Bound by Lauren Conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb Lauren Conti en-us 2018-01-30 00:48:35 UTC 2018-02-13 19:13:17 UTC hello@padlet.com lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225904974 2018-01-30 00:50:17 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225904974 lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225905050 2018-01-30 00:50:52 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225905050 lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225905255 2018-01-30 00:52:03 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225905255 Resources lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225906721 “Chinese Foot Binding.” Kidzworld, www.kidzworld.com/article/2142-history-chinese-foot-binding.

 Foreman, Amanda. “Why Foot binding Persisted in China for a Millennium.” Smithsonian.com,
            Smithsonian Institution, 1 Feb. 2015, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-footbinding-persisted-china-millennium-180953971/.

 Post, South China Morning. “The Disturbing Reason for the Ancient Chinese Practice of Foot-
            Binding.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 6 Sept. 2015, www.businessinsider.com/the-disturbing-reason-for-the-ancient-chinese-practice-of-foot-binding-2015-9 
 

]]> 2018-01-30 01:02:18 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225906721 Yao Niang lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225909052 2018-01-30 01:16:55 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225909052 WHAT I LEARNED lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225909697 2018-01-30 01:20:52 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225909697 When the Practice of Foot Binding Began lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225909829 According to Foreman (2015), the practice of foot binding began as early as the tenth century in ancient China.  Li Yu, an emperor from the Southern Tang dynasty had a court dancer named Yao Niang.  Yao Niang bound her feet into the shape of a new moon.  She entertained and captivated the emperor, by dancing on her toes with ribbons and expensive stones.  Where she danced, was scattered with golden lotus flowers (Kidzworld).  From that day forward, foot binding was regularly connected with the term golden lotus. In fact, the shoes that women who had bound feet wore were called lotus shoes (Foreman,2015).  According to Kidzworld, initially, foot binding was practiced primarily by women in the royal court.  It eventually, however, became a custom that women from all classes practiced.  

]]> 2018-01-30 01:21:45 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225909829 How Feet Are Bound lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225910088 According to Foreman (2015), the process of foot binding began at the age of 5 or 6.  First, the girl’s feet were placed in hot water and her toe nails were cut short.  The feet were then massaged with oil prior to breaking all the toes except the big one.  They were then bound to the sole of the foot, making a triangular shape.  “Next, the arch was strained as the foot was bent double.  Finally, the feet were bound in place using a silk strip measuring ten feet long and two inches wide.” (Foreman, 2015, p 3) The bandages were changed every couple of days to clean the blood and pus and to help avoid infections.  Extra Skin would be cut off or forced to rot.  Each time the wrapping was reapplied it was put on tighter.  The girls were forced to walk long distances so that the arches would be crushed and break faster.  This full process took about two years.  A fully bound foot had a profound split in it that could hold a coin in place.  (Foreman, 2015)

]]> 2018-01-30 01:23:33 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225910088 Why Foot Binding Was Practiced lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225910377 According to the Post (2015), this practice was primarily for male satisfaction.  Women whose feet were bound, were forced to walk in a particular manner to avoid falling over.  They would have to squeeze their inner thighs and sway their hips, back and forth.  This was sexually attractive to men.  In addition, because their feet were so crippled, they were not very productive.  They became a status symbol for wealthy men who could say, ‘“See how wealthy I am!  I can afford to feed all these useless mouths!”’ (Post, 2015, p. 2)   Also, “Neo-Confucianism placed extra emphasis on chastity, obedience and diligence.” (Foreman, 2015, P.6)  Therefore, women were expected to be completely sub-servient to their husbands including mutilating their own bodies for his pleasure.  Mothers of little girls bound their daughter’s feet, in the hope that they would attract a wealthy man to marry and escape poverty.   

]]> 2018-01-30 01:26:00 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225910377 Events From the Book lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225916979 In the book Bound, by Donna Jo Annapolis, the character Wei Ping was going through the process of having her feet bound.  Throughout the book, Xing Xing described  the amount of  pain Wei Ping was in.  Xing Xing had to help Wei Ping get around, because she could not use her feet to walk at all.  In addition, Xing Xing described the horrid smell of Wei Ping's feet and the awful liquid that was oozing out of them. At one point in the book, Xing Xing had brought a baby raccoon to the cave.  When the raccoon smelled Wei Ping's feet, it went after her and bit off her big toe.  Her mother then used a cleaver, to cut off the big toe on the other foot, so that they would be even.   

Throughout the book, Wei Ping's mother was obsessed with Wei Ping's feet and her foot binding. The family had little money after their father died and the mother's sole goal in life was to find Wei Ping a husband who could take care of the family.  What little money they did have, she would often use to help find Wei Ping a husband.  The mother believed that the only way Wei Ping would find a husband was if her feet were bound.  Xing Xing, who was her step daughter, she believed would never marry, as she did not have bound feet.  The mother did not find Xing Xing worthy enough to go through the foot binding process.     

Prior to reading this book, I did not know a lot about the practice of foot binding.  I had heard that it was a tradition in ancient China, but I never really knew what it meant.  While reading the book, I was shocked that little girls were put through such torture just to find a husband.  It amazed me that mothers would allow their daughters to go through so much pain.  Throughout the book, I kept on thinking why would someone ever want to do this?  Why would someone want to go through such pain? Who ever thought this was a good idea? Who actually thought that bind feet were pretty?  Was the process different and easier if the child was younger?  What was the typical process for foot binding? These questions led me to research the process of foot binding. ]]> 2018-01-30 02:12:53 UTC https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/225916979 lauren_conti https://padlet.com/lauren_conti/nl8jhvdu3qkb/wish/226361973
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