preview

The Three Wives Summary

Decent Essays

See bases the story of the book behind the three women who wrote The Three Wives’ Commentary. The book is split into three different parts, one part for each wife. The first wife, Peony, is the first to be brought to the light. She grew up in a wealthy family and was born after the fall of the Ming Dynasty. Peony is soon to turn 16 and is already betrothed to a suitor that her father has chosen for her, as followed by tradition. She is infatuated by the opera: The Peony Pavilion, which she is granted to observe, along with the rest of her family, behind a curtain, since at the time, unmarried women were not supposed to be seen. All she was allowed to do was read about the opera, but when she is given the opportunity to see it for herself, she becomes extremely enthusiastic. She becomes so mesmerized and entranced by the opera that she had to take a step outside to calm herself down. While she takes a walk outside, she meets with a male stranger also decided to step out during the opera. Peony knew she wasn’t supposed to be speaking with any male that wasn’t within her family, but she fell for him the moment she saw him. The opera was so long that it took three nights to perform, so they agreed to meet each other on each night. They both knew they were to be wed to another since they were both betrothed at the time, but little did they know they were actually betrothed to each other. Peony was heartbroken at the fact that she had to marry someone who she hasn’t met, and the only person on her mind was the stranger she met. When Peony’s mother finds out she went outside the family villa, she was locked inside her room until it was time for her to be wed. Her tutors and food were brought inside her room for her since she wasn’t allowed to leave. She was forced to enhance her skills in womanly activities such as embroidery and playing of the zither, which is a stringed instrument. Not only did she receive lessons from her tutors, which were her aunts, she also read more about The Peony Pavilion, and devoted her time to reading and writing down any commentary or understanding she had to each part of the opera. She spent so much time and effort into her writing in order to take her mind off of her wedding that she

Get Access