Why is the concept of women in Water Margin and Romance of the Three Kingdoms relatively backward?

The Water Margin is a realistic literary masterpiece, which depicts the whole process of a peasant uprising from scratch, from small to large, and finally from victory to failure. Those energetic heroes and energetic struggle stories in the book have been widely circulated for thousands of years. Those female images, such as Sun Erniang, Gu Dasao, Hu Sanniang and even Pan Jinlian and Yan Poxi, have attracted people's attention. There are more than 70 female characters in the book, who focus on describing or connecting story lines. Among them, there are positive images fully affirmed by the author, such as the heroine, wife and mother of Liang Shanpo, and women who have been damaged and insulted; There are negative figures that the author absolutely denies, from women in the ruling class to "prostitutes", matchmakers and social remnants; There are also some women in the middle. Here, The Water Margin, from the princess and county magistrate to the citizen women, fishermen's village women and fireworks prostitutes, not only truly reproduces the extensive social life and complex and intense class contradictions in the late Northern Song Dynasty, but also depicts a broad, profound and colorful picture of women's life in the Song Dynasty for us.

The feudal society in China lasted for more than two thousand years, and the feudal ethics developed with the development of feudal history. After entering the feudal society, Confucianism and ethics were closely combined, and preaching such as "three cardinal guides and five permanents" and "three obedience and four virtues" became women's spiritual shackles, and women completely lost their independent personality and all legal rights. "Water Margin" experienced three dynasties: Song, Yuan and Ming from folklore to book writing. Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism gained the position of official philosophy of the ruling class from the middle and late Southern Song Dynasty. As the thought of ruling an era, it permeates all aspects of people's lives. The author of Water Margin is the author of that era.

Literati, it is impossible to get rid of these constraints and exist aloof. Therefore, it is impossible for these thoughts not to be reflected in his works. A novel "Water Margin" can reflect the author's backward and even complicated view of women only from the analysis of female images. At the same time, although the backward elements of feudalism occupy a considerable position, they also clearly show some progress, which makes us feel the impact of the author's view on women and realistic creation from time to time.

The light that cannot be hidden.

The author created three heroines for us with her approving eyes, warm emotions and rough and powerful brushwork, which can be called/kloc-3 outstanding female generals among 0/08 heroes and 3 female leaders in the peasant uprising. In the ancient literature gallery, the author created the images of Sun Erniang, Gu Dasao and San Niang. When it comes to the words and deeds of looting houses, getting rid of violence and conquering the enemy, they are not much different from jy, Lu and other heroes. They are obviously outstanding women. In them, we not only see the brave and indomitable heroism, but also see the courage, careful planning and agility to adapt to change. Song Wu killed someone in Mengzhou and fled to Zhang Qing Hotel. Sun Erniang cleverly disguised Song Wu as a walker, thus avoiding a disaster. In this plan, Sun Erniang's touching care for his relatives, touching brotherhood and superhuman courage are even more admirable. Gu Dasao's two cousins, Jie Zhen and Jiebao, were framed and imprisoned by the strongman Taigong and sentenced to death. In order to rob the prison and save people, she tried every means to win over her ally, Sun Xin's brother Dengzhou Military Forces, to govern Sun Li, pretending to be sick first, and then forcing him with a knife, using both hard and soft methods, and achieving the expected goal. The indomitable spirit is convincing. Hu Sanniang's martial arts of "Sun and Moon Double Knives" left an indelible impression on readers. After Juyi, they took the lead.

Expedition to the east and west for repeated military exploits. They also run hotels and seek information as women's unique identities; Dress up as a village woman and be an insider with a wise name; Pretend to be a lecherous and be a pioneer in "competing for the city". The three heroines made unique contributions to the cause of Liangshan.

