In choosing a novel that correlates with topics discussed in this course, I found myself drawn to the lives of two extraordinary women. The lives of Queen Esther and Tzu Hsi, the last ruling Empress of China, were truly examples of both diversity and adversity. While Imperial Woman and Esther represented vastly different lands and time periods, their biographies included aspects of diversity in society.
Although each woman's life varied, there were aspects of their lives that seemed to parallel. Both represented the female race in a world where women's rights and position in society differed from culture to culture. Historically, women have represented the inferior gender.
In addition to their inferiority of gender, both rose from lower classes or ethnic groups in their respective societies of ancient Persia and China. Born in the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty, at 17 years of age, Tzu Hsi was sent to the Forbidden City to become one of the Emporer's hundreds of concubines. Enslaved and brought to the land of Persia, Esther was not only Jewish, but an orphan as well. While Imperial Woman is considered historical fiction, the stories of this Persian queen and Chinese Empress displayed various attributes of our diverse world.
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