Allegorical Device
Chinese allegorical devices, as defined by Erich Auerbach, are "something real and historical which announces something else that is also real and historical...the relation between the two events is related by an accord or similarity". There are obvious parallels between Cai Wenji's story and that of Gaozong's mother, the Empress Dowager Wei (衛太后), who was captured along with the rest of the imperial clan and held hostage in the north. She was not released until a peace treaty was concluded between the Song Dynasty and the Jurchens in 1142. Despite its allegorical development derived from Cai Wenji's story, her image today reverberates primarily with the feeling of sorrow.
Read more about this topic: Eighteen Songs Of A Nomad Flute
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