Ideal Models In Ancient China

The three readings are all about stories that are related to emperors or leaders, and they illustrate both the common and unique characteristics of ideal models, values, male and female.

In those chapters, they unanimously demonstrated that a role model should be strong, never obsessed with women and should always fulfil their responsibilities by serving the state and protecting the people. As shown in Genji, when the King demanded her lady to accompany him for the whole day, many courtiers were resent as the King was preoccupied by the woman at the expense of the country’s strength and reputation. The story also mentioned that if this happens in China, the Imperial Court would undo the King and the God in Heaven would impose natural disasters to the country. As in the story of Rama, Rama must fulfil his responsibility to rescue his wife regardless of the difficulties, and he needed to break their relationship due to some customs despite his love to Sita.

In Japan, the ideal Japanese values are modesty, politeness and power for male or obedience for female. Apart from fulfilling responsibilities, an ideal ruler should has good manner and characteristics
as shown by the prince in the article, people can’t dislike him due to his politeness and personalities. The features of ideal ruler in the article also implies that ideal male in Japan needs to be a successful breadwinner, loyal to the family and be polite. As for the ideal female, you should be gentle and obedience. As said in the article, there are lots of restrictions for women.

In China, the ideal values are righteousness, kindliness, brotherhood and loyalty.
Besides of being single-minded on work, an outstanding governor should also be ambitious and loyal. As shown in the story, the 3 leaders all have ambitions since they were small, they also demonstrated their loyalty by carrying the sacrificial ceremony and swearing brotherhood. Furthermore, one of the leader Liu Bei even initiated to help his old master. The above features also imply that ideal male should be faithful, powerful and career focus. On the other hand, ideal women should, again, be obedient and never intervene with state affairs. As discussed in the text, if women or eunuchs manage state affairs, God in Heaven would get furious and declare hardship to the country as the Emperor was not fulfilling his
responsibilities.

In South and Southeast Asia, the ideal values are purity, loyalty, power and responsible. Other than satisfying duties, great dominator should obey orders given by senior and protect family’s reputation. When Rama’s father banished his son, Rama without opposition, obeyed his father’s order. Also, when Rama saved Sita, he did not brought her back home immediately as he was afraid that Sita was not pure anymore and that the action of taking her back home might damage the name of his family. Additionally, for ideal women, they should be obedient, pure, loyal and dependent. Women as illustrated by the story, if you are not obedient and dependent just like Sita who chased a silver deer alone would suffer. Likewise, as stated, if there is suspicion aroused on a women’s purity and loyalty to her husband, she would be abandoned unless she can prove that she is pure and loyal.

All in all, countries standards of ideal persons are both similar and unique as citizens in different regions are affected by their own culture and society.