Role of Women in the Book of Rites

Role of women in the Book of Rites (Chinese text)

In her book on Religious Women, Carmody tells of the role of women according to the Chinese text. The role of women in the Chinese is clearly demonstrated in the article. The distinction in gender role is shown from the very early years of life. For instance, the birth of a male child was received with great joy because the male child played a major role in carrying on the family lineage. The status of women in ancient China was very low, mainly because the family name was not dependent on women. In classical China, the main purpose of a woman was to marry and continue the family line of her husband. Thus, the most significant role of a woman in this era was procreation. A woman in classical China who was not blessed with a son, was seen as a failure to the very purpose of what she was married into her husband family for, procreation. Further, a married woman who was not able to produce children could be sent back to her family as a disgrace. The cultural and societal norms attributed the failure to bear a son to a woman rather than to a man.

Filial piety, an important aspect mentioned in the Chinese text was of less importance for daughters than sons. When a woman married, she was seen as an extension of her husband family. For this reason the woman had to show her filial piety to her husband’s parents and not to her parents, therefore, once a woman marry, the role of daughter-in-law took precedence over the role of