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Cited by 48Chinese history and philosophyFolklore, Mythology, and Literature StudiesHistorical, Literary, and Cultural Studies

Selfless Offspring

Knapp, Keith N.·2017·University of Hawaii Press eBooks
DOI 10.1515/9780824874551
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Abstract

Both Western and Chinese intellectuals have long derided filial piety tales as an absurd and grotesque variety of children’s literature. Selfless Offspring offers a fresh perspective on the genre, revealing the rich historical worth of these stories by examining them in their original context: the tumultuous and politically fragmented early medieval era (A.D. 100–600). At a time when no Confucian virtue was more prized than filial piety, adults were moved and inspired by tales of filial children. The emotional impact of even the most outlandish actions portrayed in the stories was profound, a measure of the directness with which they spoke to major concerns of the early medieval Chinese elite. In a period of weak central government and powerful local clans, the key to preserving a household’s privileged status was maintaining a cohesive extended family. Keith Knapp begins this far-ranging and persuasive study by describing two related historical trends that account for the narrative’s popularity: the growth of extended families and the rapid incursion of Confucianism among China’s learned elite. Extended families were better at maintaining their status and power, so patriarchs found it expedient to embrace Confucianism to keep their large, fragile households intact. Knapp then focuses on the filial piety stories themselves—their structure, historicity, origin, function, and transmission—and argues that most stem from the oral culture of these elite extended families. After examining collections of filial piety tales, known as Accounts of Filial Children, he shifts from text to motif, exploring the most common theme: the "reverent care" and mourning of parents. In the final chapter, Knapp looks at the relative burden that filiality placed on men and women and concludes that, although women largely performed the same filial acts as men, they had to go to greater extremes to prove their sincerity.

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Authors
Knapp, K. N.
Corresponding author
Knapp, Keith N.
ORCID
Knapp, Keith N.
Venue
University of Hawaii Press eBooks
Publisher
University of Hawaii Press
Published
2017-12-18
DOI
10.1515/9780824874551
OpenAlex
W4233397999
Cited by
48
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI
8.46
Type
book
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
University of Hawaii Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Chinese history and philosophy
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Classics › Historical, Literary, and Cultural Studies
Keywords
filial piety tales, early medieval China, Confucianism, extended family, patriarchal authority, orality, children's literature, Chinese elites

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