We can't agree that the portrayal of the three heroines is masculine and slanderous. Some people say that at that time, "some successful female images were often prostitutes", which has some truth. The author's understanding of women in feudal times has great limitations. Although these three women are not the heroes in the author's ideal, these three heroines have, after all, got rid of the barriers of "good family" and "small family and jade", and are the outlaw women created by the author. The theory of "tools made up for the needs of perfunctory stories" is also untenable. The author doesn't have to write about these three women. Writing about 108 men with men won't affect the plot development of the book too much. The appearance of these three female generals can neither be said to be contempt for women nor the product of a completely backward view of women, but it is unacceptable to regard them as "with distinct anti-feudal colors." Lenin said that all struggles against the medieval system and feudal system were carried out under the slogan of "equality". As members of the peasant uprising army, both men and women go to the battlefield, which cannot but be regarded as an equality. I don't think it's too much to regard it as the germination of democratic thought and as a glimmer of light revealed by the author's realistic creation in that dark age. In an era when women have no talent and are bound by four ropes, the author dares to create such a strong female image and list it among 108 generals, which undoubtedly shows the great courage of the author. The appearance of three heroines in Water Margin is not only the product of realistic creation, but also reflects the progressive side of the author's view on women.

In the author's description of the three heroines, it is not difficult to see the other side of her view of women, that is, the backward side with strong feudalism. There is no doubt that its representative figure is the first three mothers. Hu Sanniang was engaged to get married, and the two armies were very brave and only ended up at the mercy of others. First be the adopted daughter of Song Taigong, and then marry Wang Chengqin at the suggestion of Song Jiang; Finally, the husband died without any emotional expression. Although Sun Erniang's death and Hu Sanniang's death are exactly the same in feudal ethics, Sun Erniang still "searched for bodies and burned us, crying bitterly". In the author's pen, Hu Sanniang on the battlefield is completely different from Hu Sanniang in emotional life. The first impression that Hu Sanniang gave us was that Wang was captured alive in ten rounds, and Europe, who had won the sword, could not get rid of it. If reinforcements don't arrive, Sung River will only be captured. The author presents us with a female general in the colorful description of the battlefield killing scene of "unconditional confession of the truth". Although Hu Sanniang ranks 59th among 108 brave people, this is not a small number, but she is unfortunate. Her misfortune was not that her fiance was killed, but that she was captured; Not to marry an ugly, drunk and lecherous loser; It's not that her husband died in battle, to take revenge with him; Unfortunately, in the face of this disaster and sudden catastrophe, she was indifferent to the great emotional changes in her life. Facing the unfortunate marriage that decided her life, she only "thanked" Nuo Nuo. In this respect, the author makes Zhang Su a woman who has no thoughts, no feelings and completely succumbs to feudal ethics. I'm afraid this is the crux of what people call a hero without flesh and blood and his image is pale and powerless. This characterization not only violates the original intention of the author's realistic creative attitude, but also makes the characters fall into the quagmire of feudal ethics.

"In the past, a large part of the history of women in the world was conquered by men. During this period, all women's status was lower than that of men morally, customarily, legally, politically and economically. Men are like gods and masters. " (On Women's Liberation by Li Da 19 19 10/0) The author of Water Margin really created three heroines for us, but the heroines in the author's works did not break away from the barrier of "the history of being conquered by men". Our heroine status is "ubiquitous among lower-class men." Although they are skilled in martial arts and obviously live above their husbands, they always follow their husbands after going to Liangshan; When ranking, it is only listed below her husband; Their way out is not brilliant because of their heroic achievements, but they follow the same road as women of that era-"the husband sings with the woman" and "the husband dies with the woman". The author arranges the deaths of Sun Erniang and her husband Zhang Qing in one chapter (chapter 1 18). After Wang left, Hu Sanniang only "hit a little and closed the door", and then a copper brick fell from the door and died; Gu Dasao, the only one of the three women generals who didn't die in battle, had to go with her god and her master Sun Xin. After reading this, the endings of the three heroines are obviously out of touch with the previous meritorious performance, which makes people feel bored and sorry. While regretting, it is not difficult to find that the rope that binds the development of the three heroines is the rope of the author's thought and the feudal ethics of the author's "husband as wife".

Second, before and after a gnashing of hatred.

Pan Jinlian, Yan Poxi, Pan Qiaoyun and Jia Shi are the four "adulterers" in Water Margin. They all committed adultery and were killed. The author intends to stigmatize them, but these "prostitutes" have caused a lot of controversy.

For these women, the author introduced their origins and lives to readers in different ways.

