Lily, one of the main characters in the novel, was born into a low class, farming family, which left her and her sisters only allowed to marry a man of the same social status. However, to Lily’s advantage, she has extremely small feet with high arches, which gave her the potential to marry a man of a higher class and raise her family’s social status. She achieves perfect feet through the excruciating process of food binding, which allows her to be paired with a high-class family, where she continues to follow the expected culture and tradition that she is accustomed to by abstaining from food during certain holidays, crafting gifts to offer her new family, and dressing in appropriate garments for her wedding ceremony. Not much time passes when
A laotong relationship is made by choice for the purpose of emotional companionship and eternal fidelity” (See 43). Laotong is a relationship that bonds two girls together for the rest of their lives as extremely similar and close sisters. This special bond between Snow Flower and Lily allow them to feel what each other feel, share stories with each other, confide in each other, and give both of them the opportunity to gather and share knowledge through each other that the other may not have
Her husband took out his anger on her by beating her, and kept this a secret from Lily, who later witnesses this while spending several months in mountainous villages while a rebellion occurred. As it was their custom, Snow Flower knew she was to respect and care for her husband, even if he did not do the same for her in return. She bit her tongue when she had to talk about him, only speaking kind words and never brought up the tough times he put her through. Snow Flower proves this by explaining to Lily, “No listen, you think my husband has evil in his heart, but he is not an evil man” (See 209). Snow Flower knows she should not accept this harsh treatment from her spouse, however makes the ultimate decision to accept it now that she has her high social status back. She proves herself to be a respectable woman, as a nineteenth century Chinese woman should. With age, she is wise, becoming more soft spoken and has a true understanding of the difficult life she is living, although it is not under her control. With a man who beats her and an unpleasant mother in- law, Snow Flower truly suffers both physically and emotionally, but is sensible in knowing where to express her feelings, in “nu shu.” See explains, “They used nu shu to write letters, stories, and poems. It was “hidden” in embroidery, in weaving, and in paintings on fans. Women wrote
The bitter cold bit against the starved girl’s skeletal body. She was tired. Her parents discussed ways to get to good lands. They told her the only way to have a better life was to sell her into slavery. The girl, only ten years old was silent. She dreamed of fine clothing and good food. The girl went to the House of Hwang. She was too ugly to be in sight; she was kept in the scullery. All dreams of any kind were lashed out of her young mind. Mistreated, beaten, and underestimated, young O-lan learned to work hard and became resigned to her fate. One day, the Old Mistress summoned her and told her that she was to be married to a poor farmer. The other slaves scoffed, but O-lan was grateful for a chance to be free - they married. O-lan vowed to return to the great house one day in fine clothing with a son. Her resolve was strong; no one could say otherwise. Her years of abuse as a slave had made O-lan wise, stoic, and bitter; whether the events of her life strengthened or weakened her is the question.
Lily is her own barrier in her life that is keeping her from accomplishing great things that she is capable of. Lily shows that she never really loves herself or gives herself enough credit by stating, “Standing there, I loved myself and I hated myself” (71). Lily does not love herself at all. She is not happy on what she has accomplished and hates that fact that she might have killed her mother. Lily does not understand how to cope with difficulties in her life. She wants to be involved with everyone to keep her mind busy and not think of situations that need to be discussed. Lily hates how she is not able to live her life to her full potential. But yet, Lily enjoys being mysterious and making her own life a story that only she knows what is real and what is a lie. Throughout the novel, Lily builds up barriers that she has not broken out to tell people. She finally cracks and shows her real self to August. She tells her whole life story all in one setting. This is overwhelming for August, but she is happy that Lily tells her when August knows the whole time. Lily come full circle with herself. She finds love in the house of women and finally is able to feel wanted and acceptance.
In 1942 in the summer, Hans Scholl and Alex Schmorell wrote the first four leaflets of six opposition leaflets, called the “Leaves of the White Rose.” These leaflets criticized the Nazi regime and mentioned all of their crimes, from the mass extermination of Jews, to the dictatorship and the elimination of the personal freedoms of Germany’s citizens from the mass extermination of Jews. They called the Nazi regime evil, and called for Germans to stand up and resist the oppression of their government. These leaflets also were made up of quotes from great philosophers and greatly admired writers, establishing how they were clearly aimed at the intellectual public, and particularly students and professors. Across the bottom of the leaflets was this phrase, “Please make as many copies of this leaflet as you can and distribute them.”
A custom common at the time, it ensured the prevention of growth in the feet of young girls. The coveted result was one of pain and disability, however, was considered one of beauty, prestige, and social standing. Those with bound feet, or "lotus feet," were admired for their dainty feet and the beauty that was acquired through painful bindings around the feet. This is a portrayal of the status of women in society as well as the males' population's perception of women. A representation of the aristocratic hierarchy present in China, the prevalence of those with small feet were often among the wealthy and they possessed a higher position in society as a result of their husband. Due to the nature of the bindings, women would develop a careful and cautious walk composed of tiny steps. The nature of their walk asserted that women were seen as mere items of pleasure to men, as their walk did not enable them to work. This limited mobility may reflect the limitations women suffered in politics and society as they were perceived as less adept and competent as their male counterparts. As items of pleasure and service, the role of women in society may be illustrated in the tradition of foot
The short story "The Chrysanthemums" gives insight into the life of its author. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California. The locale of the story is of key resemblance to the Salinas in which Steinbeck was born and bread. "Salinas was a typical American small town, [differing] only in location and a few distinctive features" (McCarthy 3). The protagonist of this story, Elisa Allen, also resembles Steinbeck's first wife. "Steinbeck probably based the character of Elisa Allen on his own first wife, Carol Henning Steinbeck. Like Elisa, Carol was a woman of considerable talent and energy who wore 'masculine clothes' and was 'strong, large-boned' and 'handsome rather than pretty'" (Hughes 23). Similar to the time frame in which Steinbeck lived, the theme of the story comes across as being male dominant and the rustic setting allows us to visualize this.
