remarryisquiteinorderanyway,sotheygetsomeotherwomenandthatisthat.

Thisis
whywefindworkslikeTheDeathofTwoVirtuousWidowsorTheSevenConcubines
Epitaph.EventhewritingsofChienChienyiarefilledwithaccountsofchastewomen
andpraiseoftheirgloriousdeath.

Onlyasocietywhereeachcaresssolelyforhimselfandwomenmustremainchaste
whilemenarepolygamouscouldcreatesuchapervertedmorality,whichbecomes
moreexactingandcruelwitheachpassingday.Thereisnothingstrangeaboutthis.But
sincemanproposesandwomansuffers,whyisitwomenhaveneverutteredaprotest?
Becausesubmissionisthecardinalwifelyvirtue.Ofcourseawomanneedsno
education:eventoopenhermouthiscountedacrime.Sinceherspiritisasdistortedas

herbody,shehasnoobjectiontothisdistortedmorality.Andevenawomanwithviews
ofherownhasnochancetoexpressthem.Ifshewritesafewpoemsonmoonlightand
flowers,menmayaccuseheroflookingforalover.Thenhowdaresshechallengethis
eternaltruth?Somestories,indeed,tellofwomenwhoforvariousreasonswouldnot
remainchaste.Butthestorytellersalwayspointoutthatawidowwhoremarriesiseither
caughtbyherfirsthusbandsghostandcarriedofftohellor,condemnedbythewhole
world,becomesabeggarwhoisturnedawayfromeverydoortillshediesawretched
death!

Thisbeingthecase,womenhadnochoicebuttosubmit.Butwhydidthemenletitgo
atthat,insteadofstandingupforthetruth?ThefactisthataftertheHandynastymost
mediumsofpublicopinionwereinthehandsofprofessionalConfucians,muchmoreso
fromtheSungandYuandynastiesonwards.Thereishardlyasinglebooknotwrittenby
theseorthodoxscholars.Theyaretheonlyonestoexpressopinions.Withthe
exceptionofBuddhistsandTaoists,whowerepermittedbyimperialdecreetovoice
theiropinions,nootherheresiescouldtakeasinglestepintotheopen.Moreover,
mostmenwereverymuchinfluencedbytheConfuciansselfvauntedtractability.To
doanythingunorthodoxwastaboo.Soeventhosewhorealizedthetruthwerenot
preparedtogiveuptheirlivesforit.Everyoneknewthatawomancouldloseher
chastityonlythroughaman.Stilltheywentonblamingthewomanalone,whiletheman
whodestroyedawidowsreputationbymarryingherortheruffianwhoforcedhertodie
unchastewaspassedoverinsilence.Men,afterall,aremoreformidablethanwomen,
andtobringsomeonetojusticeisharderthantoutterpraise.Afewmenwithsome
senseoffairplay,itistrue,suggestedmildlythatitwasunnecessaryforgirlstofollow
theirbetrothedintothegravebuttheworlddidnotlistentothem.Hadtheypersisted,
theywouldhavebeenthoughtintolerableandtreatedlikeunchastewomensothey
turnedtractableandheldtheirpeace.Thisiswhytherehasbeennochangerightup
tillnow.
(Ishouldmentionhere,however,thatamongthepresentchampionsofchastityare
quiteafewpeoplewhomIknow.Iamsuretherearegoodmenamongthemandthey
havethebestintentions,buttheirwayofsavingsocietyiswrong.Togonorththeyhave
headedwest.Andwecannotexpectthem,justbecausetheyaregood,tobeableto
endupnorthbygoingduewest.SoIhopetheywillturnback.)

Thenthereisanotherquestion.

Isitdifficulttobechaste?Theansweris,very.Itisbecausemenknowhowdifficultitis
thattheypraiseit.Publicopinionhasalwaystakenitforgrantedthatchastitydepends
uponthewoman.Thoughamanmayseduceawoman,heisnotbroughttobook.IfA

(aman)makesadvancestoB(awoman)butsherejectshim,thensheischaste.Ifshe
diesintheprocess,sheisagloriousmartyrAsnameisunsulliedandsociety
undefiled.If,ontheotherhand,BacceptsA,sheisunchasteagainAsnameis
unsullied,butshehasloweredthetoneofsociety.Thishappensinothercasestoo.A
countrysdownfall,forinstanceisalwaysblamedonwomen.Willynillytheyhave
shoulderedthesinsofmankindformorethanthreethousandyears.Sincemenarenot
broughttobookandhavenosenseofshame,theygoonseducingwomenjustasthey
please,whilewriterstreatsuchincidentsasromantic.Soawomanisbesetbydanger
oneveryside.Withtheexceptionofherfather,brothersandhusband,allmenare
potentialseducers.ThatiswhyIsayitisdifficulttobechaste.

