Reference
Deborah Zweier
7th grade Social Studies (Eastern Hemisphere)
Shikellamy Middle School
Ties That Bind,Ties That Break by Lensey Mamioka is a novel about the tradional custom of foot binding. It would be appropriate for grades 7-12 and would give students much background information on Chinese customs in families before 1930. Before 1930, women were expected to bind their feet to make them very small and wear traditional clothing to be attractive to men. This would give them a good advantage for an arranged marriage by their family. The main character, Ailin, at age 5 was arranged to marry Hanwei, age 7. However her mother said she would have to have her feet bound. Ailin knew her sisters were in much pain after this custom. When her mother told her she was ready to have her feet bound, she ran from the room. She was totally disrespectful to her mother and the family by her refusal. However her father said people could not stick to old ways forever. But his brother thought Ailin was a revolutionary and that parents did not have to earn respect, they should just get it. And so the personal and National Revolution was begun. Her mother and Grandmother insisted that her feet be bound. But her father said she did not have to adhere to the custom. He wanted her to "run free". Ailin's engagement was broken because she went against the custom and she finally got her wish to attend public school. However her friends made her feel like an outcast because she broke tradition. Proper Chinese women had their feet bound and got married and had male children. The story continues with her being a good student. But her father dies and she becomes estranged from the uncle and she journeys to the U.S. with a missionary family as a nanny. She meets James another Chinese man who told her she was a revolutionary fighting a war against tradition. He admired that. As she was shopping in Chinatown in San Francisco one day she met up with James. They renewed their friendship, got married and she helped him with his Chinese restaurant. Ailin was proud of her independence and so was James. However, she gave up her family ties .
This is an amazing story of a young Chinese girl that broke tradition with her adventurous spirit. She rebelled against her family traditions, refused to have her feet bound, attended public school and left for America at a very young age. She became a success with her husband and she was standing on her own two "unbound" feet. I would use this book to illustrate culture and the break from it as the Revolution began. I think students could relate to this as they begin to form their opinions and become independent from their parents.
