Death Of Woman Wang: Life Essay

PAGES
5
WORDS
1657
Cite

Crude, twisted justifications were offered during this period of time that both upheld family values yet reflected the desperation of the era -- such as the defense that it was better to eat one's relatives, than to let the whole family starve, or the idea that if one consumed one's relations, then they lived on, at least a little longer. Spence admits that he is operating with certain difficulties regarding the sources of his chronicles, given that few documents remain behind of the Chinese peasantry of this period. However, he says to give voice to the voiceless was one of his primary motivations in writing the text. The lack of documentary evidence, rather than being perceived as a hindrance, as might be the case with some historians, merely spurred him on to reveal what was left for posterity. He deploys a variety of sources including a Confucian civil servant and a writer of fiction who admired "Biographies of Virtuous Women."...

...

However, given the complexity of the tales of women like the Woman Wang, even if the telling is imperfect, enough of their deeds are filtered through to provoke admiration in the heart of the reader. Furthermore, Spence at least creates some kind of a historical monument for the ages of the terrible indignities suffered by the peasants of this period, as well as some of the cultural practices that arose for these peasants, especially women, to deal with seemingly insurmountable economic, social and political pressures and expectations.
Works Cited

Spence, Jonathan D. The Death of Woman Wang. New York: Penguin, 1998.

Sources Used in Documents:

Works Cited

Spence, Jonathan D. The Death of Woman Wang. New York: Penguin, 1998.


Cite this Document:

"Death Of Woman Wang Life" (2009, February 12) Retrieved April 24, 2024, from
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/death-of-woman-wang-life-24863

"Death Of Woman Wang Life" 12 February 2009. Web.24 April. 2024. <
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/death-of-woman-wang-life-24863>

"Death Of Woman Wang Life", 12 February 2009, Accessed.24 April. 2024,
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/death-of-woman-wang-life-24863

Related Documents

Women and Health Agenda Over the Last 20 Years This review is about women's health demands and their contribution in creating a healthy society. For many decades, World Health Organization (WHO) has had tremendous measures that concern women's health. Women's health remains a crucial priority by various healthcare agencies. This review explains why various healthcare institutions take a great initiative in ensuring that women's health remains an urgent priority in the

Women throughout Chinese history have experienced the oppression their tradition and culture exert as well as the power only members of their sex can attain in their chosen domains. Although readers have been exposed to historical anecdotes relating foot binding and Man's superiority to women, there are also many stories relating their freedom and tenacity, whether they are wives, concubines, courtesans or prostitutes. The history of Chinese women is not

Women's Health Promotion: Cervical Cancer Cervical cancer is a serious women's health issue. While many women go to their doctor yearly for testing in order to detect cancer and other problems early, many other women ignore this important examination (Gadducci, et al., 2011; Harper, 2004). Additionally, women who have symptoms of cervical cancer often avoid seeing their doctor. They may not have health insurance, they may be frightened, or they may

Generations: Women in Colonial America," by Carol Berkin. THE BOOK This book, "First Generations," discusses the lives of women who immigrated to America from other countries, and Native Americans that were here when the immigrations started. It then follows through two centuries of life in America, to show how women's lives changed, improved, and/or degraded during this time. It tells in detail how people lived in the 17th and 18th centuries,

Queen Jiang and Deng Chanyu were both strong women in the story but their strength lied in different things. The Queen was more virtuous which gave her a lot of perseverance and Deng Chanyu was a skilled and strong fighter that allowed to remain active till the end. Queen Jiang Brief summary of the major events that the Queen went through. Relation of her part in the story with her compassion and devotion

Asian History China
PAGES 6 WORDS 1945

Death of Woman Wang Earthquakes, droughts, famine, cannibalism, bandits, a huge tax burden, and a social system which was strictly hierarchical and repressive; T'an Ch'eng was a Chinese county that suffered great hardships during the 17th century. Jonathon Spence, in his "The Death of Woman Wang" creates a snapshot of the difficulties and hardships endured by the Chinese peasants at that time. By using both historical and non-historical sources, Spence is