Marina Warners The Dragon Empress Essay -- Marina Warner The Dragon E

Marina Warners The Dragon Empress At the age of sixteen, the beautiful and elegant Tzu-hsi entered the Forbidden City in Peking. The daunting walls, wonderful buildings and massive pillars loomed around her as she walked deeper and deeper into its confines. She entered the palace as a timid young girl, but it was from within these walls that she would keep her claws around all of mainland China. Marina Warner describes the life of this ruthless enchantress in The Dragon Empress, an essential read for understanding Chinese culture during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Tzu-hsi, similarly known as the empress dowager, rule all of China from 1861 to 1908. It is amazing that a woman ruled over 400 million people during this time. She began as a courtesan in the emperor moths court, but after bearing a male heir she quickly gained power. After the death of the emperor and the death of her son, Tzu-hsi appointed her nephew to the throne. She quickly bec ame displease with him, however, and took all the power for herself. Tzu-hsi hated the outside powers who were carving up China for themselves, so she encouraged the Boxer Rebellion. The Boxers attacked foreigners in an attempt to get them to leave. Tzu-hsi also tried to keep China traditional and hated modernization. She was a very powerful and cunning woman who manipulated those around her. The book begins with the birth of Tzu-hsi in 1835 and goes on to explain her family situation. It describes her path to power and how she manipulated the eunuchs in the palace to act as her spies and personal confidants. From the circumstances of her birth to her fatal fight with dysentery, Tzu-hsis life is depict in great detail within the... ...cited, so it is a great tool in understanding Tzu-hsi. However, I would have believed Marina more if she cited personal accounts of Chinese people who lived during Tzu-hsis time. I would like to know how the people of China really felt, and if it is how Marina describes it. Despite any inherent weaknesses in the book, Marina Warner has done an incredible hypothesize bringing the story of Tzu-hsi and a vivid image of China to the world. The photographs that she placed in this book depict court life and compliment the book well. Marinas mastery of words allows her to paint the scenes of Tzu-hsis life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in discovering the intimate details of Tzu-hsis life, her road to power, and China at the turn of the century. Works CitedWarner, Marina. The Dragon Empress. New York Atheneum, 1986.