Interpretation of a Confucian Woman Image in the Dramas of Enlightenment Thinkers in Europe
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Abstract
The purpose of the article is to determine the peculiarities of the interpretation of “Confucian woman” image in the famous dramas of European educators Settle, Voltaire and K. Gozzy in terms of implementing the moral principles of Confucianism and the implementation of humanistic ideas of the Enlightenment. Understanding the peculiarities of the perception of the phenomena of Chinese culture in the Western world is relevant because it provides an opportunity to find common ground between polar cultures in historical perspective, as well as to identify the ability to synthesize corresponding value paradigms in general.
The authors agree that the concept of “Confucian woman” is controversial, because, on the one hand, expresses the lagging role of women in traditional China (The Analects of Confucius), on the other hand, fixes a number of guidelines for women’s education as criteria for nobility (Ban Zhao Lessons for Women). The article focuses on the second variant.
In the 17th and 18th centuries the image of China is formed in the minds of Europeans, incorporating different traditions, institutions, and personalities. The women’s theme also had some coverage. The authors usually did not seek to maintain historical authenticity, focusing on the implementation of the moral component.
In the tragedy The Conquest of China by the Tatars, E. Settle used the intercultural image of Amazon to create the image of the Chinese Princess Amawanga. It successfully combines the traits of a warrior (firmness, courage, patriotism) and a Confucian woman (restraint, wisdom, sacrifice). Instead, Voltaire, who saw in the Confucian system of government the ideal model of an enlightened monarchy, in his drama The Orphan of China created the image of the noble Chinese woman Idame as the embodiment of Confucian morality (loyalty to “zhong” and respect for “xiao”).
At the same time, in this image, the author declares enlightenment ideas (re-education of barbarians by virtue of charity, the dominant natural sense of motherhood) as part of Confucian ideology. In the end, Gozzi created an exotic image of the Chinese princess Turandot in the play of the same name, using the archetypal image of a cruel and clever beauty. The author least sought historical correspondence, but the image of Turandot is consistently associated with the figure of the cruel Chinese Empress Wu Zetian, emphasizing the extraordinary will and mental abilities of the woman.
In this way, European playwrights opened the veil of mystery of the “Confucian woman” existence, creating complex, dramatically filled characters and conflicts. It is the complexity and ambivalence of the images of Chinese women that testifies to the authors’ avoidance of the stereotype of the “impersonal oriental beauty” and creates the basis for a deeper understanding of these images in the new Europe.
How to Cite
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“Confucian woman”, China, Enlightenment, drama, E. Settle, Voltaire, K. Gozzi
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