傳統女教主要是基于儒家五經所建構的"內/外"模式來規訓女性的言行舉止與生活空間,而隨著女教理論的發展,儒家修身學說逐步被移植并被用以型塑女子之德性。其中,"女四書"因其作者本身為女性,鮮明體現了女性對于禮教的自覺認同與"內卷化"特征,甚至表現出"立命"與"安身"相統一的趨勢。然而從唐代的《女論語》開始,在儒家的心性修養體系日漸深入女教理論的同時,作者已不滿于《女誡》以來將女性圈囿于家庭之內的角色定位與倫理束縛,表達出了參與公共事務的強烈意愿與完善個人道德、安頓終極關懷的訴求。換言之,先秦乃至兩漢的女教理論著意將女子型塑為"女子",而唐代以降,女性的性別意識逐漸覺醒并致力于打破這一閫域,而力爭成為"女君子"乃至"君子",并因此產生了女性個體訴求與儒家傳統禮教之間的矛盾。這一沖突在明清時期達至巔峰,從而呈現出禮俗互動的多重影像。

The traditional theory of female education is mainly based on the "inside/outside"mode constructed by Confucian five classics to discipline women′s behavior and living space.Along with the development of female education theory,Confucian doctrine was gradually transplanted to shape the virtue of females.Among the female educational masterpieces,NüSishu(The Confucian Four Books for Women)clearly embodied their female authors′conscious identity of Confucianist teachings and even showed a unifying trend of anshen(finding an anchor)and liming(entrusting one′s spirit).But with Confucian moral cultivation thought going deep into female educational theory,the authors grew dissatisfied with the role definition and ethical constraints of Confucianist teachings since the Former Han Dynasty,expressing their strong will of participating in public affairs and self-accomplishment since Nü Lunyu(The Analects for Women).In other words,the female education theory from the Pre-Qin Dynasty to the Han Dynasty were intended to mold females into"virtuous and submissive women",but female authors with gender consciousness were committed to breaking the rules and strived to become "NüJunzi(female Confucian gentlemen)"or even "Junzi".That led to a contradiction between the individual appeal of females and the traditional Confucian ethics.The conflict reached its peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,from which we can see the multiple images of the interaction of etiquette and customs at that time.