Isitpainfultobechaste?Theansweris,very.Itisbecausemenknowhowpainfulitis
thattheypraiseit.Everyonewantstolive,yettobecomeamartyrmeanscertaindeath
thisneedsnoexplanation.Achastewidowliveson,however.Wecantakehergrief
forgranted,butherphysicalexistenceisalsoahardone.Ifwomenhadindependent
meansandpeoplehelpedeachother,awidowcouldmanageonherownbut
unfortunatelythereverseisthecaseinChina.Soifshehasmoneysheisallright,if
sheispoorshecanonlystarvetodeath.Andnottillshehasstarvedtodeathwillshe
behonouredandhernamerecordedinthelocalhistory.Invariablytherecordsof
differentdistrictscontainafewsectionsheadedWomenMartyrs,alineorhalfaline
foreach.TheymaybecalledChao,Chien,SunorLi,butcarestoreadaboutthem?
Eventhegreatmoralistswhohaveworshippedchastityalltheirlivesmaynotbeableto
tellyouoffhandthenamesofthefirsttenmartyrsoftheirhonourabledistrict,soaliveor
deadsuchwomenarecutofffromtherestoftheworld.ThatiswhyIsayitispainfulto
bechaste.

Inthatcase,isitlesspainfulnottobechaste?No,thatisverypainfultoo.Sincethe
publiclooksdownonsuchwomen,theyaresocialoutcasts.Manyofthetenets
carelesslyhandeddownbytheancientsarecompletelyirrational,yettheweightof
traditionandnumberscancrushundesirablecharacterstodeath.Godknowshowmany
murderstheseanonymous,unconsciousassassinhavecommittedsinceancienttimes,
includingthemurderofthosechastewomen.Theyarehonouredaftertheirdeath,
though,bymentioninthelocalhistories,whileunchastewomenareabusedby
everyoneduringtheirlifetimeandsuffermeaninglesspersecution.ThatiswhyIsayitis
alsoverypainful.

Arewomenthemselvesinfavourofchastity?Theansweris:No,theyarenot.All
humanbeingshavetheiridealsandhopes.Whetherhighorlow,theirlifemusthavea
meaning.Whatbenefitsothersaswellasoneselfisbest,butatleastweexpectto

benefitourselves.Tobechasteisdifficultandpainful,orprofitneighttoothersnorto
oneself,sotosaythatwomenareinfavourofitisreallyunreasonable.Henceifyou
meetayoungwomanandinallsinceritybeghertobecomeamartyr,shewillflyintoa
passion,andyoumayevenreceiveablowfromtherespectedfistofherfather,brothers
orhusband.Neverthelessthispracticepersists,supportedasitisbytraditionand
numbers.Yetthereisnoonebutfearsthisthingchastity.Womenfeartobecrucified
byit,whilemenfearfortheirnearestanddearest.ThatiswhyIsaynooneisinfavour
ofit.

Onthebasisofthefactsandreasonsstatedabove,Iaffirmthattobechasteis
exceedinglydifficultandpainful,favouredbynoone,ofprofitneithertoothersnor
oneself,ofnoservicetothestateorsociety,andofnovalueatalltoposterity.Ithas
lostanyvigourithadandallreasonforexisting.

FinallyIhaveonelastquestion.

Ifchastityhaslostanyvigourithadanallreasonforexisting,arethesufferingsof
chastewomencompletelyinvain?Myansweris:Theystilldeservecompassion.These
womenaretobepitied.Trappedfornogoodreasonbytraditionandnumbers,theyare
sacrificedtonopurpose.Weshouldholdagreatmemorialserviceforthem.

Aftermourningforthedead,wemustsweartobepure,intelligent,brave,aspiringand
progressive.Wemusttearoffeverymask.Wemustdoawaywithallthestupidityand
tyrannyintheworldwhichinjureothersaswellasourselves.

Aftermourningforthedead,wemustsweartogetridofthemeaninglesssuffering
whichblightsourlives.Wemustdoawaywithallthestupidityandtyrannywhichcreate
andrelishthesufferingsofothers.

Wemustalsosweartoseetoitthatallmankindknowlegitimatehappiness.

July1918