Ban Zhao and Fu Hao Comparison Essay Example

technology and science. Cooking, cleaning, and laundry can be considered all main functions of this ideal mom.

It is safe to assume that in Ban Zhao’s time, more women if not all had to assume this homely position.But, at the beginning of her paragraph of “Husband and Wife” is a subtle religious connotation. “The Way,” she wrote, “is intimately connected with Yin and Yang. ” The religious aspect is present. First, is “The Way”, which is English for a Chinese metaphysical concept found in Taoism, Confucianism, and other Chinese philosophies. The premise of this is represented physically, by the yin and yang.

It is the concept of everything having an opposite, a perfect counterpart. So her ideal husband-wife relationship relates to the symmetry of that little black and white symbol. Her concept of a woman ultimately boils down to a few key parts.First, is her doctrine on humility. She concisely puts it as: “Let a woman be correct in manner and upright in character in order to serve her husband” (Ban Zhao).

The next principle is that service to her husband. A proper woman must be worthy to serve her husband, and in such service, fulfills her own worthiness. The third is also closely related to the immediately aforementioned, and has concern dealt to respect and caution in the relationship. Both harmonic, and intimate, Ban Zhao’s expected relationship is based upon those two factors.

She then goes as far as to summarize her thoughts in the paragraph titled “Womanly Qualifications”.On the other side of this womanly continuum, is Fu Hao. She may be seen as the yang to Zhao’s yin. In the last Shang capital,

her tomb was excavated and revealed a great deal about her stature as a woman. The article in which her testament is written seems more like an inventory list, rather than a modern eulogy.

She was buried with many luxurious gifts and “contained more than fifteen hundred objects” (NGA). Along with archaic currency and even artifacts attributed to male burials, are oracle texts, giving historians and archaeologists insight into her action in military campaigns.Due to the size and content of her burial site, it is commonly deduced that she was more than a lowly housewife, and the oracle texts clearly state her as a general and even give reference to a specific campaign. Her status as an idol is realized through the construction of a large hall above her tomb that may have been used to continue ritual and memorial services. Conclusively, the position of women as described by Ban Zhao differs greatly from the actual position of Fu Hao.

Hao represents the prodigal woman, being a wealthy general with a great deal of respect and admiration accorded for her. Ban Zhao gives the rules for a common woman that demonstrates proper manner and etiquette for the women of that, and even possibly, our time. ? Works Cited NGA, "More about Excavations at the Tomb of Fu Hao. " Part Two: Bronze Age China 10 Sep 2008 <http://www.

nga. gov/education/chinatp_fu. htm>. Swan, Nancy. "Lessons for a Woman.

" Pan Chao: Foremost Woman Scholar of China (1932) 10 Sep 2008 <http://acc6. its. brooklyn. cuny. edu/~phalsall/texts/banzhao.

html>.