Ranting about themes of sexism and patriarchy in JWQS because I can
(Major spoilers for JWQS and TW: Talks of sexual assault, violence against women, sexism)
Whenever I read JWQS I can't help but feel the commentary and criticism on sexuality, the treatment of women by society, and the distribution of power in gender dynamics is as much of a criticism and exploration of middle age as it is for the modern era.
This story really is able to breathe life into what life would have felt like in the Middle Ages and how complicated the social structures were.
A huge theme of the story is the caste system. How men and royals are at the top and how women are at the bottom, which is incredibly accurate to human history. Women were seen as something that was only meant to be married and birth children.
JWQS really explores these misogynistic ideas and goes hard to explore the thoughts and feelings of women enduring this. Their anger of being viewed as lesser and their autonomy being crushed because of it. And above anything else shows women overcoming these obstacles and overpowering them.
From the moment Nangong Jingnu was forced into a child marriage against her will she was expected to have been intimate with Qi Yan and produced an heir, and everyone pressured her and asked her why she had not birthed a son yet many times in the novel. Because she was born a woman she was not allowed to be involved in politics and yet she ends up becoming the powerful female emperor.
Nangong Jingnu ends up becoming the most favored child out of all of Nangong Rang's children to proceed in ruling the kingdom and ends up becoming strong. She reads and studies and is sharp and quick-witted proving herself to be both academic and skillful and worthy to take up the role of a diplomatic leader.
Before her father's illness, she took charge of involving herself in the politics of her country like when they visited the grave and the air was cold and she requested her father not have the commoners bow to them as they passed by.
Even at fifteen, she was able to take that initiative with the encouragement of Qi Yan.
As an adult, she attends the courts behind a screen to conceal her female identity, pretending to be her father because, and holds strong until she is the sole leader of China.
Qi Yan literally has to pretend to be a man her entire life to have any power in society. Even though Qi Yan has a lower status than the royals and court officials due to being of "commoner birth" she still has status above women and is allowed to be in the court just by living as a man.
(I would love to write so much about Qi Yan and her gender and the complexity JWQS explores gender identity but this post would be 5000x longer)
Nagsi Jiya is an example of a character who despite her social standing uses her sexuality, charm, and wit to gain power. She knows how to manipulate people and uses that in her favor, playing herself through the social system by using her sexuality against men. She is empowered by her sexuality. She literally sleeps with the most powerful man in all of China and becomes his most favored consort. If that isn't a massive power move I don't know what is.
By being empowered and strong-willed, Nagsi Jiya teaches Nangong Shunu that she can be the same.
Just like her younger sister, Nangong Shunu was forced into a marriage against her will. But unlike Nangong Jingnu, who ended up with someone who truly loved her, Nangong Shunu ended up with an abuser.
Nangong Shunu is assaulted on her wedding night and constantly tormented by Lu Zhongxing. He follows her around knowing full well she is afraid of him but does it to try and control her. Nangong Shunu takes long baths after she is assaulted and suffers from nightmares and panic attacks from the trauma of what he did to her.
Nagsi Jiya ends up taking sympathy upon her and does everything she can to empower Nangong Shunu, as well as protect her from Lu Zhongxing on several occasions.
It was Nagsi Jiya who told Nangong Shunu to stand up for herself.
Nagsi Jiya teaches her that she doesn't have to be restrained by the society she was born into or the social conditioning of the patriarchy, that she can be free, and that love doesn't know a gender.
The moment they rode the horse together out in the fields is symbolic of the freedom that Nagsi Jiya shows Nangong Shunu.
Horses in general are used as symbolism for freedom in JWQS.
From this relationship, even if Nagsi Jiya was just using her (for the most part), Nangong Shunu is able to overcome the control Lu Zhongxing has over her and her sexuality and is able to liberate herself and find her one true love.
Now, we have the most tragic character in the series, Xiao-Die. The series never tells us in detail what happened to her but it's clear that it was a very horrific, violent long-term abuse, both physical, emotional, and sexual.
When Qi Yan finds her she is malnourished, close to dead, and pregnant from a violent attack. Her mind is completely broken, and she lacks any lucidness from the extent of the trauma she has been through from the men who hurt her.
And despite all of the things she endured, Xiao-Die gets to be happy. Her mind and memories eventually recover and she falls in love.
Both Nangong Shunu and Xiao-Die are sexual assault survivors and despite what happened to them they were able to find someone who truly understood them and selflessly loved them.
All the female characters in this story find themselves trapped in an oppressive sexist society and how they are able to overcome every obstacle that comes their way and find their own freedom.
And so many of these themes are still relevant now when talking about sexism and oppressive social structures against women.
There are so many other themes in this series I want to rant about like discovering and coming to terms with your sexuality and queerness in general but maybe I'll save that for another time.
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