The Four Mistresses In Raise The Red Lantern

Malherbe et al (2000) find that despite the variety of women and their differences, they are all oppressed with a ‘monotonous similarity ‘(Malherbe et al, 2000:1). This essay will address this similarity as shown by the treatment of the four mistresses in “Raise the Red Lanterns” and that of the women living in Western ‘democratic’ societies today. Women in both situations are oppressed and do not have equal opportunities to their male counterparts. The four concubines in this movie are brought together by the need to fight for their husband’s love and attention. The First Mistress is portrayed as aging, mature and not so interested in the feuds and scheming that goes on in the house. The Second Mistress is plain, described as having a Buddha's face, appears pleasant but is just as power hungry as the rest of the women. The Third Mistress was once an opera singer, is spoilt by the master, and is still young and beautiful but is shown to be very jealous of the new Fourth Mistress because she fears that she may take her place. The Fourth Mistress is young, a bit educated and hopes to remain above the …show more content…
The mistresses are under the illusion that they possess power, when they get to enjoy a foot massage or decide what meal will be served at the dinner table, yet in reality the master has all the power. It is for this reason that these women schemed and plotted so as to earn their master’s favour and could not afford to leave him despite all the misery band loneliness they experienced under his care. Similarly, women in the West today also find themselves in the same situation. Saul (2003) is convinced that since most men earn more than women, the men tend to be dominant in the family (Saul 2003: 15). Women, according to Saul, especially full-time housewives with dependent children are often unable to support themselves financially and as a result may be forced to stay in an abusive marriage (Saul 2003: