Xuan Shen’an: The Role and Value of Chinese Women in the Novel “Love Like the Galaxy”

Abstract

This research analyzes the roles and values of the female character Xuan Shen’an in her relationships with men, based on the concept of Three Obedience and Four Virtues, which reflects the women’s roles in Chinese feudal society, as portrayed in the novel Love Like the Galaxy. The study divides women’s roles into three aspects: a daughter, a wife, and a mother. The study finds that women’s value in the role of a niece-as-a-daughter is defined by the uncle, who determines the niece’s role to maintain family’s stability and interests. As a wife, women who follow the “Three Obedience and Four Virtues” are respected and honored by their husbands and society. In the role of a mother, women sacrifice their honor to protect and preserve the honor of their sons to ensure their safety from danger. These three groups of relationship reflect the fate of women in a patriarchal society, where men hold the power to define women’s roles and values to sustain family’s interests and stability.