Week 5 Anaylsis: "Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger"

Love is a Lost Treasure

The theme of sacrifice love appears to fill the entire ambience of the novel. However, underneath the surface is the truth love is a defeated foe when it comes to money.

At first look, Master Li, is smitten by Du Tenth, for no other explanation than he has never encountered a woman, not to mention, she was beautiful and sexually experienced. One can see that Master Li, being unable to pass the civil service examine, is not so bright and foolishly falls in love with a prostitute. Luckily for Master Li, Du Tenth was an honorable woman despite her misfortune of being a made a courtesan at the age of thirteen, “Tenth, knowing how greedy and unjust her madam was, had long been meaning to go straight,” even the “the ancient’s said, “friendship based on profit grows cold when profit runs dry,” but this was not the case with Tenth. She had a genuine fondness for Master Li and knew that there were more valuable things in the world than money.  From these entries, one could theorize that Du Tenth was probably was forced or manipulated into becoming a prostitute because of her families low financial position. 

Du Tenth Madame’s only concern was money. “It’s to the point where your old lady’s household is running on nothing but wind” (502). She had no tolerance or regard for Master Li or the fact that he had spent a substantial amount of money and was now broke and without honor. She pretended to care about Tenth and Li’s love, realizing that Li would be incapable of purchasing Tenth’s freedom and his shame would rid them of his return. Had Master Li came short of cash, the Madame would have never let her most compensated whore. When Li met her demands of three hundred taels, she had in mind to renege, despite the promise she made to let Tenth.

At first, Liu Yuchun, believed that Tenth’s affections towards his young master was a ploy to dispose of him because he had no money. Suggesting, regardless of the possibility of marriage the Madame or Tenth would demand a noteworthy monetary payout, “That Du Mei is the number-one courtesan in the pleasure district. If she wanted to go straight, wouldn’t there have to be a marriage gift of ten measures of pearls and a good thousand in silver” (504)? It was not until he saw how Tenth gave Li her odd coins worth one hundred and fifty taels. “Yuchun said, astounded, “this is truly a woman with sincere intentions” (505). 

In the end, after the kindness Liu Yuchun demonstrated towards Li, after seeing how Tenth sacrificed everything for him, and even seeing what appeared to be the extreme generosity of Tenth’s sisters from the quarters, Master Li, only considered himself.  He had no appreciation for the loyalty and love that Tenth had shown him. Not only did Tenth sacrifice everything for Li, she also provided for them both, never used him, and never took a gander at him as an absurd man who swindled all his money for a prostitute. However, all she received was a foolish man with no backbone or honor. Tenth saved everything she received from the wealthy men who took pleasure from her so that she could one day be free from the appalling position of a courtesan, only to be bartered for a measly thousand taels by her true love- “My friend Sun is name Fu, a salt merchant from Xin ‘an. He is a stylish young fellow. During the night he heard the clear tones of your voice, and thus inquired about you. I told him your background, as well as the reasons making my return home difficult. He has it in mind to take you in for one thousand taels” (514).  Furthermore, the box that contained her life’s investment was full of rare and valuable jewels of great value. She had intended to use it all to return Li home in style so that he would not be shamed (515). What a pity of a man! In the end, money won, and the genuine fortune of love was lost forever.

Menglong. Feng“Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” The Norton Anthology World Literature. Martin Puchner. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 497-517. Book.