Cultural Perspectives of Chinese Foot binding: An Outlook into Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Abstract

Culture is the integrated pattern of thinking, understanding, evaluating and communicating the peoples way of life. Values, norms of behavior, language, dress, rituals and customs are regarded as the basic elements of culture.  It is considered as the consequence of experience and responses. Cultural Studies consider experience as a way to construct reality and documents the life of people. Experience was regarded as subjective and culture as a system of traditions followed from generations. Lisa See as a Chinese American focuses her writing on the cultural practices of women during the Nineteenth Century rural China. The Chinese women considered culture and tradition as their sacred possession. They were ready to sacrifice their lives for upholding and practicing their cultural rites. In their traditional culture, women were inferior to men.  The sole purpose in life was to look after the household needs.

The paper is focused on the Cultural Perspectives of Chinese Foot binding: An Outlook into Lisa Sees Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. The novel Snow Flower and the Secret Fan deals with the domestic lives of women in the Nineteenth Century. The novel describes the friendship between two peasant girls Lily and Snow Flower in South China. The reality of rural China is portrayed in the novel. Chinese Culture consists of various old traditions and foot binding is the traditional practice followed by Chinese girls hoping to have a better social and financial future. Bound feet are regarded as an embodiment of extreme beauty and epitomized wealth and prosperity in Chinese tradition. It is a fascinating part of literature which discusses the old and unique tradition of China.