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Chinese Cinderella

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Table of contents Part 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Part 2 ......................................................................................................................................5 Part 3 ......................................................................................................................................6 Reference ...............................................................................................................................7

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Outline I. Introduction II. Body A. Elders B. Arranged Marriages C. Bound feet III. Conclusion

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Jayde Kim Mr. Brown Humanities 1 18 October, 2011 Chinese Cinderella Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah, published in 1999, is an autobiography that retells her experiences as an unnecessary and gratuitous daughter. The author was blamed for the cause of her mothers death, who died three days after Mahs birth. She suffered as an outcast daughter despite her outstanding academic achievements. However, after many years of hardship, her efforts had finally let her overcome the odds to prove her worth. From this novel, as well as learning about Mahs past experiences, readers can get to know some things about Chinese culture such as foot binding, arranged marriages, and respecting elders. Part One When Mahs grandmother lived, women had started to bind their feet together at a young age to stop the growth. Having bound feet was an important part of Mahs grandmothers age because if you had large, unbound feet, no man would marry you" (pg 8). Bound feet had been the custom in China for over a thousand years. About 40 percent to 50 percent of Chinese women had bound feet in the 19th century. To Westerners, it was considered harmful and barbaric while to the Chinese, small feet were considered feminine and beautiful (pg 8). It was not until 1911 the missionaries who served in China during the late 19th and early 20th centuries outlawed the tradition of binding feet. Mah didnt have to go through the pains of having bound feet because she was born after the banning. Part Two

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Arrange marriages were also popular in Chinese culture. It was a symbol to strengthen connection with other families or to solidify an agreement. Father and Niang [stepmother] had introduced Samuel to her [Big Sister], and she had agreed to marry him (pg 100). It was the first time Big Sister had met Samuel, but she still agreed because it wasnt uncommon that the spouse and bride havent met before the arranged marriage. Mahs sister was only seventeen, didnt have a high school diploma but she was force to going to marry someone who was thirty-one. A man was to marry a woman several years younger and having less education than him. Mah had worried as a child that Niang would threaten to force [her] into an arrange marriage (pg 100). When a family agreed upon an arranged marriage, the child must obey the parents but the Marriage Law of 1950 banned many of the practices associated with traditional marriages. Another important part of Chinese culture is to be respectful to elders because with age comes honor. In many Chinese families, the parents move in with their children when their children get married. Mahs family lived with her extended family. She lived with Grandfather Ye Ye, grandmother Nai Nai and Aunt Baba [her fathers sister] in a big house in Tianjin (pg 5). A popular Confucian ideology in China is that kids must support the adults because their parents supported them before. Chinese cultures emphasize a lot about respecting parents and family. Part Three I enjoyed this novel because it included Mahs personal experiences as well as factual events and cultures of China. Unlike, Mahs sister, I do not have to have to worry about arranged marriages because of the change in tradition. Arranged marriages were also popular in Korea, but time has decreased its popularity. Nowadays, love marriages are the most common forms of marriage. I am thankful to have the choice to marry whomever I want. It would be unfair if it

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were my parents that choose whom I had to spend my entire life with. The read level was a bit too simple. I wish it be more detailed with explanations and emotions but overall Chinese Cinderella was a book I enjoyed.

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Reference Mah, Adeline Yen. Chinese Cinderella: The Mystery of the Song Dynasty Painting. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, 2009. Print.