Women's Script：The Window to Female Resistance to a Male World

Abstract：The invention of women's script was a result of the suppression women suffered in traditional Chinese society.As Confucianism being the leading ideology in China，women did not have chance to get thorough education in such a patriarchal world.Women's script，with its characters developed from standard Chinese，opened a window for women in Jiangyong area.It served as a method of expressing women's thoughts，and as a way to educate their daughters.From different genres of literature written in women's script，we can understand the social constrictions of women and how they responded to them.Also，we can get a picture of the salvation from these crucial restrictions that Jiangyong women believed in.Key words：Women's script；female resistance

中圖分類號：G644 文獻標志碼：A 文章編號：1674-9324（2013）03-0169-05

Imperial China has always been a patriarchal society，where women were restricted to the inner quarters of the house and had limited access to education.Before the establishment of the PRC in 1949，in rural China，even men were mostly illiterate.Women in rural areas，therefore，largely suffered from traditional Confucian ideologies.The discovery of women's script proves that，although most women did not have a good education，they still responded to their hard lives in their own way and even，literally，in their own words.For women who had been suffering under the patriarchal society，women's script，which originated and flourished in Jiangyong County，was an important vehicle women used to express themselves.Since they wrote many kinds of texts in women's script，in this essay，I choose the folktales and folksongs that Jiangyong women transcribed into women's script as examples to present a picture of how these women responded to their social situation，and what they believed to be their salvation from the hardship.I shall argue that Jiangyong women had visions of saving and ameliorating themselves，however，sadly，they reacted passively to their sufferings and mostly resigned themselves to the adversity they underwent in real life.

As in the rest of China，only a few literate men in Jiangyong studied and wrote in standard Chinese characters，and their way of writing was referred to in the country as “men's script”（Idema 3）.Since learning men's script was not practical for women，Jiangyong women invented a kind of script for themselves，which they called the women's script to contrast with men's script.It was hard for women to participate in the literary realm at that time，as women were confined to the inner quarters and lacked the experience and knowledge to write as most elite men did.For gentry women who had the economic power and approval from their male relatives，such as fathers and elder brothers，they could have the opportunity to obtain fame as famous women writers.Therefore，at that time，“most writings of women were authored by elite women from the Jiangnan area，especially the great cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou”（Idema 3）.However，for common families who lived in Jiangyong，women did not even have the opportunity to get formal education，not to mention becoming female writers.As a result，they created women's script by themselves and for themselves.We can see the creation of women's script as a representation of these women's attempt to participate in the patriarchal society，and to cement of their own alternative social structures and networks.It also implies a will of these women to fight for themselves.Women's script presents us with peasant women speaking their own minds and in their own words（Idema 3）.Because most men ignored women's script，the texts in women's script are unmediated by other forces.Therefore，they are more trustworthy as they convey the true feelings of Jiangyong women.As Chiang suggests in the introduction to his book on women's script，“We Two Know the Script；We Have Become Good Friends”，“scripts used with an emphasis on their sound function are used by people with lower social status，are used for more informal functions，represent lower diglossic forms of language，and are more closely related to women”（xvii）.Although women's script was originated from Chinese characters，unlike the men's script，which is semantic，women's script writes sound，not meaning（Idema 4）.The fact that it is not semantic makes women's script completely different from standard Chinese or any other dialects；it also indicates that women's script is an initiative that rural women took.Women's script also uses a new font that greatly differs from Chinese characters.It is in diamond shape，which makes the script more like graphs than characters.The fact that every women's script character looks like a tilted Chinese character suggests that Jiangyong women created the script based on traditional script，but they also dared to recreate traditions，which was not conventional in imperial patriarchal China.Besides the innovative move of these women，the dainty font of Women's Script also suggests the aesthetics of Jiangyong women.Since women's script was not a secret code，the font they used was a product of women's own artistic taste.The ultimate life goal for women at that time was to be in accordance to men's aesthetics.The bound feet and makeup the women put on were all because they accorded with the patriarchal traditions.Although Jiangyong women continued to bound their feet and were seen as a subordinate to their husbands，the font of women's script still was a representation of women's own aesthetics，and thus，it suggests a small step women made to take their stand in the male world.Yet，even though women wanted to voice their own philosophy of beauty and took a step towards independence，they could not depart from the patriarchal world.Texts written in women's script are mostly in seven-syllable lines，which was one of the most typical structures of Chinese literature.Women were strongly influenced by traditional conventions.This might also be because of the fact that these women were illiterate，and all they knew about literature was the most typical structure.Therefore，even when they wrote personal letters to each other，almost all of them were composed in the seven-syllable structure.It is apparent that women gained a clearer image of themselves through the invention of women's script.They also made efforts in displaying this improvement in self-conception through the new font and the mere attempt at reading and writing.However，they were still trapped in the patriarchal conventions，and it is possible that they were not aware of it，and，as a result，was not able to do anything but to obey the rules since they lacked the experience and knowledge.Not only was women's script not a secret，but it can also be seen as a proud gesture these women made.Although some writings were not intended to be seen by men，long songs of felicitation sent to the bride by friends and relatives after her wedding，were a matter of pride and were publicly displayed“（Idema 4）.The ballads and stories women chose to transcribe into women's script were also publicly displayed and were not hidden from men.In fact，many of these folksongs and folktales were very popular in the rest of China.Literate men in the Jiangyong area might have read those stories as well，but in different versions.There were two main categories of ballads that were transcribed by these women.One of them focused on practical advice or warnings for women，such as folksongs on embroidery and ballads offering mental preparation for the young bride on her future life as a wife and a mother；another category focused on ideological or spiritual impact，including folktales like those in the Model Biographies by Ban Zhao and fiction with a moral message at the end.

In traditional Jiangyong，women rarely participated in work outdoors；instead，they spent their time on household chores and on spinning，weaving，and embroidery.These latter activities often were group activities，during which one of the women might relieve the boredom of the repetitive task by chanting songs and ballads in women's scripts（Idema 5）.Therefore，folksongs that used these activities as subjects were highly popular among women.Some of these folksongs were composed by these women，while most of them were songs that were well-known narratives that these women heard from travelling storytellers or were songs that were passed on from mother to daughter.One of the folksongs Chiang included in his book was Xiuhuage（embroidery song.）The text of this folksong described ten kinds of designs，many of which were often found on local embroideries.Folksongs often have practical content，and folksongs like Xiuhuage were often sung when women were doing the domestic chores that are described in the song.It was a way of relieving boredom，and also a proof of women giving in to the traditional differentiation of labor between male and female.Folksongs with practical subjects suggest women's acceptance of their current status，and their willingness to properly fulfill their roles as daughters，wives，and mothers.The embroidery designs described in Xiuhuage not only show the image of women's real life，but also represent their wishes and thoughts about that traditional society.They mention characters in popular folktales such as Li Sanniang and Han Xiangzi，who were well known among people in rather lower classes like peasants，but could hardly be categorized as high culture.Xiuhuage also includes the imagery of happy children and performance of filial piety，which were considered as some of the main duties of women.There is no mention of the images of books，ink，or other objects that were commonly seen in gentry and literati households.The fact of women chose to transcribe folksongs like Xiuhuage implies that these activities and objects in the song appealed to women；it also implies that these activities are what a Jiangyong woman should be thinking about.There is no suggestion of women pursuing their own goals.Rather，folksongs that were transcribed in women's script suggest that the only goal of Jiangyong women was to be good daughters，wives，and mothers.Since these songs were selected by women for women，it is true that these women knew what they were supposed to do，and they accepted the reality even if it meant enduring the hardships their mothers had endured.Therefore，folksongs are usually educational and can help with these women's daily lives.They may also be educational in that they contain useful knowledge in condensed and easily memorizable form（Chiang 80）.As practical as the folksongs，Jiangyong women fully understood and accepted the fact that they were living in a patriarchal world，and there was no need or no use to make attempts to change it.

Folktales，on the other hand，do not usually contain content that practical.Folktales Jiangyong women chose to transcribe into women's scripts are often stories that make suggestions and advice about real life or in the afterlife.Women were an avid audience for traveling storytellers from whom they learned folktales.The longest texts in the women's script literature were folktales，some reaching 808 lines（Chiang 78）.These stories presented a narrow range of positive and negative role models for women.physical discomfort and the ubiquitous danger of rape”（Idema 8）.The most praised role model for a woman was loyalty to her husband，even with long years of absence of the husband.One of the most popular folktales was the tale of Mengjiangnu，which is still a widely known story today.The Women's Script version “focuses consistently on the inner feelings of the heroine，from her earliest yearlings for love to her grief upon retrieving her husband's bones and taking them back to her home，where 'each night she slept alongside her husband's bones，/ And never in her life did she marry another man'（Cambridge History 406）.Jiangyong women often made changes to the stories when they transcribed them into women's script.They did so to suggest the best virtues and ways of living in Jiangyong County，and also in the broader patriarchal society，for these women.In the case of the tale of Mengjiangnu，there are other versions that end with Mengjiangnu and her husband reuniting in the afterlife；also，there are versions that with the First Emperor of Qin falling in love with Mengjiangnu and bringing her into the palace.However，Jiangyong women chose（or changed）the ending that concluded with Mengjiangnu never marrying another man.It is apparent that this folktale intends to set a role model for women，which is the complete chaste loyalty to one's husband.Being widowed and not remarrying has always been the most strongly stressed virtue in imperial China.It is one of the highly praised Confucian tenets that the husband is the dominant figure in the family，and the wife is supposed to serve her husband，and，after the death of the husband，continue to serve her in-laws.Therefore，the women's script version of Mengjiangnu presents a positive role model for women and explicitly suggests the act of not remarrying as one of the most important virtues.

Besides folktales that suggest virtues，Jiangyong women also transcribed folktales that contain warnings.One of the most well-known stories is that of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai.The women's script version ”may be read as giving the sense that however thoroughly a clever girl may be able to deceive a man，in the end her body will reveal the truth，and that only misery can follow the attempt to join male society（“Cambridge”410）.It intends to warn women that they should not make any efforts to participate in the male world，including learning men's script.Through folktales like Liang Zhu，we can see that women were reacting passively to the suppression of their goals and dreams.They tended to give in to their current situations and urged others to do the same.In order to explicitly warn these women，they chose to transcribe the version of Liang Zhu in which Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai die and are later reborn into a pair of mandarin ducks，even though there are versions of the story in which the star-crossed lovers finally unite in marriage（“Cambridge”410）.In this way，the story shows that “any attempt to cross the line between the sexes is fraught with danger”（Idema and Grant 564），which further demonstrates that Jiangyong women were resigned to their adversities；although they fully realized their suffering from the discrimination of their social ideological environment，they accepted the traditional hierarchical segregation of sexes（“Cambridge”398）.

Although most folktales and folksongs suggest Jiangyong women is passive response to their sufferings，there is，at the same time，a complete absence of stories in which a male protagonist asserts his manhood，“either by defeating a foreign aggressor and safeguarding China's borders with his martial skills，or by impressing large number of women with his literary skills or personal charms”（“Cambridge”398）.This implies that these women were not wholly subordinate to male dominance.Stories that praise male dominance did not interest Jiangyong women，so there was no need to transcribe them into women's script.Unlike traditional virtuous women，whose most important job was to serve the husband and who were wholeheartedly willing to do so，Jiangyong women did not voluntarily embrace male dominance.They accepted male dominance，but that might be due to pressures from the society.The fact that they had no interest in praising manhood shows that these women had become independent；they just lacked the opportunity and social environment to realize their own dreams.Similarly，which were popular subjects in vernacular drama and fiction in other parts of China（Idema 8）.These subjects mostly serve to define male gender norms，which were not welcomed among Jiangyong women.