Living environment, rough experiences and characters' personalities let us know something about their real life before they became prostitutes. Maid Pan Jinlian "refused to accept" the entanglement of that large family and married Wu Da who was "less than five feet and ridiculously ugly". Because Yan Po got a coffin and twelve taels of silver, he "unrequited love" and "married" his daughter Yan Poxi and Song Jiang. They met Song, who answered three questions without looking back, and turned around when answered four questions. Song, who only liked to learn guns and sticks, had little to do with women, and her husband, who spent 20 days in prison a month, was not focused on women. This is Pan Jinlian's marriage-cruel revenge, cheap business, arbitrary mercy, helpless obedience. This is the early life of a prostitute's life journey. Reading this book aroused people's resentment, grievances and sympathy. Although the life of The Adulter has caused controversy for generations, it is based on the author's true description, and we have seen the success of realistic brushwork.

Pan Jinlian lived in Song Dynasty, a feudal society in China-an era when the feudal ruling class gathered the decadent and reactionary views on women in previous dynasties. The four ropes of imperial power, divine power, clan power and husband power are tightly tied around the necks of women in China, and the fate of women has dropped to an unprecedented low level. Society does not give them a way out, and the author does not give them a way out. They got what they deserved after "stealing other people's lives", committing adultery and even killing their husbands. Song Wu "took a sharp knife to his chest and spit it out-took out his heart, liver and five internal organs and sacrificed the spirit"; Song Jiang "went to an old woman and pitied her throat, and the blood flew out-her head was on the stiff neck"; Pan Qiaoyun was "cut straight from his heart to his stomach, took out his heart and five internal organs and hung them on a pine tree"; Jia was "cut open by Lu Junyi, put to death in the year, and dumped". This is what the author calls a "slut"

The end of the design. In order to make this design look reasonable, the author has laid out a large number of story lines respectively. In these storylines, the author did not give these four women a little regret or sympathy, but just gnashed hatred. It is these stories that blur the cause and effect of the four women's distorted personalities, attract readers' attention, and arouse a considerable number of readers' hatred of the four women. "In the history of national subjugation and debauchery, women are often accused. It has been more than 3,000 years, and I have to bear the sin of everyone. " (Lu Xun's My Fierce View191August 8 15) It's so customary to hate for more than 3,000 years.

Of course, we are not saying that Pan Jinlian should kill her husband, blackmail her, degenerate, and Jia should commit adultery. The outcome of these four women is the inevitable product of women who only pursued individual liberation and so-called personal happiness in feudal times. We can't ask the author to have such an attitude. The crux of the problem lies in the fact that when laying out these stories, the author always holds the feudal concept of "the head of all evils" and "women are the bane", and the lines are full of preaching that such women are the source of evil. The previous account of the life experiences of four women is the author's "unconditional frank truth" and "truthful description of life" (Chekhov's "To Ma-Fu-Kiseleva"), which enables us to get the specific environment and the specific characters in that specific environment, so as to sort out the context of the characters' own personality development. In this way, the realistic creative attitude has a strong and typical influence on the author's subjective ideological motivation. The resentment, injustice and sympathy expounded by the previous readers are not the product of the author's subjective intention, but the result of the author's meticulous, objective and true narration. However, the amazing plots of "blood flying out" and "heart, liver and five internal organs" were carefully designed by the author, reflecting the universal mentality of history. Objective and true creative methods, carefully designed amazing plots,

This has had unexpected consequences for the author. Pan Jinlian has become a topic of long-term discussion in society. The literary world also derived Jin Ping Mei from Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian, and A Dream of Red Mansions from Jin Ping Mei. I'm afraid this far-reaching influence cannot be attributed to the success of realism.

Third, the completely designed female image-Qiong Ying.

Although Qiong Ying is a woman who appears in the second half of this book, she is the most concentrated, complete, complete and "perfect" female image written by the author, and a typical woman portrayed according to the author's subjective intention. If the three heroines mentioned above are described in too many masculine ways, then Joan Ying, as beautiful as flowers and pure as jade, is a hero in red makeup. In several chapters, such as Qiong Ying is a pioneer, Zhang Qingyuan with Qiong Ying, and Zhang Qingqiongying makes great contributions, the author focuses on this female general. Her life experience, her growth, her strength, and even a match made in heaven, from one end to the other, in the name of "chastity and filial piety". The author depicts it as the embodiment of a perfect woman, even to the point of apotheosis. In her body, she not only has the same characteristics as the three heroines, but also has her own personality. Unfortunately, these characteristics and personality are completely the embodiment of the author's subjective intention, the label of the author's backward ethical concept, and are by no means the "this one" of realism. She was loyal to the monarch, and Joan Ying unfortunately fell into tian hu's team. Although she couldn't help herself, she turned to the court; She is "filial to her parents" and "always has the ambition of revenge". "I want to avenge my father, but I will die"; She is very loyal. As soon as Joan Ying came into contact with the Sung River Rebel, she told the whole story, and then she took a fancy to this team that had been wooed. She is "chaste", Zhang Qing died in battle, and "Qiong Ying was heartbroken". She kept chaste and raised orphans. The author also cleverly

