Approach of the Study
Lily’s words. Women in China are considered worthless, even their birth was never expected because they will become burden of a family.
I was a third child, a second worthless girl, too little to waste time on until it looked like I would survive my milk years. She looked at me
the way all mothers look at their daughters–as a temporary visitor who was another mouth to feed and a body to dress until I went to my
husband’s home. I was five, old enough to know that I didn’t deserve her attention, but suddenly I craved it. See, 2005: 12
The other example is from the action that shows the difficult conditions of women living under Chinese patriarchal culture. Chinese women should follow the
tradition of footbinding. They should experience the painful process of getting a pair of tiny feet. As experienced by Lily,
I wanted to run to the lattice window and peek out, but already my feet ached as the pressure on my bones built and the tightness of the
bindings blocked my blood’s circulation. See, 2005: 27
Therefore, by analyzing what is said and what is experienced by the characters, the life of the main characters can be found. These characters talk about
their difficult conditions of living under Chinese patriarchal culture. The patriarchal system that happened in China is influenced by Confucianism.
Confucianism is like a system of social ethics that rules the live of people in society. There are so many doctrine that Confucianism had. However, the main doctrine of
Confucianism is Li the rules of propriety. As Fang Hong states that “The rules of propriety is important to control the social roles. By using the rules of propriety, men
and women act according to a hierarchy of social roles.” Hong, 1997: 5. The rule PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
of propriety has regulated the accepted behavior of how men and women live in Chinese society. Therefore, men and women should follow the standard of life that is
applied in Chinese society. Women especially should know their position because based on the hierarchy, women is in the lowest position. Women should act
according to the doctrine that Confucianism had. Lily as one of the main characters also acknowledges that women should live based on the Confucianism doctrine.
I also understood that two Confucian ideals ruled our lives. The first was the Three Obediences: “When a girl, obey your father; when a
wife, obey your husband; when a widow, obey your son.” The second was the Four Virtues, which delineate women’s behavior, speech,
carriage, and occupation: “Be chaste and yielding, calm and upright in attitude; be quiet and agreeable in words; be restrained and exquisite in
movement; be perfect in handiwork and embroidery.” If girls do not stray from these principals, they will grow into virtuous women. See,
2005: 24
Women are taught about their role and how they should behave in the society since their childhood. Women should keep that Confucianism doctrine in their mind
and implement the rule as long as they live in Chinese society. Women have been taught to always obey and prioritize men whether he is father, husband, and sons.