53 what they like. Since her feet are bound, Lily is not allowed to go outside the
home to work. All she does is only in the household, especially in the upstairs chamber where she many do all the women’s works. This is fits in accordance
with the Confucian ideals about confinement and control, as illustrated by the following quotation.
“We must stay in our upstairs rooms, be chaste, be modest, and perfect the womanly arts. To be filial, we must leave home. This is our fate. When we
go to our husbands’ homes, new worlds unfold—sometimes better, sometimes worse.” See, p. 169
The male concept of women’s beauty leads Chinese women to bind their
feet. A woman’s beauty is in her feet. Being marriageable relates to the fact that footbinding has already begun the part of Chinese society system. Not
participating very well in the system causes a punishment or consequence. Therefore, there is such a consequence that a woman would have if she does not
bind her feet. If they are not considered as beautiful, they will not be able to marry. No one would take her as an in-law. Thus, they would be considered as
unworthy women and embarrass their father as well.
2. The Concept of Pleasure
Besides, Chinese women provide pleasure for their husbands. This is one thing men expect from their wives. Men are sexually impressed by small feet.
There was a sexual satisfaction by just thinking of the small feet or even touching it. The fragrance of the bound feet is the most stimulating thing for men to achieve
full arousal.
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54 As Lily is still a little girl, she has already known of such things. Her small
feet have the purpose to satisfy her future husband. Even though she does not really understand it, she realizes it is all for the sake of pleasing men. This is
implied in the following quotation: And, though I knew nothing of this at the time, my feet would be
something that would hold my husband’s fascination during the most private and intimate moments between a man and a woman. His desire to
see them and hold them in his hands never diminished during our lives together, not even after I had five children, not even after the rest of my
body was no longer an enticement to do bed business. See, p. 44 This quotation implies that small feet arouse the desire of men without
considering the wife’s age. It remains since all men to do are seeing and holding the feet. Doing these things is the main enticement to do “bed business”.
Doing “bed business”, however, is considered important. The goal of doing this is to have sons. Having sons is the greatest love and the greatest joy in a
woman’s life; while for men, having sons is to perpetuate the family line. Therefore, sons are the most important thing of all. Snow Flower shows us the
importance of sons: “Because my husband says it is better to have a dog than a daughter” See, p. 214. This fact is actually hurtful, but it was not an uncommon
view in China in the nineteenth century. Satisfying men’s desire is important. Otherwise, Chinese women’s
incapability to satisfy their husbands obliges them to accept the existence of concubines. A concubine is a woman who lived with and had sex with a married
man but has socially less important than a wife. Even though Chinese society practiced monogamy, the existence of concubines was accepted.
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55
3. The Concept of Manhood
