Castration

Castration: acceptable or maniacal
Castration has been around for centuries and is no stranger to cultures nationwide. Castration is known as neutering the male genitals. In the text, Sima Qian is punished for publically expressing his opinions in contrast to the emperor. His punishment was both humiliating and excruciating. Sima Qian was castrated and in china undergoing that sort of punishment was unacceptable. Men would have rather taken their lives then risk having their honor blemished. To endure such a penalty warranted disgrace and embarrassment and in a society that prided honor and virtue this was considered suicide within its own realm.   Sima Qian did not choose to end his life as he proclaimed to a friend that his work would go unfinished if he had done so. While Sima Qian may not have had much of a choice, others would willingly subject themselves to castration. It was not uncommon for young boys to undergo castration to pursue a career as a eunuch. Elites would enlist eunuchs as personal servants and were given exclusive privileges. It was considered a great honor to even be in the same room as the elite let alone cater to their needs. It is said that the justification of the employment of eunuchs as high-ranking civil servants was that, since they were incapable of having children, they would not be tempted to seize power and start a dynasty. In many cases, eunuchs were considered more reliable than the scholar officials and the scholar was considered the highest achievable rank in the Chinese social hierarchy. Other cultures had different perspectives of castration and how it was to be utilized. Women were not permitted participate in choir back then yet the church found a way for boys to achieve the same pitch as a woman. Young boys were castrated to give them a particularly high voice and were given the title castrati. This practice has long been banned and discouraged in several countries where it is rumored that this ritual is still upheld. It...