Invented a story: "there are beautiful jade, white frost and snow, no flaws." "A thunderbolt", "But how did it become a female corpse!" This leads to the process that Mrs. Qiu (Joan Ying's mother) was captured, not captured and killed in the hands of gangsters. Although this passage is the basis for Joan's revenge, it is more important to see the author's praise for Joan's mother and daughter. There is a saying: "The son of heaven is Qiong Ying's eldest mother and son, and a special gift is given to Qiong Ying's mother Song, which is sent to Jiexiu County, where a department has set up a temple to praise chastity and enjoy spring and autumn sacrifices." Feng Qiongying is a filial and pleasant record-".

Duan Sanniang, who was knocked down by Qiong Ying's stone in the book, is in sharp contrast with the heroine preferred by the author, which clearly shows the author's view of women from another angle. Write a paragraph about San Niang's appearance: "I saw a woman coming out of the crowd" and "fierce eyes and fierce eyebrows. The waist is stupid and there is no graceful style; Thick-skinned-"good bitch, good naughty woman. As soon as she appeared, she was "a woman who was twisted by Wang Qing and only turned her hand." After getting up, he turned to Wang Qingzan without shame or anger, which not only expressed his martial arts, but also portrayed his stubborn character. Duan Sanniang's marriage is "I like her" and "Although Duan Taigong, I dare not quarrel with her", which has sown the seeds of evil. About Duan Sanniang's death, the book says, "I didn't follow the boudoir training since I was a child, so I chose my own collocation and made a big mistake." In my opinion, there are two major sins, namely, not following boudoir training and choosing one's own collocation. The author focuses on these two women in several chapters, and the positive and negative aspects set each other off. Duan Sanniang's behavior seems so nasty, and Duan Sanniang's fate makes the world look down upon it; Joan Ying's image is so perfect, her words and deeds are so in line with the norms of feudal ethics, and she has a good ending to raise her life. The author's intention is obvious. This is not to portray characters, but to express them through these two characters.

The current author's thoughts. It clearly tells readers that a good woman can be known and respected even in the turbulent feudal society as long as she strictly abides by boudoir training and ethics. The backward side of the author's view of women is vividly displayed.

Even compared with Sun Erniang and Gu Dasao, the author praised Joan more. In connection, Qiong Ying is superior in appearance and martial arts, standing above the three heroines. In this way, the three heroines became Joan Ying's foil and stepping stone intentionally or unintentionally. Obviously, this is what readers are unwilling to accept. This contradiction between subjective will and objective effect is probably caused by the author's backward view of women and "replacing life itself with his own subjective imagination". Although the author has made great efforts, Qiong Ying's image is still pale and weak, lacking three-dimensional sense and realism. Many descriptions about Qiong Ying, such as her study of dreams, her lifelong marriage, her mother's "white stone" and "corpse", and even the housekeeper Qing Ye's account of Qiong Ying's life in Song Jiangzhang, can't stand scrutiny. It can be seen that when portraying Qiong Ying, the author's complex view of women collided with realism, which violated the principle of respecting life and being born with life, leaving the characters completely hidden in the shadow of feudal ethics. Joan Ying, as the projection of the author's subjective thoughts, is a typical model of standardized feudal ethics and is the product of the author's backward view of women. Therefore, the characters can't shine brightly, and they can't leave any impression and influence on later readers.

Damaged and insulted image of women

In the process of portraying the hero of Weeds and the hero of Water Margin, the author sometimes presents a group of injured and insulted female images to readers with a few strokes. Zhang Qing, who runs a black shop, thinks that the idea of "prostitutes on the rivers and lakes" and "harmless" is actually the author's treatment of living in feudal times

Thoughts and attitudes of disadvantaged women at the bottom of society.

