When looking at the chapters from the “Under Confucian Eyes” assigned reading I honestly gleaned more information from them then most of the experts we’ve read thus far.The formats were easier to read because there was less reading between the lines required. Both of the excerpts you had us reading were depressing for sure yet they had this undertone of moral integrity and love.
With regards to the reading of Chapter 4 “Funerary Writings by Chen Liang” I found it interesting that you were having us reading what seems to be funeral speeches. As you mentioned in class the Song Dynasty was the start of more strict neo-Confucianist ideals including the status of how women shouldn’t be seen or heard and yet it seems, at least for Chen Liang that …show more content…
Anyways after reading this chapter of the book I was left with a question at the end how is this manuscript even out there? I mean if the Yang was a traitor against the state, only due to corruption of course, then wouldn’t it stand to reason that anything he wrote in jail would have been destroyed after his death to prevent the spread of his ideals? Also this was interesting because he is writing a form of his own will and testament. He leaves instructions that his concubine is to be given “allotment of clothing and jewelry” and that she is to remarry, all in the same document as tell his sons that they need to keep their wives in line (p.123). How to “instruct your wife to love” the other and respect for one another even though they are different in status (p.125). However, my favorite part of this was when he writes “thought is the vocation of the heart-mind” as a way to sooth the anger that his sons may feel for this speaking out against the corrupt government (p.124).
After reading both of these chapters I am left with deepening feeling that even though it may seems at times that women are stuck in role inferior there is a glimmer of hope. Women may be breeders and chess pieces in the political game but they have more control then they let on through influencing the morals
With regards to the reading of Chapter 4 “Funerary Writings by Chen Liang” I found it interesting that you were having us reading what seems to be funeral speeches. As you mentioned in class the Song Dynasty was the start of more strict neo-Confucianist ideals including the status of how women shouldn’t be seen or heard and yet it seems, at least for Chen Liang that …show more content…
Anyways after reading this chapter of the book I was left with a question at the end how is this manuscript even out there? I mean if the Yang was a traitor against the state, only due to corruption of course, then wouldn’t it stand to reason that anything he wrote in jail would have been destroyed after his death to prevent the spread of his ideals? Also this was interesting because he is writing a form of his own will and testament. He leaves instructions that his concubine is to be given “allotment of clothing and jewelry” and that she is to remarry, all in the same document as tell his sons that they need to keep their wives in line (p.123). How to “instruct your wife to love” the other and respect for one another even though they are different in status (p.125). However, my favorite part of this was when he writes “thought is the vocation of the heart-mind” as a way to sooth the anger that his sons may feel for this speaking out against the corrupt government (p.124).
After reading both of these chapters I am left with deepening feeling that even though it may seems at times that women are stuck in role inferior there is a glimmer of hope. Women may be breeders and chess pieces in the political game but they have more control then they let on through influencing the morals