In my literature classes I got to learn about how women in Late Imperial China were challenging the social norms and becoming famous writers. There was a statement that came up in many articles — “a woman is virtuous only if she is untalented,” and many women who were talented were told that they had “abilities of men.” In addition to that, the two concepts – virtue and talent – kept coming up in the scholarships related to the women of that time. It appears to be that women could only be allowed to have “virtue” but not “talent.” Yet, some women challenged these norms by doing what was considered “men’s business.” Hence, my thesis focuses on three representative women (Chen Yun, Xi Peilan, Liu Shi) and argues that women in Late Imperial China had the ability to develop both – virtue and talent.
Presentation deriving from senior honors thesis with Sujane Wu, professor of chinese language & literature.