Marriage And Social Mobility Of Upper Class Women In The Five Dynasties As Seen In Epitaphs

The historical perspective since the May Fourth Movement has long believed that women were generally oppressed and exploited in ancient Chinese society,without rights and freedoms.In recent years,more and more scholars have proposed new perspectives on the study of women in various dynasties,pointing out that ancient Chinese women,especially upper class women,were not simply oppressed and exploited.They had certain space and freedom in their own era,and even had considerable rights and status in family life.On the basis of the previous research results,this paper attempts to take the Epitaph of the five generations of women as a focus to investigate the role of the five generations of upper class women in the overall marriage and family social mobility.So as to further analyze the similarities and differences between the female view reflected in the Epitaph of the Five Dynasties and the concept shown in women’s actual life,and think about how the upper class women of the Five Dynasties,before and after marriage,faced with the requirements of the society for themselves,sought a balance between the female ideal given by the society and the actual reality,and how the decisions and efforts made in the pre marital and post marital life affected the social mobility of the family,Thus,women’s own values and status can be fully realized.