Snow In Midsummer Feminist Analysis

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Snow in Midsummer: A Historical Work of Medieval Feminism
In a time period when women were not at all fairly represented, Guan Hanqing’s Snow in Midsummer provides a platform well ahead of its time. His play shed light on themes such as marriage, injustice and a sense of duty. This created an overarching social commentary on not only the oppression of a specific gender, but also the journey for religious redemption. The primarily stable, but sometimes disruptive Yuan Dynasty provided the atmosphere needed not only to shape Snow in Midsummer to it’s full potential, but for also all Yuan Dynasty theatre to grow and blossom to what it is admired for today.
The first point of historical context from Yuan Dynasty time period was the taxing attitude …show more content…

Confucius represented how a group of people should act. It provided a moral compass and guidance for individuals to help them lead a meaningful and fulfilling life. In the excerpt, Dou exclaims that, “when [he] married [her] to the window’s son, [he] expected [her]t to observe the Three Duties and Four Virtues.” (Hanqing 457) This is referring to a common Confucianism practice in which the three duties or observances contain an obedient relationship to her father while she is still a young girl, later obedience to her husband and finally obedience to your son after your husband has passed away. The four virtues include serving your in-laws, respect towards your husband, maintaining a good relationship with your sister-in-law and to live peacefully with your new neighbors. (Taylor 77) Dou begins to list all of these obedience and virtues individually in the text, implying that Confucianism is a vital and necessary part of his life. Confucianism deals with maintaining a proper moral life. All of this is done in preparation for not only having a space in heaven, but for also reincarnating to a rewarding life. When, unbeknownst to him, Dou E comes back to visit him, Dou threatens her saying, “If you utter one false word, I shall send you to the tutelary god; then your spirit will never re-enter human for, but remain a hungry ghost forever in the shades.” (Hanqing

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