Laments in Prose for Lost Wives in The Ming and Qing Eras

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00353
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02020:Chinese literature-related
• Research Institution: Nara Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Nomura Ayuko 奈良女子大学, 人文科学系, 教授 (60288660)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 哀悼文学 / 亡妻 / 墓誌銘 / 行状 / 明清文学 / 悼亡 / 亡妾

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the middle to late Tang era, some scholars contained epitaphs and funeral orations that mourned the death of their wives in their collections of works. Yet writing funeral orations was never a common practice because writing about women in their households deviated from the Confucian norm. However, in the Ming era, it almost became a rule for scholars to write epitaphs and funeral orations for their deceased wives. In addition, they started using the form of a brief biography in prose, which previously had been used solely to honor men and to commemorate their achievements. The objects of mourning have also expanded from their married wives to concubines. This research demonstrates that these developments occurred against the backdrop of a growing mentality that showed more respect and understanding for marital bonds and affections among the literati community in the Ming and Qing eras.

Free Research Field

中国文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの亡妻哀悼文学の研究はおおむね潘岳の「悼亡詩」以来、詩を中心に進展してきたが、その対象時期は宋代までにとどまっていた。亡妻（妾）の哀悼文学としては明の張岱『陶庵夢憶』や清の冒襄『影梅庵憶語』がよく知られているが、本研究は、明清の亡妻墓誌銘、亡妻行状、祭文などの散文形式の哀悼文学を通史的に考えたもので、これまでにない視点である。また、家の中の女性のことを語るべきではないという儒教の伝統的な「礼」の規範と文学による「情」の発露のせめぎ合いの間でどのように女性を語る文学が発展したか、明清における亡妻哀悼散文の流行の背景と特徴を明らかにした。