Analysis of the status and role of women in families through the female characters in Chinese literature, The Plum in the Golden Vase (金瓶梅) Thai edition by Jacob

Abstract

This research focuses on the study of character presentation strategies and to analyse the status and role of women in families through the female characters in Chinese literature, The Plum in the Golden Vase (金瓶梅) Thai edition by Jacob, published publically by Sripanya Publishing House in 2017. In which studies of three female characters with clear status and roles: (1) Pan Jinlian (潘金莲), the other edition she is known as Pua Kim Nuea or Nang Bua Kam. (2) Li Ping’er (李瓶儿), or known in other names as Nang Li Pang or Huai Li Pang (3) Pang Chun Mei (庞春梅), or known as Nang Chun Buay. The results of this research indicated that character representation techniques could be divided into 2 techniques including the character described directly from the author and character described indirectly from in-universe conversation. In both techniques, the author needs to convey the personality, behavior, appearance, status, and role of the woman towards her family, which is the role of a wife. The author is representing the human nature of possessing lustful desire and ambition, driving the character to have immoral behavior such as murder and dishonest of own husband. The status and role of the maid is representing how women was being inferior to men in both family and society