Chinese classical poetry - Essay Example

Ying-yings Story" by Yuan Zhen is a love story which does not end happily for everybody involved. The affair is started by the man in the story, Zhang, and despite this Ying-ying falls deeply in love with him. When he abandons her she is struck with grief and it seems as though she will die. However, despite Zhangs callous abandoning of her, and the excuses he gives for his behavior, Ying-ying finally gets her revenge and manages to retake control over her own life. At the beginning of the story, as well, Ying-ying is a strong-willed character.

After Zhang first meets her and falls in love with her, he tries to get in touch with her but her maid says it will not happen. So Zhang writes her two poems explaining his feelings. Ying-yings response seems to suggest that he should sneak in at night and visit her, but when he does she yells at him, rebuking him for being so selfish and so uncaring about other peoples lives. She tells him he should be ashamed and tells him he should not "sink to the point where you molest people," which she says he has done with his poetry (543).

For some reason, though, Ying-ying then decides to go to his house and sleep with him. The reasons for this are not entirely clear, unless she has actually fallen in love with him through his poetry despite her harsh words the night before. It might also have something to do with the intent of the story on the authors behalf, since at the end of it he claims that women are full of lust and "will inevitably cast a curse on others if they dont do the same to themselves" (548). So it seems that Zhang is completely uncaring about Ying-yings fate, and strangely he seems to think that he is the victim, not her.

Despite all these attempts to snub Ying-ying and oppress her, she does get the last laugh and ultimately maintains control over her own life. In her final letter to Zhang she sends him three objects which, although she claims they will represent her love and her good wishes for Zhang, actually seem to be rebuking him again. She says that the jade ring is supposed to teach the lesson of "what is firm and lustrous," and we have seen that Zhang is not this and Ying-ying is (546). The other two items she sends also represent her own feelings and seem to insult him for his lack of care for others.

After the letter a year passes and both of them marry someone else. This suggests that Ying-ying was actually not all that upset and managed to move on with her life. However, when Zhang tries to see her and she refuses he is upset and it even shows "on his face" (549). The two poems she writes for him them are rebukes of his thoughtlessness again, just like the earlier letter and her verbal insults at the start of the piece. Ultimately, although Zhang does try to victimize Ying-ying, she manages to escape his abandonment and keep control of her own life.