Mother of Mencius
The story starts out by talking about how Mencius’ mother wanted the best for him at a young age in order to spur his development into becoming a student of the arts. It then describes a story of Mencius’ mother teaching Mencius that when he neglects his work, he then ruins the end product of his labors. Many commented that his mother knew the way of motherhood. Mencius’ mother also taught him about being a husband and how to make it work with his wife. Finally, Mencius’ mother teaches Mencius how to be a “man” and be the head of the family saying,
“When she (the wife) is young, she must submit to her parents. After her marriage, she must submit to her husband. When she is widowed, she must submit to her son. These are the rules of propriety. Now you are an adult and I am old; therefore, whether you go depends on what you consider right, where I follow depends on the rules of propriety.”
In Chinese culture, and often historically, in America it has been men that are the head of the family making decisions and having the last word. Except in America nowadays, we see women or mothers being the head and the central figure of the family. This kind of resembles the story in the way the women make decisions for their family except the major difference was how, although Mencius’ mother was leading figure in his life, she described how she was at the will of “the rules of propriety”. Being submissive first to her parents, then her husband, and if widowed her son. The emphasis on submission is something we don’t see here in America and looked at here as a morally wrong or a taboo.