Bound Feet
In Chinese culture, foot binding was a practice done to women as part of the traditional customs attached to beauty. It is viewed as an oppressive practice that subjugated women analogous to their status in the patriarchal society. In the novel, it is an allegory for the oppression of women contrary to the male counterparts in their culture. Yu-I becomes the first child in the family without bound feet which demonstrates the rise of the female status in the culture.
Western Dress
The phrase comes from a statement Yu-I makes to her husband when he comes home with a female guest. She asserts that her bound feet hardly go together with the western attire she had worn. The western dress symbolizes the identity crisis that the characters suffer reconciling their Chinese roots and western ideologies.
Western-Style Divorce
During their marriage, Hsu Chih makes it known that they will be the first Chinese couple to have a western-style divorce. As a famous poet, he had progressive views that contradicted with his Chinese heritage, unlike Yu-I who maintained their traditions. The divorce symbolizes the assimilation of the first-generation immigrants as they navigate foreign cultures.
Communist Revolution
Yu-I’s story takes place during the Communist Revolution as the political change disrupted the traditional Confucian culture. This period defined the state of mind of the generation that grew up during the paradigm shift. As such, fostered immigration into western countries as they try to escape the chaos and adopt the foreign culture.
Confucianism
The narrative revolves around the filial duties and customs of the Confucian ideals that define the characters. Yu-I charts foreign nations and cultures while maintaining the Confucian concepts that she was taught at a young age. The conflicts in her life stem from the clash between the changing modern world and the teachings of Confucianism.
