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Symbolism In Bound Feet And Western Dress

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“The front door must never line up with the back door, or you will never be able to save money” said my mother as she was giving me life advice and tips on buying a house. Irrational superstitions are passed down in each culture regardless of the absurdity, yet they continue to live on dutifully. Some of these traditions and superstitions alter core life decisions, for they seem so dependable. Asians are known for their particular superstitions because each action and movement may have some unnatural/spiritual explanation. For example, the Chinese would use horoscopes in order to measure one’s compatibility with another. In Pang-Mei Chang’s novel, Bound Feet and Western Dress, she explains these traditions through her great aunt’s perspective. …show more content…

In Chinese culture, names are very symbolic in a way that they will shape, mold a one's personality, and determine compatibility with a mate. Pang-Mei Natasha Chang has two first names. Her Chinese name is Pang-Mei whereas her American name is Natasha. Throughout the novel, the author …show more content…

Bound feet were a symbol of the past, of women who were uneducated and bound by the old philosophy “a woman is nothing”. Women did not have the same social standard as men when it came to education. Yu-i’s older sister, or First Sister as she was called, had bound feet and no patience for books and learning whereas Yu-i, the first child with unbound feet, was eager and hungry to learn. Except, these unbound feet did not free her from her filial piety or from her doomed

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