pg. 9 last paragraph.
"Our mother said we were lucky we didn't have to have our feet bound when we were seven. Sisters used too sit on their beds and cry together, she said as their mothers or their slaves removed the bandages for a few minutes each night and let the blood gush back into their veins."
This was a good example of different cultures. The main character (name is not given yet) is an asian girl. The asian culture is very focused on beauty. The mother would trim the eyebrows using a line of needles that she would rip out. This takes place early on in the book and establishes the type of culture that these people are living in.
I do not have a connection to this kind of treatment. In my opinion its slightly abuse. I think its weird that they would hurt themselves just to look a certain way. I have always thought that binding someone's foot was the worst possible thing but the mother was talking about it like it wasn't scary.
Have you ever been pressured to do something "weird" because of your culture? if yes, what was it? if no, how would you react about that sort of thing?
Quote 2:
pg. 1 paragraph 1
"You must not tell anyone," my mother said,"what I am about to tell you. In China your father had a sister who killed herself. She jumped into the family well. We say that your father has all brothers because it is as if she had never been born."
Another big part of asian culture is to not be a disgrace to the family. If a child is a "disgrace" to the family than basically shunned upon the community. For example, Mulan because she was not a boy and went to war she disgraced the family and that is what the father said to Mulan.
I can relate to this because sometimes when one of my siblings or I do something wrong my Dad says we are embarrassing or disgracing to our family. This is mostly used, in my opinion, because disgrace is a very powerful word.
Why do you think they started the book off like that.
2 comments:
Quote #1: I think that the bound feet is a good example of culture. I also think that they bind their feet for beauty, even though it hurts a lot.
Question #1: I have not been pressured to do something because of my culture. If I was pressured to, I probably would do it depending on what it would be, and the consequences.
Quote #2: I agree with you that it is a disgrace to the family, because in ancient Chinese culture, you don't get to pick your spouse, the elders do for you. So getting pregnant with a different guy is a huge crime.
Question #2: I think the author started the book like that because she doesn't have any other older female relatives to look to. In the beginning she also mentioned that this book was dedicated to her aunt.
Quote #1: I think that this is a good example of there culture. I think that when they bound there feet was to look pretty for the guys. I think that the asians culture would do anything so that guys like them.
Question #1: I have never been told to do something wierd because of my culture. If i was told to do something wierd cuz of my culture I have to do it because is my culture. also I have to see the consequences.
Quote #2: I agree with you because some old asion people said that in books, because I read a book before. But I cant remember whats it called and they were talking about disgrace. They said that if a child is a dregrace they get mad at him. But if someone is not being a disgrace to the family they not get mad at then. Is like if your dong something really bad.
On the connection that you made is the same connection I have because when I do something bad infront of a lot of people my dad allways says that embarrassing when i do that.
Question #2: I think that the author start it like this so that he gets the readers attention. And because he wants to tell us something but he dosent want to give it away that fast.
-Aceves
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