The Emotional Underpinnings of Male Fidelity in Imperial China

Abstract

Although most studies of marital fidelity in imperial China have stressed the loyalty of wives to husbands, we should not ignore the complementary phenomenon of male fidelity. The affection and faithfulness of men toward their wives were repeatedly expressed as both ideal and norm. Various media conveyed messages of male fidelity, and each genre depicts men's behavior somewhat differently. Throughout time, rich traditions of discourse on the subject emerged, and discussions of male fidelity became increasingly subtle and sophisticated. Research on male fidelity provides fresh insights into the intimate emotional bonds underpinning Chinese family relations. This is an important subject of study, because it constitutes a subjective personal side to traditional Chinese ideas about marriage that allows us to get beyond public institutions and official ideology. In addition, the beliefs surrounding male fidelity provide useful background information for understanding some of the complex motivations underpinning female chastity.