Bound Feet And Western Dress Analysis
Bound Feet and Western Dress
The modern intuitive ideas of the west really affected how traditional Chinese people viewed the world and their current beliefs. In Pang-Mei Natasha Chang’s memoir, Bound Feet and Western Dress, Yu-I and Hsu Chih-mo gain a new perspective on the world from living in the west. Yu-I found her identify in the west and the harshness of the world brought out the determination in her which shaped her from an uneducated house wife into an educated modern woman. One example from Bound Feet and Western dress that displays this idea is when Yu-I says “I always think of my life as “before Germany” and “after Germany”. Before Germany I was afraid of everything.” (149) This proves that the west redefined Yu-I. When she refers to before Germany she is talking about her old traditional ways. Although Yu-I’s feet were not bound she acted like they were. Yu-I would not say anything unless spoken too and she aspired to be the “perfect” wife. She was very timid and would always put her family needs before her own personal needs. Yu-I also states “I had grown up in an educated, forward looking family who sent their sons abroad to study. Yet I had been bound by the thinking of the past” (136) It was at this point during Yu-I’s western journey that she realized she had been held back by China’s patriarchal society. This propelled her into becoming more modern and she started becoming her own person. Additionally, Yu-I says, “After Germany I was afraid of nothing… I was a much stronger person” (149) After Germany Yu-I had evolved into becoming a strong, independent, fearless woman. She went through the hardships of supporting herself while taking care of a child and at the same time learning how to become a kindergarten teacher. Yu-I’s darkest time, when she was contemplating suicide, became her “crucial moment” and persevering through this moment defined her as an individual. Hsu Chih-mo was deeply impacted by the innovative ideas of the modern
The modern intuitive ideas of the west really affected how traditional Chinese people viewed the world and their current beliefs. In Pang-Mei Natasha Chang’s memoir, Bound Feet and Western Dress, Yu-I and Hsu Chih-mo gain a new perspective on the world from living in the west. Yu-I found her identify in the west and the harshness of the world brought out the determination in her which shaped her from an uneducated house wife into an educated modern woman. One example from Bound Feet and Western dress that displays this idea is when Yu-I says “I always think of my life as “before Germany” and “after Germany”. Before Germany I was afraid of everything.” (149) This proves that the west redefined Yu-I. When she refers to before Germany she is talking about her old traditional ways. Although Yu-I’s feet were not bound she acted like they were. Yu-I would not say anything unless spoken too and she aspired to be the “perfect” wife. She was very timid and would always put her family needs before her own personal needs. Yu-I also states “I had grown up in an educated, forward looking family who sent their sons abroad to study. Yet I had been bound by the thinking of the past” (136) It was at this point during Yu-I’s western journey that she realized she had been held back by China’s patriarchal society. This propelled her into becoming more modern and she started becoming her own person. Additionally, Yu-I says, “After Germany I was afraid of nothing… I was a much stronger person” (149) After Germany Yu-I had evolved into becoming a strong, independent, fearless woman. She went through the hardships of supporting herself while taking care of a child and at the same time learning how to become a kindergarten teacher. Yu-I’s darkest time, when she was contemplating suicide, became her “crucial moment” and persevering through this moment defined her as an individual. Hsu Chih-mo was deeply impacted by the innovative ideas of the modern