| Chapter 6: | New and Old Elements on the Centrality of Self |
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troubles of everyday life to those pertaining to the military, from matters of political and administrative relevance to judicial cases, and so on. Arguably, this practical notion of wisdom has broadened the meaning of the corresponding Confucian virtue, recalling the legacy of the School of Strategy (bingjia 兵家) on the one hand, and some of the ideas of Wang Yangming’s school on the other.93
The awareness of the complexities of personality emerges also from the ritual of self-portrait by some heroines, most notably those in The Peony Pavilion (Mudan Ting) and Karmic Bonds of Reincarnation (Zaisheng Yuan 再生緣). This is another process in the search for the self: the expression of unfulfilled desires that cannot be fully controlled by social and gender norms, the path for one’s uniqueness and authenticity, behind lovesickness and filial piety. As Zou Ying argues:
Although one could explain the painter’s consternation as springing from dismay over the imminent separation from her parents, Meng Lijun’s self-pity makes the situation more ambiguous. While finishing the second portrait, she sighs, “Meng Lijun, you have such a beautiful face, but why are you so ill-fated?” This immediately calls to mind the sentimental clichés of yearning for love. Yet, it also seems to suggest a more general, deeper sense of lack or absence. This is further illustrated by Meng Lijun’s irritation at the portrait’s failure to capture her character. Unable to find an appropriate way to represent her uniqueness, she asks herself repeatedly, “how can I portray myself?” She feels ambivalence and uncertainty as she struggles to achieve an intelligible and authentic form of self-representation. When the third portrait is finally produced, it seems perfect—but perhaps too perfect for her to accept. Again, she doubts the painting’s authenticity, and gains more confidence in it only upon receiving her maidservant’s note of approval. The difference between the painting and its subject is repeatedly expressed.94
Even in the “talent and beauty” genre, which was far from the radical writings of the Taizhou School, characters are presented with a sense of themselves, as self-asserting and self-determined individuals. There are