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Book 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Analects, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Self-Restraint
Honesty and Integrity
The Individual vs. The Collective
Self-Mastery, Discipline, and Improvement
Summary
Analysis
When he is in the village, Confucius is submissive and not particularly well-spoken. When he is in the ancestral temple, he is very articulate but takes his words very seriously. When he speaks with low-ranking counsellors, Confucius is kind and friendly. When he speaks with higher ranking counsellors, he is sincere and respectful.
The fact that Confucius is submissive and quiet even though he is a very wise man—and the fact that he’s willing to treat low-ranking counsellors with respect—showcases his humility. Rather than trying to control or preach to villagers, he acts as their peer. His humility shows his dedication to the collective and his renunciation of the individual ego.
Themes
During periods of purification, Confucius wears a cheap house robe. He eats a simpler diet than usual and does not sit in the most comfortable place at the home.
Confucius here demonstrates his respect for periods of spiritual purification by exercising greater material restraint than usual.
Themes
Generally, the Master does not eat his fill of “polished rice” or “finely minced meat.” He also does not eat rice that has gone bad or spoiled fish or meat. He does not eat food that smells bad or that has a strange color.
This moment in the text suggests not only that Confucius exercises restraint when it comes to eating, but also that his restraint—not eating foods that have gone bad, presumably even if he is hungry—keeps him healthy.
Themes
When a friend of Confucius’s dies who has no family living, Confucius offers to give him a funeral in his own home.
This act of kindness shows how Confucius cares deeply about his community and is willing to make personal sacrifices for those he cares about.
Themes
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