Theme Of Tradition In Lesson For Women

Traditions have provided a connection between people and their community by passing on beliefs and values and establishing principles to benefit future generations; however, traditions also served as a restrain from progression in certain aspects of society. In Ban Zhao’s Lesson for Women, the consequences of the traditional standards on husbands and wives’ roles keep women in an inferior position in order to maintain their marriage and balance of each other. Not all consequences are consider bad though. Consequences are referred to as a result of something, not stating whether the results are good or bad. Confucius revealed an enlightenment of reciprocity and trust from traditions of respect in his Analects, developing a connection with the

Ban Zhao revealed how oppressive traditions can be to women in Lessons for Women, while also educating women how their roles help maintain the harmony and balance of the relationship between men and women. In Confucius’ Analects, he demonstrates how embracing traditions can lead to better one’s self and community by establishing respect and reciprocity among each other, being unity to humanity. With these two works, we notice how traditions affect communities’ ability to teach their values and beliefs to generations, moving people further way from their traditions and community. Society has been lacking with its responsibility to properly educate the youth and needs to improve on its ability to teach because “learning is like a chase in which, as you fail to catch up, you fear to lose what you have” (1058). If we cannot properly educate our traditions, they will be loss, and society will lose their principled