hong Kingston’s novel The Woman Warrior is a series of narrations, vividly recalling stories she has heard throughout her life. These stories clearly depict the oppression of woman in Chinese society. Even though women in Chinese Society traditionally might be considered subservient to men, Kingston viewed them in a different light. She sees women as being equivalent to men, both strong and courageous.
However, not all women embodied to these roles. Some women sought literacy and some high ranking women were highly educated. Empress Dau was an enthusiastic scholar. She lived in a time when Confucian ideals has not yet fully taken hold, and thus, she was able to use her authority to push Daoist ideals upon Emperors Wen and Jing [7]
Abdulrahman Zeitoun has two identities, one as a Katrina hero, and the other as an abusive husband and father. The first identity is preserved in the book Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, while the other is revealed shortly after in the real world. After this information was released, one can only reevaluate the Zeitoun presented in Zeitoun. Although this new information does not change the actions of Zeitoun during hurricane Katrina, it is impossible to not view Zeitoun differently. The Zeitoun preserved in Zeitoun is described as loving, heroic, and credits his wife with much of his success. After learning the truth, one cannot help but wonder if the Zeitoun described in Zeitoun is a lie. The mind grapples with thoughts that suggest that the abuse began prior to Katrina, and that the man displayed as a hero and loving husband has always been a villain. As how can a man who credits his wife with his success attempt to kill her later?
Lessons for Women was written by Ban Zhao, the leading female Confucian scholar of classical China, in 100 C.E. It was written to apply Confucian principles to the moral instruction of women, and was particularly addressed to Ban Zhao’s own daughters. As her best remembered work, it allows the reader insight into the common role of a woman during this fascinating time-period. The work starts off by Ban Zhao unconvincingly berating herself, and claiming how she once lived with the constant fear of disgracing her family. This argument is rather implausible, for the reader already knows the credibility of Ban Zhao, and how important her role was in ancient China.
The early part of the novel shows women’s place in Chinese culture. Women had no say or position in society. They were viewed as objects, and were used as concubines and treated with disparagement in society. The status of women’s social rank in the 20th century in China is a definite positive change. As the development of Communism continued, women were allowed to be involved in not only protests, but attended universities and more opportunities outside “house” work. Communism established gender equality and legimated free marriage, instead of concunbinage. Mao’s slogan, “Women hold half of the sky”, became extremely popular. Women did almost any job a man performed. Women were victims by being compared to objects and treated as sex slaves. This was compared to the human acts right, because it was an issue of inhumane treatment.
Is it because he was a woman that he cried out at the sight of a child being harmed? Did he not cry out at the death of his wife because she was a woman? The role of the female in this story reveals a sense of inferiority towards women. These questions that the story raises show how women were viewed as inferior and weak in the eyes of the Chinese culture.
Sit, Tony. "The Life of Empress Cixi” (from Issue 10 of the China in Focus Magazine). Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU), 2001. .