ABSTRACT
The myth stems from the time in which the First Emperor continued to add to the building of the Great Wall, intended to defend against predatory attacks by nomads. Chinese farmers are recruited from all over the country to build the wall. A young married farmer is among them. His wife, Meng Jiangnu, worries about him, so she makes him warm clothes and shoes. Apparently, the Emperor cannot resist Meng Jiangnu’s power when he meets her in person. On the one hand, Meng Jiangnu’s power is expressed in her actions and, on the other hand, in her tears as she mourns the death of her husband. Meng Jiangnu’s exact feelings are covered up, hidden away, but they can be deduced from the end of the story: her suicide. The lovers in the Meng Jiangnu stories are only allowed to spend a little time together.