Lin Niangzi is not a poor woman. Her husband and father are both coaches in Beijing, and they are also ladies in the upper class. From the moment she appeared, she was an image of a woman struggling in the abyss of suffering. Because of her extraordinary beauty, she suffered a catastrophe. The author shows us the last moments of Mrs. Lin's short life with a deep and touching style: refusing drama, refusing rape, persuading her husband and martyrdom. In the long and hateful narrative, the author praised the faithful love, the rebellious spirit of not bowing to evil forces, and offered infinite true respect and sympathy to Mrs. Lin.

Jin Cuilian is a weak woman who appeared at the beginning of Water Margin. She was taken over by the butcher Zheng's "strong media and hard insurance" and "fake money and real deed", and was driven out "in less than three months" and "asked for the original price of 3 thousand yuan" The author first invited her to meet him when she was singing with her father. Lu Shenzhi helped Jin Cuilian and his daughter get rid of their embarrassment and have a chance to live. Later, the author let them meet Mr. Zhao, who was "raised in a foreign house and ate well". The author hopes that this weak woman will have a good way out in life and integrate her sympathy into two encounters.

Among the many damaged and insulted female images, Li Shishi is a striking one. She is the emperor of the dynasty. Even if "a son and grandson, a rich boy, who dares to come to her house for tea", she is also a famous fireworks prostitute. Taking advantage of his special status, the author chose this ideal figure when Liangshan team was frustrated in recruiting. The author puts Li Shishi in the political struggle, in fact, it is to let her directly participate in a serious political struggle. We see that Li Shishi has both brains and a deep understanding of righteousness. She understands the situation of Liangshan heroes, sympathizes with them and respects them.

Pay attention to them; She knows right from wrong and is deeply dissatisfied with Cai Jing and his gang. However, Li Shishi is not a political activist, but a prostitute who has a special relationship with Song Huizong. The author writes Li Shishi's "ridicule" to Yan Qing in a teasing style, but fully exposes Li Shishi's inner contradictions and yearning. It is the author's objective, true and profound description of Li Shishi's life that makes readers realize Li Shishi's pursuit and pain. Wherever the author's realistic brushwork goes, he creates a prostitute who is far superior to the powerful in politics and a plump woman in life. To be sure, the author of Water Margin, with a different vision from the feudal literati, made great efforts to depict the image of this woman struggling at the bottom of society with a more unique style, and emphasized her role in political life with a favorable tone, showing the author's love for this lower-class woman.

In the female images portrayed in Water Margin, a considerable proportion of women have been hurt and insulted, including Mrs. Lin, Li Shishi, her mother, Wang's daughter and Song. They are not the main characters in the book, and some are even secondary characters, which are the images created by the author to multiply the story. The author doesn't pay much attention to this, sometimes just a few strokes, and then describes their respective life experiences and their tragic characters, either virtuous, strong or weak, leaving a clear impression on readers. The author expressed sympathy for this kind of women in many ways and poured his love into sympathy. The author has arranged the ending for them, which is the way out in real life. There are only two ways out. One is forced to commit suicide by feudal society or traditional morality. The other is to get a temporary and stable life, and individuals also get the wealth of "ample food and clothing". In the author's opinion, people who commit suicide are praised and those who get temporary peace are comforted. In the eyes of today's readers, such a way out is tragic and can't stand scrutiny.

Yes Praise did not escape the category of chastity in feudal morality, nor did characters escape the fate of becoming victims of feudal society; Those who get temporary peace, even if they marry Mr. Zhao like Jin Cuilian, will always be under surveillance. However, the water margin written at that time did show us that the author always had heartfelt sympathy when portraying these female images, and the lines were full of such sympathy. Sympathy reflects the author's dissatisfaction with the dark reality that causes the misfortune of disadvantaged women, and it is the concrete manifestation of the author's progressive view of women when depicting characters with serious realism.

