Preview of Spring Moon Summary:

Clearly the clash between the old way of life and the new is the dominant theme of Spring Moon. At the heart of the conflict is the ancient patriarchal way of life that takes its cues from the Confucian ideals of filial piety, humility and submissiveness in women, the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, the virtue of yielding gracefully rather than breaking, the importance of preserving the family's good name at whatever cost to its individual members. Spring Moon, the central character, who has grown up sheltered and pampered in the richly appointed Chang courts, epitomizes the old China. Although educated like a man by a doting uncle, she nevertheless subscribes wholeheartedly to the tenets of Confucian conformity and to the importance of upholding familial honor even at the expense of personal needs and desires. In one of the most compelling ironies of the novel, Lustrous...