A Study Of Khmer Ideal Women Image In Cambodian Poem "The Chbab Srey"

The Chbab Srey,written by the Cambodian monk Moun Mai around the middle of the 19 th century,is one of the most important masterpieces of traditional Cambodian poetry,and it has become popular and widely disseminated in Cambodia.It is written from the point of view of a mother’s instructions and explanations to her soon-to-be-married daughter,teaching her the knowledge and moral principles they need to master when they start a family,and thus bringing out the requirements women need to follow in each stage of their lives,creating a typical image of the Khmer ideal woman.Every Cambodian woman can read and study the Chbab Srey to find her own "desirable" feminine qualities in the Khmer ideal female image and strictly follow the behavioral guidelines set forth in the Chbab Srey in order to become a woman loved by society.Although it is a literary work,it has had a substantial impact on Cambodian society.Under the guidance and instruction of The Chbab Srey,many people in Cambodian society have adopted the Khmer ideal female image as the universal standard for women.It can be seen that The Chbab Srey contains the will of the creator as well as her class to discipline specific groups of Cambodian society.This is the intent of the Khmer ideal female image in the Commandments,which is to instruct and discipline Cambodian women in all aspects of their physical activities,including speech and behavior,and ultimately to make Cambodian women "more obedient and useful" through various means of discipline.If we look deeper into the causes of discipline,we can find that the legitimacy of creating the ideal female figure becomes clear through historical,political and cultural factors.The discipline can make Cambodian women’s subservient to the ruling class,which is necessary to maintain the interests of the ruling class and is also a requirement of social values.Using the Khmer ideal female image in the Chbab Srey as a vehicle is one of the feasible ways to maintain a stable order in Cambodia.Based on this,this thesis intends to analyze the formation and causes of the Khmer ideal female image in The Chbab Srey by summarizing and analyzing the types of Khmer ideal female image proposed in The Chbab Srey,taking Foucault’s theory of "disciplinary power" as a reference,and discussing it in the context of Cambodian society,analyzing the formation of the Khmer ideal female image in The Chbab Srey and its impact on society.On this basis,the development of the Khmer ideal female image in contemporary times will be briefly analyzed.This thesis will focus on the traditional Cambodian poem "The Chbab Srey" and study its impact on Cambodian society since its birth,in an attempt to reveal the harsh demands Cambodian women have been facing and to explore the hidden power discourse behind the Chbab Srey in order to provide a reference for understanding Cambodian literature and Cambodian women.