Raise the Red Lantern: Cultural Context - Essay Example

In analyzing the role of Songlian, the film uses her character to depict the role of women in the traditional Chinese tradition. Songlian is placed in a homestead that houses mistresses (Yimou, 1991). The house is owned by Master Chen who has four mistresses. Songlian is the fourth mistress. Her arrival in the house was well prepared for as she was pampered. However, this was not the case for all mistresses in the house. Each mistress was pampered upon request by the master (Yimou, 1991). For this reason, there was competition for the mistress who could capture the attention of the master.

As a woman, Songlian was subjected to discrimination. Firstly, her marriage to Master Chen was the only way that she could be accepted in society. A married woman could be more respected than a woman who could not. This argument could be justified by the fact that Songlian and other mistresses were content with their position. However, this exposed them to dangers and risky moments. For instance, Songlian is punished for lying about her pregnancy. At the end of the film, she is almost going mad due to her tribulations under Master Chen (Yimou, 1991). One may point out that marriage in the form of ownership was responsible for the poor life led by Songlian.

Songlian was also from a poor background which made her more vulnerable. From her family’s perspective, her marriage to Master Chen was the only hope for the family. In addition, her family could not able to protect her vulnerability at the hand of Master Chen due to their class differences. For this reason, Songlian was required to submit and be respectful to her husband regardless of her living conditions. Her dowry payment gave her husband the right to control her life completely.

From the film, it is an obvious assumption that Songlian’s gender and social class made her very vulnerable. In addition, the traditional Chinese culture did not provide much hope for women. The culture had mandatory requirements for women. For instance, a woman did not have the freedom to question a decision made by their husband. Disobeying their husband would lead to punishment. Songlian needed to adapt to the culture and develop a personality that would favor her existence in her community. This, however, put her in a vulnerable position. Her condition at the end of the film depicts the risks that her community subjected her to. Read More