Confucianism And Daoist Women Essay

Throughout The Haunted Monestary, contrasting differences are found between Confucianist women and Daoist women. Judge Dee’s three Confucianist wives differ immensely from the Daoist women that appear throughout the novel. Not only do the characteristics of his wives differ from Daoist women; however, the ways in which males treat the women from each religion provide insight into how each religion establishes contrasting views on the treatment that women deserve. Judge Dee’s wives remain entirely obedient, quiet and caring throughout the whole novel. They remain in their room, and take great care of Judge Dee by ensuring that his clothes are clean, he is fed, and he is feeling healthy. Judge Dee also describes how he despises having his wives

They perform reckless acts in the play, such as sword-fighting and acrobatics; they freely walk around in their robes in front of other males; and, they are completely open about their feelings towards others. Miss Ting, a young Daoist woman, is revealed to have feelings for Miss Ou-yang, who is later revealed to be a man; however, she fell in love with Miss Ou-yang before knowing he was actually disguised as a woman. In Confucianism, women would most likely never dare to embark on a love-affair with another woman as their duty is to raise children and maintain their role in society. When Miss Ting tells Judge Gee about her feelings for another woman, Judge Dee replies by saying “don’t rush into an adventure that may lessen yourself-respect and warp your emotions” (93), which further emphasizes the Confucianist ideology of self-respect and morality rather than adventure and risk-taking. Additionally, the ways in which Daoist males in the novel treat other Daoist women is significantly different from the Confucianist ways. The window scene that Judge Dee experiences is a prime example; the way that the aggressive man attempted to elope with the scared, one-armed woman suggests that Daoist men fail to understand the significance of a woman’s self-respect, dignity and