贞节与齐家--元杂剧年老母亲的行为规范

在元杂剧中,母亲的内涵不仅在与子辈的关系中得以展现,更重要的是她还必须首先在与父亲的关系中加以确定.对于年老的母亲来说,无论夫亡去时自己年龄多大,都必须坚守贞节,不得再嫁,这是元杂剧中母亲的内涵必须在与父亲的关系中加以确定的一个重要表现.因夫亡而取得家长地位的母亲,除了在肉体和思想上都必须忠于亡夫,维护死者的利益外,还必须代其夫履行家长对整个男权文化的义务--齐家,以便实现儒家"男有分,女有归"的社会理想.

Chastity and the Rule of the Family --Older Mothers' Behavior Standard

The significance of mother lies not only in her relation with her children, but also in her relation with her husband. The mother has to maintain her chastity no matter how old she is when her husband dies. The mother who acquires the status of family head on her husband's death must stay loyal to him in both body and mind, work in his interests, and help him by fulfilling his obligation of governing the family in a patriarchal society, so as to realize the Confucian ideal of "men with duty and women with home".