女性空間的議題是新時代的觀點。本文擬以此角度，對明代世情小說《金瓶梅詞話》文本中的「三姑六婆」做一次考察。並嘗試以人文地理學的空間觀念，將「牆」做為空間的界分點，進而探索女性生活的意義空間。期望能由不同的時代意義，重新解讀三姑六婆這群中國歷史上相當特殊的女性族群。 「三站六婆」是一句中國千古以來鄙夷女性的代用詞。也是男性排斥窄化另類女性的總結。所以本文即試圖在探索其生活空間的過程中，找出這類女性之所以被男性社會排斥的根本原因與時代思維。全文首先提出思考的重要角度，點明三姑六婆乃屬游離出社會結構系統外的牆外女性，困在價值之外，故地位低賤，值得重新給予定位。接著即對三姑六婆的逐一內容意義加以說明舉例，就這類角色的功能、特色，找出她們的共通性。並參酌時代背景，思考這時期大量姑婆們產生的社會原因與形態。分析三姑六婆與男性權力形成緊張關係的性別立場與文化意義，透過西門慶的反應而呈現出不同的價值看法。最後反省三姑六婆因受制於整個社會系統，終無法走出真正的自覺，誠為時代的無奈。然以社會的職業婦女來看，三姑六婆在社會夾縫中生存，不做主體性的放棄，這樣的尊貴立場仍是值得給予正面肯定的。

This thesis aims at exploring the various types of marginal female characters-------gossipmongers and busybodies-----in Chin Ping May, the Ming Dynasty novel of manners. I take the prospective of the physical social space divided by walls, by which the living space of these characters are defined. The Chinese term for the female gossipmongers and busybodies carries very strong connotation that debases the female sex. It sums up the male sex's rejection and narrowing this marginal female group. My paper attempts to dig out the root of this particular form of misogyny. These women, outsiders of the patriarchal social structure, defined by the domestic walls, are rendered little value. Thus they belong to the bottom of the social scale. I also analyze each type's function as well as characteristics, and the features they al1 share. Furthermore I focus on the society which produces a great number of female gossipmongers and busybodies. I analyze the tense relationship between these female characters and the patriarchal power structure in order to reveal the gender ideology embedded in the society inside the novel. Final1y I give these marginal females credits since, in spite of the fact that they fail to achieve self-awareness, with their various professions, they succeed to survive against all the odds against them.