ECON 1915 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Foot Binding, Pus, Three Obediences And Four Virtues
30 Jan 2017
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Bound feet became a symbol of feminine frailty and gentility (elegance). The custom was not as spread in the south because female labor was utilized far more in the. The custom reached its peak in the 19th century. (it then started to die out as western ideals for increased opportunity for women spread, then it was eliminated by law. : describe the process. The shaping usually began at age 5 or 6; the upper class started earlier, at 3, and the peasantry began later, at 12 or 13. The initial binding was done by the mother or grandmother. First, the feet were washed, alum was placed, and the toe nails were cut. Then, the toes were bent with a binding cloth ten feet long and two inches wide, doing the right foot and then the left food. The binding finished, and the girl had to walk, which was unbearable. She wasn"t allowed to remove her shoes, and was struck for crying.