We are deeply concerned that among the women who have been given a temporary stable life, the authors include Jin Cuilian, Zhang Taigong's daughter and other figures. Some of these women were occupied by bullies, while others were ravaged by strongmen. According to the logic of feudal ethics, these women lost their honor and had no face to regenerate, so they had to wait for death and become victims of feudal morality. However, the author didn't do this, not only let them continue to live, but also some figures, such as Jin Cuilian, played a role in Liangshan's career. As Engels said, "the realism I mean can even be revealed according to the author's opinion." (To Ma-Hakenas,1early April, 888) We believe that when the author injected sympathy into this kind of women, to a certain extent, his thoughts were unconsciously out of the shadow of feudal morality, but he refined and portrayed the characters according to real life clues and life logic, which is commendable.

Compassion for the weak, sympathy for the disadvantaged women in the lower class, don't treat them as mediocre, tricky and eccentric inferior people, and present readers with the image of the struggling lower class women with full personality. Even described a class of "inferior people" similar to this kind of women in a favorable style, such as the alertness of Li Xiaoer's muddy family and the shrewdness of Uncle He's wife, which can be proved to be true.

The effect of the unity of the author's realistic brushwork and progressive view of women.

The Water Margin depicts a large number of characters, and the author's writing intention is very obvious, that is, to praise the heroes of Liang Shanbo. Water Margin is, after all, a man's world and a stage for men to live and struggle. The female image is not the protagonist in the book, and even the three heroines, Sun Erniang, Gu Dasao and Hu Sanniang, are not the protagonists portrayed by the author. Therefore, in the female image, the author praises anyone who goes the same way as the protagonist Liang Shanbo; The author sympathizes with the heroes of the Water Margin. Anyone who is an enemy of the heroes of the Water Margin will certainly come to no good end. We can use this clue as a footnote to solve the female image in the book.

"An experienced writer is always contradictory, because rich experience requires broad and organized thinking, which is contrary to the narrow purpose of groups and classes. Therefore, in the works of every Russian writer, you can find redundant themes and ideas that are beyond their inclination and are essentially contradictory. " (Gorky: Preface to the History of Russian Literature) This point has been clearly seen from the description of women in Water Margin and the author's view of women.

As a literati in the feudal era, the author's view of women basically belonged to that era, that is, feudalism was backward. This dominant idea runs through the description of various female images. While praising the three heroines, the author still can't get rid of the shackles of feudal ethics, showing the consciousness of "husband singing with women" and "husband dying with women" from time to time. In the process of mercilessly lashing "adulteress", the author typifies the asceticism thought and "woman is a disaster" they preach. The author regards abstinence, completely speaking, as a desire to fill the stomach, while the desire to ban the opposite sex is regarded as a heroic quality, and vice versa. The author is talking about Joan Ying Ji.

When trying to beautify, it fully shows the feudal and backward side of her view of women. While praising Lin Niangzi's love, the author also vaguely exudes the taste of "a virgin and a good wife".

However, the author is an extraordinary literati living in a turbulent feudal society. His eyes are everywhere in the society, and he has paid enough attention to and compared all kinds of women, and gained a more objective understanding, which constitutes the progressive side of the author's complex view of women. The author dipped in the pen and ink of praise, showed the heroism and fighting spirit of heroines, wrote down their extraordinary achievements, and set up a rare heroine image among women for us. There are three famous heroines in the land of China. Isn't this the author's achievement? Plekhanov said: "The conservative and even reactionary way of thinking of early realists did not prevent them from studying the surrounding environment well and creating things with great artistic value." (plekhanov: Letters Without Addresses-Art and Social Life) When the author of Water Margin writes in a serious and realistic way, when the author portrays female images in a "brushwork", it will inevitably collide with his complicated view of women. The results of the impact are different. Or the influence is more comprehensive, and the characters are more vivid; Or the influence is divorced from the basis of life, and the characters are pale and lack of flesh and blood, which is difficult for readers to accept; Or this kind of influence is full of doubts and can't be explained at the moment, which has attracted the attention of readers in past dynasties. With the development of life and the progress of the times, it has aroused debates among later readers, making the characters more than the original intention of the author's writing, and making the objective effect and later effect of the characters far exceed the author's writing intention at that time. Therefore, the analysis of many female images in Water Margin will not only enable us to deeply discover and clearly understand the female life in feudal society, but also unfold a broad picture of real life for us.

As for the Three Kingdoms period, it was basically the same. The status of ancient women was generally not high. Please refer to the following blog post/s/blog _ 4d57a5060100bpf.html.