Elite Women During the Han Era

Elite Women During the Han Era

        The role of men and women is one that many people would say is clearly defined. Men are the dominant figures and women tend to have more submissive roles. China is a highly patriarchal society and this is evident throughout its history. The Chinese believe in balance and so they believed that in order to live harmoniously, the roles of the husband must be balanced with those of the wife’s. The Yin Yang symbol is an example of how much Chinese society believe in ensuring balance, Yin being female must be in balance with Yang the male. Although the role of men is often talked about when discussing Chinese history, the role of women has always seemed a bit ambiguous. The role of elite men is often distinctly defined, however there is no clear understanding of what exactly an elite woman’s role is during the time of the Han Dynasty. In “The Mother of Mencius” written by Liu Xiang, we get an idea of how elite women are supposed to act at the time. Mencius’s mother is one of the most well-known women in Chinese history. She has left enough of an impact to have her biography written down in the Lienü Zhuan. In her brief biography, we are given stories of what she taught not only Mencius, but her daughter-in-law as well. Through these stories, we are given an idea of what role elite women played at the time.

        In the biography, Mencius’s mother is called an admirable lady^[1] because she kept moving until she found a suitable location to raise her son. She was observant of what Mencius was doing at the time and she knew that it is her role as a good mother to ensure that her son grows up in an environment that will best benefit him in the future. It wasn’t until they moved near a school did Mencius’s mom finally settle down because she saw Mencius playing games of rituals and common courtesies^[2]. In the end, it states that because they settled there, Mencius grew up studying the six arts^[3]. Mencius’s mother is called admirable because she was willing to move to a new place to ensure her son is brought up in the best environment.

        In the next part of the biography, the relationship between Mencius and his mother is more apparent. Mencius’s mother scolds Mencius when he skips school one day by telling him what would happen if he doesn’t do what he is meant to. She informs him that by giving his studies and not focusing on building his character^[4] then he is no better than common thieves. After hearing this, Mencius grew up to be a famous Confucian scholar. People saw this lesson as Mencius’s mom being a woman who understood the roles of a mother. By instructing Mencius in what is proper and to see him grow up to be a success, it shows that Mencius’s mother excelled in her role of being a good mother.