Chinese women and their problems during the High Qing era Essay

Chinese women and their problems during the High Qing era - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Writing of the elite-dominated the analysis of gender in High Qing times.   Sitting in the ivory towers, the intellectuals recorded their scholarly observations.   Susan extends the scope to the grassroots level. She deals with her contribution in the farm, household, entertainment by the courtesan, and the participation of women in rituals and domestic religious festivities; and above all, the important issue of women’s poetry. The sensibilities expressed by various women poets are great historical documents to the time during which these poems were written. They provide valuable information about the emotions of women, moral values, and social relations and to an extent, political judgments. Yuan Mei’s recollections of the women poets with whom he was acquainted with, were full of catkin images, especially the stories of child intellectuals who were brilliant poets. So also, Xie Daoyun of willow catkin fame was known for upstaging their male frien ds and relatives in verbal combat and poetry contests.That was a strange position, which Mann noticed and elaborated in her book, about the elite Chinese women. The patrilineal family demanded that elite women demonstrate family prestige by remaining secluded and restrict their activities. But they enjoyed a new type of freedom in the Qing constellation. They could write and reinterpret their own history. The elite women had a pragmatic approach to their role in the society. They did not challenge the familial traditions or the social structure and the question of â€Å"women’s identity† that in a way challenged men, was of no consequence to them. They exploited and enjoyed the possibilities of autonomy that was prevalent within their society.