Discuss the Portrayal of Themes in Selected Texts from Chinese Literature (Research Paper Sample)

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The play Injustice to Dou E by Guan Hanqing is a portrayal of the dark side of the feudal social system during the Yuan dynasty, the last monarch to rule China. Guan portrays the theme that feudal systems survive through the oppression of the masses promotion of social structures that maintain the status quo, i.e. the continue improvisation of the working class, which ensures that they have no means to challenge the political ruling class. This theme is conveyed through the tragic death of Dou E, the daughter of peasant parents who is sold off at a tender age to offset his father’s accumulated debts. Through the character of Dou E, Guan demonstrates that feudal systems not only thrive on the oppression of the masses, but also on rides on patriarchal structures which promote the exploitation and male dominance of female members in society. In The True Story of Ah-Q by Lu Xun is also a satirical mockery of the Yuan Dynasty through the character portrayal of Ah-Q, a lowly commoner who is oppressed by those above him, but is also oppressive of those he has power over. Through the experiences of Ah-Q, the author suggests that the Yuan dynasty was a man-eat-man society that thrived on the oppression of the poor. In this regard, both texts are critical of the feudal systems, and argue that it is only through the destruction of feudalism and abolishment of patriarchal traditions that society will achieve equality and fair treatment of all its members.
In the Injustice to Dou E, the author portrays the oppression of women and the weak through the suffering of Dou E under corrupt government officials and male members, and her eventual unfair execution. At the age of seven, Dou E loses her mother, and three years later, she is offered as a child bride to pay a debt that his father owed. The idea that a young child can be sold to offset a father’s debts demonstrates the degree to which the feudal system is corrupted. It illustrates lack of social structures to protect the rights of the weak. The act of giving off a young, helpless child is a portrayal of barbarism, and the fact that such form of abuse and mistreatment is acceptable in a feudal society underlines the author’s criticism of feudalism, and argument that people should oppose and overthrow such governments. This idea is emphasized by the context in which the play is set- the Chinese revolution of 1911. Thus, the play is a literary critique of the feudal system as well as praise for the revolution that ousted the feudal system of governance.
The corruption of feudalism is also seen through the humiliation and exploitation that Dou E undergoes as a woman. After the death of her husband, Zhang Luer, a local thug, moves into her home under the pretext of protecting her, but in the real sense is interested in having her as his wife. The idea that women must be protected by male members demonstrates how patriarchy is deeply rooted in feudal societies. It suggests that women are not capable of living independently, and therefore should be under the care and authority of men. This attitude promotes the continued oppression of women in society and their subjection to male authority. It shows that feudal societies oppression a section of its members, hence the call by the play’s author for the overthrow of feudal governments.
Dou E is wrongly accused of killing her mother in-law, and a result is subjected to harassment and is eventually executed. The existence of severe punishments like execution illustrates the barbarism that is prominent in feudal societies. Guan Hanqing uses the character of Dou E to show that feudalism should be abolished because of its inhuman and barbaric treatment of its citizens. The author shows that the weak and poor have not recourse for justice as they are unfairly accused and convicted simply because their accuser is a man. The fate of Dou E (public execution) as a result of a crime she did not commit portrays the extent to which feudalism is corrupted and lawless. It is this lawlessness’s and corruption that the author advocates against through the literary criticism of monarchs, like the one that rule China during the Yuan Dynasty.
The portrayal of Sai, a doctor who used his pharmacy to poison patients symbolizes the poisonous nature of feudal governments. The irony of the matter is that a pharmacy is supposed to preserve and protect human life by providing medical services. However, it is a place of death, showing that it is doing the exact opposite of what it is supposed to do (Hanqing 55). There is a parallel between Sai’s pharmacy and the feudal government f the Yuan Destiny. A government is expected to protect its citizens. However, the Yuan Destiny does the opposite by killing those opposed to its injustices. Through this portrayal, the author paints the Yuan Destiny and feudal systems in general, are the threat to the people they are supposed to protect. Thus, feudal governments are like a poison that the masses should oppose and overthrow from power. Similarly, the author argues that the structures that feudal systems rely on to survive, such as patriarchy and monarchy, are oppressive to the common citizens and therefore should be abolished.
The ending of the play is a foreshadowing of the overthrow of the oppressive feudal system. After her wrongful execution, Dou E’s ghost comes back and compels her father, now a high-ranking government official, to reinvestigate her conviction. It is found out that it was actually Zhang Luer who killed her mother in-law, and he is executed while the government officials who had convicted her are banished from the land. The execution of Zhang Luer and banishment of the government prefecture symbolizes the death of the old system of government. It symbolizes the overthrow of the oppressive regime that condemned the masses into oppression by the ruling class. In this regard, the ending of the play portrays Guan Hanqing’s central theme that people should oppose and overthrow feudal systems to liberate themselves from oppressive systems.
In the True Story of Ah-Q, Lu Xun portrays the life of Ah-Q, who is oppressed by fellow commoners while he himself also oppresses those he finds powerless. Through this portrayal, the author argues that feudal systems like the Yuan Dynasty are man-eat-man societies and ought to be abolished. The author portrays a society in which individuals seek glory in overpowering and dominating others. This suggests that lack of a fair justice system li...