Question

Background Information: This is a passage from a "self-help” book for women, written by a female teacher during the Tang dynasty.

A woman who manages the household should be thrifty and diligent. If she is diligent, the household thrives; if lazy, it declines. If she is thrifty, the household becomes enriched; if extravagant, it becomes impoverished. . . . If your husband has money and rice, store and conserve them. If he has . . . foodstuffs, save and keep them for the use of guests when they come; do not take any to indulge your own desires.

Song Ruozhao,
Analects for Women

What message is this passage sending about the role of women?

Women’s abilities determine the success of their households.
Women deserve to fulfill their own desires.
Women and their husbands are equal partners.
Women are superior to men at managing money.

Answer 1

Women’s abilities determine the success of their households.

The passage emphasizes that a woman's thriftiness and diligence directly affect whether the household thrives or declines, and instructs her to conserve resources rather than indulge personal desires.