Lessons for Women is a short book with seven chapters outing the four virtues a woman must abide by. Those virtues being; proper virtue, proper speech, proper countenance, and proper conduct. The book itself describes the status and position of women in society. Ban Zhao, the first woman historian of China, wrote Lessons for Women. The society that she lived in, ca. 45-120 C.E. Xianyang, Shaanxi province, did not grant women a status equal to of men, because women were generally regarded as unworthy or incapable of a literary education. Ban Zhao’s purpose for writing Lessons for Women was to prepare her daughters to be capable of managing themselves as women and honor a man in a marriage relationship. Ban Zhao’s works motivated women to gain
(1800)Topic 2: A Literary Analysis of the Historical Differentiation of Patriarchal Culture and Female Gender Identity in the Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong and the Tale of Genji
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.
Nisa: The life and Words of a !Kung Woman was written by an incredible anthropologist, Marjorie Shostak. While doing research and anthropological field-work in the Dobe regions of Africa, she studies women, Nisa, above all, who grabs her attention from the !Kung tribe. Marjorie Shostak does research and studies their culture, language, rituals, practices, and different aspects that make this specific culture so interesting to read about. The author narrates her interviews, observations, and analyses of the !Kung tribe from her field-work. Sexuality and the controls on sexual behavior are important aspects that Shostak describes as Nisa, a phenomenal woman in her culture experiences.
The role of women in learning and education underwent a gradual change in the Afro-Eurasian world and the Americas between the 11th and 15th centuries. As societies in Africa, Middle East, India, China, Europe, and America grew more complex they created new rights and new restrictions for women. In all regions of the world but the Middle East, society allowed women to maintain education in order to support themselves and their occupations. Women slaves in the Middle East were, however, prized on their intelligence. In Africa, women were trained in culinary arts. In India, women learned how to read and write with the exception of the sacred verses of the Vedas.
Women of the Persian society were seen solely as objects of beauty (Document 4). Based on the situation presented in Document 4, an additional document from Queen Vashti is needed in order to understand why she refused to obey the King. Laws in India viewed women as depending objects needing to be kept under control (Document 6). Confucianist China believed women serving and being controlled by men is the natural order of things (Document 8). The fact that Ban Zhao, the author of Document 8, is a woman, influenced her writing and her point of view towards the treatment of women in China. Catholic women were not allowed to teach and were inferior to men (Document 9). An additional document is needed from Jesus Christ, the founder of the Catholic Church, to analyze his opinion and view towards women, which is contrasting to Apostle Paul’s, the author of Document
Maxine Hong Kingston’s piece “No Name Women” emphasizes on the Chinese social and cultural values. Being humiliated and condemned by the follow village members was one of the top reasons to be shun by the Chinese society in the early 1900’s . The opening line “you must not tell anyone” reflects that secrecy of the Chinese lifestyle. However Kingston’s mother clearly defies this norm and relates the dark family secret to her, which she further retells to the readers. The use of the word “you” in the opening sentence as the opening word commands the reader’s attention. It implies that Kingston’s mother is not only speaking to her but also warning the reader not to repeat what she is about to tell.
On Thursday September 15th four texts were reviewed under the Individual Level of analysis concerning sex, gender and war from diverse angels including political arenas, societal implications and historical realism concerned with the intent of future predictions and possibilities. The texts that were used to analysis the subject are comprised of Betty Reardon’s work, “Sexism and the War System”, Carol Cohn’s article, “Sex and Death in the Rational World of Defense Intellectuals” followed by two articles, one being Francis Fukuyama’s work entitled “Women and the Evolution of World Politics” and the second a response to Fukuyama’s argument by Ann Tickner, “Why Women Can’t Run the World: International Politics According to Francis Fukuyama”.
Throughout the novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Mariam and Laila are constantly having their inner strength challenged from birth to death. They both had different lives growing up, but they both lived in the same society, meaning that they both dealt with the disrespect from the Afghani culture.
Steve Craig in the essay, “Men’s Men and Women’s Women,” suggests that while producing television commercials the gender of the audience has an impact of how they portray males and females. Craig concludes an analysis on four different commercials where he discusses a men’s men, a men’s women, a women’s women, and lastly a women’s men. In his analysis of a men’s men commercial he finds that they focus on a man's masculinity and independence to do as they please (Craig 186). We can see this commonly today where proving one’s masculinity plays a big role in the male gender. In Craig’s study of a men’s women he finds that stereotypically women play the part of a beautiful sex object, or follow “the rules of patriarchy” (Craig 188). Seeing a woman portraying her body in a provocative way on modern day social media such as Twitter and Instagram with men lusting over the photograph proves as an example.
Was intended to guide women in society and how women of that period should behave. Key influence on Chinese gender systems for over 20,000 years. In the Han dynasty, the female historian Ban Zhao wrote the Lessons for Women, advice on how women should behave. She outlines the Four Virtues women must abide by: proper virtue, proper speech, proper countenance, and proper merit. The three subordinations and the four virtues is a common four character phrase throughout the imperial period. Ban Zhao's lessons support Chinese patriarchy in every way imaginable
In general, it all helped them to become stronger in their beliefs and attract more people to their activity. It is a lesson, which teaches everyone to remember that the God praised every human being with equal opportunities, which a man has no right to limit. Part 3 The book became a great source of information for me, which explained the difficulties faced by women of the mentioned period. The author succeeded in convincing me that today it is important to remember the ones who managed to change the course of history.
Plato once said that, “A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.” Plato is both right and wrong in this situation. Sometimes the math is what one must use to back up their knowledge which, in the end, makes them more scholarly. In her essay, “How Chinese Mothers Are Superior”, Amy Chua claims that her parenting style, although cruel to some, is the most efficient way to raise children. She states that, “Even when Western parents think they’re being strict, they usually don’t come close to being Chinese mothers” (316). Chua acknowledges the fact that most Western mothers would disagree with her and she simply does not care. Three years earlier, an author named, Motoko Rich, published an article called, “Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really
Although often subject to interpretation, anthropological and archaeological findings allow for modern people to have an insight in earlier people’s way of life. Through art, tools, and architecture, we are able to have insight into life for humans who lived thousands of years ago. Further, we are able to create a timeline of sorts for the transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic society. One type of source that most clearly records history is the written word. Although ancient Paleolithic and Neolithic people did not really possess a written language, a more recent source does shed some light into Paleolithic era. An excerpt from Nisa: The Life and Words of an !Kung Woman allow scholars an in-depth look into how Paleolithic people may have
Write an Essay (900-1200 words) in which you analyze and comment on Amy Chua’s article “Why Chinese Parents Are Superior”. Part of your essay must focus on how the writer engages the reader and on possible consequences of adopting Amy Chua’s values and methods of upbringing.
“Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” is an excerpt from Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua, a Yale Law professor. In this excerpt the author explains why Chinese children tend to be more successful in life and expresses her dislike towards Western parenting. The first idea Chua explains is a list of activities her daughters are allowed to do and not do in order to focus solely on academic progress. Second, the author demonstrates the contrast in mindset between Chinese mothers and Western mothers by explaining how Chinese mothers feel differently than Western mothers in regards to academic success and learning. Furthermore, she describes how Chinese mothers can demand things from their children. Finally, they can also say