The Research Of Muyizhuan In Liu Xiang’s Lienüzhuan

The book Lien(?)zhuan compiled by Liu Xiang is the first female biography in ancient China.The first volume Muyizhuan took Muyi as the theme,writing biographies for eighteen model mothers,with a total of fifteen biographies.When selecting biographical characters,Liu Xiang took into account the ambiguity of mother’s identity and carefully demonstrated the different problems that mothers may face at different stages with a relatively relaxed standard.In terms of content,most of the biographies focused on education stories of mother to son in the aristocratic class,ignoring the inheritance of knowledge and experience among women.In terms of structure,like the other six volumes of Lien(?)zhuan,Muyizhuan had a well-organized structure,and at the same time it was flexible and can be adjusted at any time according to the specific content.And there were multiple themes of power hidden in the stories of Muyi,such as mother and son,husband and wife,and obedience to father and husband.The identity orientation,language description and gender role construction of Muyizhuan’s figures constantly strengthened the mother’s responsibility in family and education for future generations.Mothers appeared in the stories as wise and reliable figures,playing the role of educator,carer and assistant.Under the joint influence of Liu Xiang’s literary style,gender awareness and personal intentions,the figures of mothers showed limited subjectivity.When individual expressing desire beyond the border of gender,the figure of Muyi also became the figure of Liu Xiang.Muyizhuan,divided by mother’s identity into an independent volume,occupying the opening position of the book and having a leading position in Lien(?)zhuan,echoed Niebizhuan inside and Xiaozizhuan outside.It also had a profound impact on later literature and women meanwhile.The stories of Muyi left precious female historical materials,provided narrative examples,and provided explanatory space for female education.Muyi has gradually become an important theme in literary works and an evaluation criterion for women.