Du Shiniang Sinks The Jewel Box In Anger

In Xiao-yu’s Story and Du Shiniang sinks the Jewel Box in Anger , both courtesans were financially and legally independent from their lovers, yet they were deeply invested in their relationships which led to their downfall (Hsu 63:67). The only real apparent attachment came from the dedication that they expressed for their lovers. In the case of financial terms both women were capable of living comfortable lives without partners if they desired to be. However, neither woman sought to be in complete control and voluntarily relegated themselves to appear to be dependent upon their lovers for support and stability. They may at first appear to be sacrificing their physical independence, but through their devotion to their partners they show that

Though he would often squander the funds that she would secretly give him, Du Shiniang believed that he would never seek to sell her for profit. Due to her passion she was unable to see the risks of being with Scholar Li. In contrast to Xiao-yu’s Story, Du Shiniang sinks the Jewel Box in Anger was written during the Ming Dynasty, a time in which Li Yi could own and sell Du Shiniang as property (Chuanmen 54). When Du Shiniang entrusted herself to Scholar Li, she was literally giving up her physical freedom to him. As a result of his betrayal, she was devastated, due to the fact that she had dedicated her existence to loving him. Like a widow, Du Shiniang’s suicide could be considered as a decision made out of dedication. Though she was not dead, Scholar Li’s decision to sell her could be interpreted as her becoming a widow and as a result she chose to follow her husband to the grave (Chuanmen 54).

Although both Xiao-yu and Du Shiniang suffered terrible ends by following their qings, they became models of moral virtue (Hsu 56). For example, Xiao-yu remains faithful to Li Yi even after discovering that he had become married (Hsu 63). Du Shiniang’s qing too showed that her qing is greater than her lover’s when she commits suicide as an expression of her devotion to the love that she once had Scholar Li (Hsu