The Death of woman Wang Essay -- essays research papers

The remnant of womanhood Wang, by Jonathan Spence is an educational historical novel of northeastern China during the seventeenth century. The authors contract was to enlighten a reader on the Chinese people, culture, and traditions. Spences employ of the provoking stories of the Chinese county Tan-cheng, in the province of Shantung, brings the reader directly into the course of Chinese history. The use of the sources available to Spence, such as the Local History of Tan-cheng, the scholar-official Huang Liu-hungs handbook and stories of the writer Pu sung-Ling convey the reader directly into the lives of poor farmers, their workers and wives. The intriguing structure of The Death of Woman Wang consists on observing these people working on the land, their family structure, and their local conflicts. Chapter one, The Observers, in the Death of Woman Wang demonstrates the accuracy of the local historian Feng Ko-tsan, who compiled The Local History of Tan-cheng in 1673. The descri ptive context of the Local History helps the reader to understand and literally penetrate into peoples lives. The use of records of the earthquake of 1668, the lily-white Lotus rising of 1622 and rebels rising vividly described by Feng the extent of suffering the people of Tan-cheng went through. Jonathan Spence stresses on how miserable the two-quarter of the seventeen-century were to the diminishing population of the county. The earthquake claimed the lives of nine thousand people, many separates died in the White lotus rising, hunger, sickness and banditry. Pu Sung-lings stories convey that after the loss of the wheat crops there were cases of cannibalism. On top of all of this came the slaughtering of the entire family lines by the bandits. The incredible records of women like Yao and Sun in the Local History present the reader the magnitude of savagery the bandits possessed. All of these factors led to the rise of suicides. The clarity of events Spence given to the reader is overwhelming.On the other hand, Spence losses his reader as he introduces the spread of Confucius and other irrational believes through out the county. He states that the Local History states that people became unusually superstitious in parts of Tan-cheng. Later on he presents the Confucianism and it influence. Confusion especially occurs then he quotes from many different sources and chapters. For inst... ... to the husband. Yet the reader is presented with woman Wang, who ran forward with another man from her husband, Jen. Some of the reasons of her departure could have been neglect from her husband, that she had bound feet and that she had no children. Her actions contradicted any moral wife at that time. After relentless chase of happiness woman Wang returned home, there she met her death. The Legal Code justified certain parameters of vengeance on behave of the husband toward his adulterous wife. Nevertheless, Jen was not allowed by the rectitude to simply slaughter his w ife. Moreover Jen accused an innocent Kao, for which Jen could have been sentenced to death. Were woman Wangs actions right is for the reader to decide. Ultimately, The Death of Woman Wang, by Jonathan Spence is a timeless, educational, historical novel. Spence point to enlighten the reader of the Chinese culture, tradition and its land were met through the use of sources, like the Local History of Tan-cheng, the scholar-official Huang Liu-hungs handbook and stories of the writer Pu Sung-Ling. The intriguing structure of The Death of Woman Wang will captivate any readers attention.