名教中自有女性樂地？──蕭麗紅《桂花巷》對女性社會身份之疏解考詮

Can Female feel joyful in Confucian code? Xiao Li-Hong Gui-hua lane toward the deconstruction of femininal social roles

本文以蕭麗紅《桂花巷》為文本，探討書中女主角一生自光緒十四年到民國四十八年止（西元1888－1959年），名教對女性命運的影響與當代女性對自身生命歷程的體悟。傳統中國婦女自幼需纏足、精女紅、善於整理家務，遵循三從四德的規範，生存在這樣父權體制裡的女性，受文化薰陶與環境氛圍影響，信服禮教並從中尋求安身立命之依託，因此對禮教從身體的實踐力行至心靈的心悅誠服，服膺禮教的態度亦如傳統士大夫「名教中自有樂地」之精神。《桂花巷》主角高剔紅出生在一條名為「桂花巷」的貧困之家，巧的是後來也嫁入一條以「桂花巷」為名的富貴人家。蕭麗紅以桂花巷寓意傳統禮教，房子象徵女子的一生，剔紅一生全住在桂花巷裡，女性一生皆遵循禮教。蕭氏雖以女性觀點書寫《桂花巷》，但並不批判禮教對當時代女性是一種箝制；蕭以理解、同情的角度去闡發一代有一代的文化背景，男性與女性各有其義務與責任，女性對自身社會身份的體悟與理解亦是當代女性要務之一，似指稱女性服膺禮教並非盲目的服從，而是對文化的認同與尋求生命的價值，在文化異同中，不能以今而律古。

This article take Xiao Li-Hong ”Gui-hua lane” as the text, discussing a lady's life from the A.D. for 1888-1959 year. It mentions that how Confucian code influence the female and how the female understanding their life course. The Chinese traditional female had to bind the feet since childhood, were asked to be good at needlework and housework in such an environment where the female were forced to obey the moral rules and have virtue behavior. Those women can find value of life by Confucianism code, just similar to Chinese traditional scholar's spirit, who can feel joyful in Confucian code. The lead in ”Gui-hua lane” named Kao Ti-Hong was born in a poor family in Gui-hua lane; afterwards, was also married to a rich family in Gui-hua lane. Xiao Li-Hong takes Gui-hua lane as the implication of tradition Confucianism, the house symbolizes woman's life. The lead Kao Ti-Hong lives in Gui-hua lane and obeys Confucianism through the whole life. Although Xiao Li-Hong writes ”Gui-hua lane” in the feminine viewpoint, but she does not criticize the judgment to emphasize the restriction on female in Confucian code because she thinks that a generation has its own cultural context. Hence, Xiao describes the female's realizing of their own social status under the Confucian code through a rational and sympathy way. The female to own social status realizing from experience with the understanding also is one of contemporary feminine important matters, therefore the female obeys the Confucianism by no means blind obedience, but is with seeks the life to the cultural approval the value. We cannot judgment by the nowadays viewpoint, because the cultural have similarities and differences.