On Confucius and Filial Piety Then and Now

¶ … difficult for a person to be able to accept cultural values from a community that he or she is not familiar with. A person's cultural identity represents part of that person and shapes the way that he or she reacts to particular situations. The Chinese culture is very complex and entails a great deal of ideals and beliefs that are characteristically Chinese when considering the way they are put into practice.

"The Mother of Mencius" brings on concepts that are likely to be surprising for Westerners but that seem perfectly normal for the Chinese and one can easily observe how the writer introduced a series of sentences meant to emphasize how much the Book of Poetry appreciated the woman's thinking. This women acts in agreement with Confucian laws and does not hesitate to promote such ideas in order for her son to be able to get a better understanding of why it is essential for them to take on certain attitudes when coming across certain circumstances.

"The Wife of Feng Yen" continues to promote the idea that cultural values are especially praised in China. The narrator describes how his wife acts in disagreement with a series of traditions that are widely respected in the Chinese society. One can feel the narrator's frustration as he highlights the fact that he is the victim of a person who refuses to behave like a Chinese woman should. Feng Yen's wife practically contrasts Mencius' mother when considering each woman's interest in respecting Chinese cultural values.

One of the most common ideas promoted throughout Chinese history relates to the honorable attitudes that a person needs to employ on a constant basis. Chinese cultural values emphasize power as a concept that needs to be respected instead of being abused.

Chinese tradition holds great esteem for the role that one plays within his or her family. This means that individuals were encouraged to do everything in their power with the purpose of providing for their families. Feng Yen stands as a perfect example of a person who compromises with the purpose of keeping his family strong. He is well-acquainted with the fact that his wife abuses her position in the family, but does not want to disrupt the balance by destroying the family's unity.