In contrast，nearly all the ballads transcribed into women's script have a strong female protagonist.“Women who are determined in the pursuit of their ideals and who do not hesitate to confront authority to achieve their goals”（Idema and Grant 562）were highly praised by Jiangyong women.It is apparent that they wished to become women like those female protagonists in folktales，or enjoyed fantasizing about women who were able to act in a way that they were not.In the case of folktales featuring female characters who “are innocent victims of crime and determinedly seek redress”（Idema and Grant 562），the women's script versions tend to be more assertive than other versions.They place far greater emphasis on the initiative and agency of their heroines（Idema and Grant 562），and tend to vindicate the honors of female characters in a more absolute manner.These women's script versions of folktales suggest that women wanted to declare their rights and even fight against unfairness in the patriarchal society.Yet，also absent were the tales of maidens in male disguise who outperform any man，which were so popular with the upper-class authors from the Jiangnan region（“Cambridge”398）.This absence implies that although women had this vision of maintaining their honor and fighting for independence，they were not able to surpass men.They did not have the courage to overthrow patriarchal conventions or to present themselves as equals to men；or they did not even have an awareness of this possibility.As a result，we cannot find an alternative system of values governing gender relations in these transcribed texts（“Cambridge”398）.

As a relatively more practical solution to the sufferings of women，some folktales teach strategies not so helpful in this life，but give suggestions to women by presenting belief in karma and afterlife（Chiang 79）.For instance，the story of Fifth Daughter Wang shows the one and only rescue for women，which is “to live a life of religious piety in this life and hope for rebirth as a man in the next life”（Idema and Grant 564）.The women's script version of the story offers no solution to the restrictions of the female condition，as Jiangyong women believed that “body is destiny”（Idema and Grant 565）.The folktale shows women that only a life of piety holds out the promise of rebirth as a man，“and through this，the possibility of enlightenment and ascension to Heaven”（“Cambridge”399）.This tale further depicts an image of women as fully aware of the disadvantaged position，but with no faith in themselves to decry the system.

This resignation is also present in other texts in women's script，such as the Third Day Letter.The Third Day Letter can be seen as a rather direct resistance to the patriarchal system，as the texts often show bitterness，anger，and anguish.However，it is also true that in the end of these texts，these female relatives and friends of the bride “concur that the best thing the bride can do is resign herself to the new situation”（Idema and Grant 548）.Although women showed their plaintiveness caused by the patriarchal society，they have taken the unfairness of the system for granted.The only thing they could do，besides praying for a rebirth as a man，was to voice their complaints together，so that “people can hear women's voice，not as individuals but as a collectivity”（Idema 8）.By strengthening their solidarity，women have found another salvation for themselves from their underprivileged situation.

“A lot of manuscripts disappeared upon the deaths of their owners，who had them buried or placed in their coffins so they could enjoy their favorite texts in the afterlife”（Idema 6）.These texts include the aforementioned folksongs and folktales.Burying women's script texts proves the rootedness of these ideas，including the proper roles of women in a Confucian society，the wish to elevate women's status，and the belief in the afterlife.

In conclusion，the lives of both men and women were hard in the villages，but women were burdened with extra suffering as they were valued less than men z（Chiang 17）.Therefore，the preoccupation with plaintiveness in the women's script texts is inevitable.In responding to the real-life basis of this plaintiveness，Jiangyong women mostly chose to abide.Although they wanted to change their situation，they could only achieve that through the stories they transcribed，which often include strong woman characters.And in those stories，“the courage，wisdom，and initiative of the heroines form an interesting contrast with the relative timidity and incompetence of the male character”（Idema 8）.In reality，given the deprived conditions of women，such as their exclusion from genealogies of the lineage（Chiang 15）and their not having the opportunity for regular schooling，women could only submit to rules and conventions in the male world.As a result，even if they sometimes showed a slight subversive force as during the performance of Third Day Letters，they were perfectly aware of their disadvantaged position compared to men，and，whether willingly or not，they were forced to yield to male superiority.Works Cited：

[1]Chiang，William W.“We Two Know the Script；We Have Become Good Friends”：Linguistic and Social Aspects of The Women's Script Literacy in Southern Hunan，China.Lanham：University Press of America，1995.Print.

[2]Idema，Wilt L.Heroines of Jiangyong：Chinese Narrative Ballads in Women's Script.Seattle：University of Washington Press，2009.Print.

[3]Idema，Wilt L.，and Beata Grant.The Red Brush：Writing Women of Imperial China.Cambridge：Harvard University Press，2004.Print.

[4]The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature.Eds.Kang-I Sun Chang and Stephen Owen.2 Vols.New York：Cambridge University Press，2010.Print.