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from PART II - GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND THE BODY
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
Her body is pure, her heart is settled, and moral principles are upheld. Growing up, she obeyed her parents’ original instruction. Following their original instructions, she guarded against her own feelings. “Not violating [parents’ wishes]” means not breaching moral principles. The words of her betrothal came from her parents. Bringing no blemish to her body and no disgrace to her parents, The key to upholding her will is determination. She would die if her will was taken away; if it prevailed, she would live. Because her will could not be taken away, she took her life.
Poem by a faithful maiden in praise of a faithful maiden's suicide, Qing dynasty, eighteenth century (Weijing Lu 2008:148)One day I was called in to show my goods to a family where the daughter was to be married. I saw her. She was not beautiful, but was well grown and pleasant to look upon. A month later I heard that she was dead. She had taken opium. Her family had sold her to a wealthy man of the town for a concubine.
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