Power in the Darkness: Women in Confucian China and the Deification of the Vagina

Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, an 18th century Chinese detective novel, provides evidence of the marginalization of women in Confucian society: this marginalization is a reflection of the enormous power that women were seen as having, which is found in the efforts put forth by that society to minimize the rights of individual women. The demands placed on women in this case are so extreme as to suggest that the fear surrounding the abilities of women indicate a kind of deification of their reproductive power, or the deification of the vagina.

Deification here does not automatically imply goodness, but rather a potential for either good or evil. In order to fully
appreciate these claims, it is necessary to first understand the aspects of Confucian beliefs that specifically relate
to women, and how these beliefs are imposed on the individual, specifically the wife of Bee Hsun, Mrs. Djou. The
most important concept is that of chaste widowhood and the power of the widow over the entire family line of her
husband.

There are three aspects of Confucianism seen as the foundation which are filial piety, ritual, and humane behavior. A woman will demonstrate filial piety by honoring her husband's family through ancestor worship rituals, chaste widowhood, or remaining unmarried after her husband dies, caring for her husband's living family members. Rituals can be found in any aspect of social institutions such as the legal system, marriage, burial, etc. Humane behavior is the expectation of society to behave in a manner that is conducive to the common good of the whole of society rather than any one individual. Filial piety is the most important key to understanding the role of women in this society; however, ritual and humane behavior are interwoven into the practice of filial piety.