Wang Lung needs a wife so saves up the little money he has and buys a woman who is a slave named O-lan. O-lan is sold to Wang Lung so she can take care of the home, cooking and bear children. Wang Lung is disappointed when he first sees O-lan because she does not have bound feet which was a desirable quality at that time but he does enjoy when O-lan has the food ready when he comes in a night from the land. Wang Lung is very proud when O-lan makes cakes that no one else in the village knows how to makes and when his family comes to feast for the new year at their house.
Lily was plagued with fulfilling society requirement but in the process denied herself of true love and ultimately her own identity.
Lily creates a work of art that will not transcend time, but through her experience with Mrs. Ramsay she is able to become a New Woman born from an integral connection with the Ruskinian wife. Lily is able to appreciate the ways of the Ruskinian woman even when she does not desire those ideals for herself. While Lily grows through her art Basil remains static and fails to comprehend the destruction that his veneration of Dorian Gray causes. Basil’s failure as an artist can be seen through his untimely death. Lily’s art may not be considered a great masterpiece, but she is the character who lives. Lily’s success not only shows her as the triumphal artist, but it also illustrates the victory of the feminine over the masculine.
In the short story “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier, the narrator Lizabeth realizes that she is no longer a child but a grown up woman who renounces her innocence and begins her adulthood by developing a sense of compassion. She learns that the world is more than just the dusty shantytown and a squad of kids she plays with; there are also the complex realities of depression, indifference and poverty. The reason behind this realization is that Lizabeth, at an age of 14, overhears her parents’ conversation about the harsh economic situation that their family is facing. She is filled with anger and detests the unfairness that is given to her family. All these feelings encourage her towards an explosive, malicious act of destruction. She is especially
Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons (四季花鳥図屏風) depicts white-naped cranes, a red-crowned crane with its young, a pair of ducks, and various small birds alongside seasonal vegetation in the four seasons. The medium is a pair of six panel folding screens, using ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper, dated at mid 16th century. Image is 63 1/4 x 142 in. (160.7 x 360.7 cm) and overall is 69 3/8 x 148 1/2 in. (176.2 x 377.2 cm). The met museum description of the art states that this artwork celebrates the cyclical progression of the seasons. Images of the seasons in Japanese art demonstrates how nature is a central theme in their Shinto religion. Their kami (Shinto gods) have great influence in the lives of the people of Japan who respect and worship the kami. The kami are found in everything in Japan, from mountains to rivers to animals, each having impact over nature and people.
t any other way. "'Oh, I couldn't have it nohow- I couldn't- I couldn't, Mis' Dunbar. Seemed as if it would kill me to think of it. I couldn't have her likin' anybody else, an' gittin' married... I didn't have nobody in the world but Abby. I couldn't have it so- I couldn't- I couldn't.'"(Freeman, Two Friends) The way friendship comes into play in “Two Friends” also comes heavily into play in “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” as well. With the Laotong relationship that Lily and Snow Flower have, their friendship means the world to the both of them. Even after not talking for years upon years due to Lily’s stubbornness and mistakes, their friendship was still strong and connected at the end. "Though I was not as good as you, I believe that heavenly
They let the things that can separate them bring them closer to each other. This poem teaches its readers that love takes sacrifice. Towards the ending on the poem the poet expresses what she is feeling, “She smiled, stretched her arms to take to heart the eldest daughter of her youngest son a quarter century away.” (Ling, 142) The quote shows that the poet traveled halfway around the world to meet her grandmother that she couldn’t communicate with.To sum up the poem, “Grandma Ling,” both the poet and the grandmother take huge sacrifices to see each other. The whole poem represents that love takes
The modern romantic comedy often relies on the Cinderella effect: a member of the highest class just happens to fall in love with a member of a lower class, resulting in the fairytale ending where everyone gets rich (by mere coincidence). Back in Jane Austen’s day, women used marriage as a tool for socioeconomic independence and advancement, or “the usual inducements of women to marry” (84). A person’s class determined marriage opportunities, and one had to choose the logical (not romantic) option. Every woman needed to marry in order to gain independence from her father, which is where the disorder of Austen’s novel, Emma, comes in. At first Austen provides the illusion of romance (love overcoming socioeconomic boundaries) and Emma’s eternal
The narrator admired the girl but was certain that the latter felt contempt towards her for becoming the new center of attention from all the men. She despised the fact that men were criticizing the young girl in order to win her heart. When a party was thrown for the departure of the, the two women are able to share a moment with each other. We the witness an amount of solidarity, or what we may term as sisterhood between them. The author realizes that she was wrong abot the fact that the girl would be jealous of her. Instead of envying each other for being made a competition by the men, they decide to appreciate each other and for the narrator, the rose which the latter offered to her means much more than any other flowers which she has ever received. The Woman’s Rose ends with the sentence: “spring cannot fail us”, which would suggest hope that women can and should count on each other no matter what.
She was one of those pretty and charming girls born, as though fate had blundered over her, into a family of artisans. She had no marriage portion, no expectations, no means of getting known, understood, loved, and wedded by a man of wealth and distinction; and she let herself be married off to a little clerk in the Ministry of Education. Her tastes were simple because she had never been able to afford any other, but she was as unhappy as though she had married beneath her; for women have no caste or class, their beauty, grace, and charm serving them for birth or fa...