Novel 'Jin Ping Mei'

Introduction

"Jin Ping Mei" (known in English as "The Plum in the Golden Vase" or "The Golden Lotus") is China's first modern style novel. In this case the word modern is used to describe the fact that this is an original work, Unlike "Journey to The West" and "Water Margin" (novels that were written before "Jin Ping Mei") which were largely based on folk tales and oral stories which had been around for centuries. The "Jin Ping Mei" is a stand alone novel and a work in and of itself. It has an original story line that follows a plot. This plot follows the rise and fall patterns of what we consider to be a novel. It has all the other elements that make up a modern novel, such as written dialogue and plot devices. All the separate parts of this book tie into the main plot, much like how there are often subplots and a main plot in what modern readers enjoy.

Historical Background

This novel was probably written during the middle of Wangli's reign, between 1573 and 1620 AD. This book, or parts of it at least,is first mentioned, in the 1590's. The first mention of the entire book comes somewhere around 1606. The Golden Lotus was first released in 1610 as a wood block stamped form. Earlier versions where handwritten.

The Mid Ming Dynasty was full of social and moral issues. The officials and merchants where all to often corrupt and power hungry. To understand fully why this novel came about it is important to look at the history of the Ming Dynasty. Founded by Zhu Yuanzhang, a man of humble origins who later assumed the name Emperor Hongwu, the Ming became known as not only one of the most stable dynasties, but also one of the most autocratic(Britannica: Ming Dynasty).

The novel is obviously a cultural satire of the situation of China at this point in time. It is filled with allusions to the social constructs and problems of the times. The story is set in the end of the Song Dynasty, but the society it reveals is pure mid Ming dynasty. This is one of the reasons the author remained anonymous. The novel is filled with things that could have angered rulers of the day or members of society. It is often seen as a commentary of the lifestyle of the time, displaying the problems of society for all to see. The anonymity of the author can also probably be attributed to the explicit nature of the novel and how many would react to such a thing. Through describing the main character and his actions in the Song Dynasty, the novel reflects the real life of the mid-Ming Dynasty, when power-wielding officials and merchants came together to oppress and exploit the people and to gain for themselves through illegal means(Cultural China).

Main Characters

• Ximen Qing (西門慶 ) He is a rich, ex military official. He is also a merchant (he owns a pharmaceutical warehouse)and, at first, he holds a minor political post. Later he is promoted. If he had a personal motto in life, it would probably be "Wine Women and Song". He and his good friends are constantly out visiting the town's "entertainment" areas.
• Wu Yueh Niang �“Moon Lady”�. She is Ximen's 1st wife and she is not a very "strong" person. As long as there is peace in the house, she is happy.
• Pan Jinlian (潘金蓮)“Golden Lotus”. For most of the story she is one of Ximen's wives, number 5. She is constantly fighting with the 6th wife.
• Li Ping'er (李瓶兒) "Little Vase". She is Ximen Qing's 6th wife, and she is his favorite. She is also the mother of his only son. She is the "Ping" (or "Vase") of the title.
• Pang Chunmei (龐春梅,) "Spring plum blossoms”. She is the servant, and partner in crime, of Pan Jinlian. She is the "Mei" (or "plum")of the title.

Secondary Characters

• Ximen Qing's 2, 3 & 4th wives.
• Other servants (Such as Heart's Desire, the nurse of

Ximen's little boy)

• Townspeople
• Assorted prostitutes, entertainers and pimps
• Various nobles and rich people
• Religious figures

and the list goes on- over 70 pages in one English translation.

The author does an amazing job of keeping track of all these people. When the story leaves one of these secondary characters, it comes back to them later and they are still in the same place where they were left.

Plot

Simply put, this is the story of Ximen Qing's family and how it falls apart. It follows the main character's through their daily activities. For much of the book, the "action" in the family centers on the rivalry of Golden Lotus and Little Vase. They are both competing for the affection's of their husband, Ximen Qing. He, on the other hand, is out on the town with his friends almost every day. He should be more concerned with his family and having more kids. But, he is only interested in having a good time.

Controversy

There are some scholars who are of the opinion that Jin Ping Mei is an elaborate allegory. Ximen represents the emperor and his wives are the squabbling ministers. This explanation doesn't fit the story though. It reads too much like real events and real people.

The other question is- "Is, this book the 5th Classic, the greatest novel of the Ming Dynasty? Or is it just another "dirty" book?" There is a great deal of sex in this book, just about every kind you can think of, and the sexual encounters are describe with the same attention to detail that every other scene is. (The first English translator, felt so uncomfortable with all the very explicit sex scenes that he translated those parts into Latin. Later editions are translated entirely into English, even the sexually explicit scenes.)

In spite of the explicit sex scenes, I do not believe that this book is designed to force the reader, to wallow in the cesspool of Ximen's life. The author seems to be just "telling it like it is". In his society, explicit sex seems to be a perfectly acceptable topic of everyday conversations.

So, how does it end?

Ximen Qing, Golden Lotus and Little Vase all die. Moon Lady finally bears a son (at the same moment as Ximen dies). Later she gives up her son to a monastery and adopts one of the other characters as Ximen's "son". She lives to be 69 years old. Little Vase slowly bleeds to death after her son dies. Golden Lotus meets up with her first husbands brother, the tiger killer from the first of the book. He is out to avenge his brother's death. Since Golden Lotus killed him (by poison), brother kills her. And Ximen Qing dies of an overdose of his aphrodisiac, and, perhaps, a sexual disease.

No, they do not "all live happily ever after".

References

Chang, Kang-I & Owen, Stephen. "The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature Volume Two From 1375". New York, Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Various English translations of "Jin Ping Mei" all accessed online.

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