Group Study On The Images Of Viragoes And Jealous Wives In Liao Zhai Zhi Yi

Pu Songling created a whole train of images of viragoes and jealous wives with heavy smell of life that ran through distinct family ties such as man and wife, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, sisters-in-law, legal wife and concubine, etc. These viragoes and jealous wives are a special existence of vital practical significance in Liao Zhai Zhi Yi. They were almost mortals on earth and they were all legal wives of their husband. Moreover, beautiful and intelligent, they managed their own home terribly well and made great contributions to their family. However, they had got a variety of shortages, and they tended to be self-interested by hurting others, which exposed the seamy side of human nature.Because of Pu Songling’s patriarchal perspective, he exerted strong emotions towards these images of viragoes and jealous wives when he created them. Furthermore, based on his purpose of writing, Pu Songling arranged different plots for the adaptions in Rang Du Zhou (Mantra To Avert Jealousy By Prayers),Gu Fu Qu (Folk Tune About Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law) and other stories in Liao Zhai Folk Tune, which adapted from relevant stories in Liao Zhai Zhi Yi. Pu Songling revealed his marriage concept and ethics in this kind of description and arrangement. Other male writers in early Qing Dynasty also showed their cordial abhorrence towards viragoes and jealous wives. Pu Songling created these images of viragoes and jealous wives on account of his real experience that he once confronted viragoes and jealous wives, furthermore, viragoes and jealous wives could make serious damages to the society in early Qing Dynasty. Although viragoes and jealous wives in Liao Zhai Zhi Yi are all within their family, their jealousy and fierce behavior began to affect people beside their family, and Pu Songling didn’t want to witness this kind of social phenomenon that viragoes and jealous wives show their strength beyond their family. Therefore, Pu Songling came up with sorts of ways to taming shrew, he wanted to alert viragoes and jealous wives and guide them to be virtuous women.