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Tragedy of Pu Fei-yen: An Ancient Chinese Story

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Tragedy of Pu Fei-yen: An Ancient Chinese Story
Tragedy of Pu Fei-yen

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30/11/2012
Tragedy of Pu Fei-yen
The ancient Chinese love story "The tragedy of Pu Fei-Yan", which is an ancient Chinese story, depicts the love between two people, Fei-yen and Hsiang. It follows their attraction, betrayal, romance and ultimate death. In this paper I will focus on the female paragon defined by Confucian code of womanly virtues and the use of words for subliminal seduction. I will also focus on the feudal structure of the story.
First of all we will look at Confucianism. Confucianism is humanism, a viewpoint or mind-set that is involved with humans, their success and passions, rather than with the summary people and issues of theology. In Confucianism man is the middle of the universe: man cannot stay alone, but with other humans. For humans, the greatest objective is personal pleasure. The necessary situation to accomplish pleasure is through serenity. To acquire serenity, Confucius found man made up of the five connections which are depending on really like and responsibilities. War has to be abolished; and the Great Oneness around the globe should be designed.
In Han (220BCE-221CE) China, Confucianism was implemented as the official philosophy. Focusing balance achieved through controlled romantic relationships and ethical responsibilities. Confucianism prescribed a firm social structure with clearly defined tasks. Females were mostly limited to the sector of close relatives’ members. They were brought up to show difference to out-dated parents, constancy to spouses and commitment to kids. Females worked out authority and power only when they presumed the part of mothers and had produced kids. Trained in the domestic arts, women were also frustrated from public and government matters. At court women were limited to the inner legal courts as opposed to the outer legal courts where matters of the state were performed. Confucian offered medications for the way a woman ought to comport



References: 1. Hoobler, Thomas, and Dorothy Hoobler. Confucianism. New York: Facts on File, 1993. Print. 2. Birch, Cyril, and Donald Keene. Anthology of Chinese Literature. New York: Grove Press, 1965. Print. 3. Hsieh, Bao H. "The Market in Concubines in Jiangnan During Ming-Qing China." Journal of Family History. 33.3 (2008): 262-290. Print. 4. Christie, Anthony. Chinese Mythology. London: Hamlyn, 1968. Print.

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