Feng Jicai’s “The Three-Inch Golden Lotus”
Introduction
“The Three-Inch Golden Lotus” is among the first realistic fiction, which puts the topic of binding a foot amidst a dramatic action. The narrative reveals irony and incisiveness portrayed by the remarks of Feng regarding the concealing of part of the history of the Chinese in the bound feet of the Chinese women. The stunted feet, which became approximately three inch long, leaves majority of people wondering of what could probably be there rather than the smell. The narrative follows the life of Fragrant Lotus from her initial ordeal with the binding of feet. Its setting is in Tianjin in prior decades and covers the twentieth century. She is fortunate to have a grandmother that taught her about foot binding required in the marriage market despite her poor family background and being an orphan at an early age. Tong Ren-an, who happens to be her wealthy merchant employer who dealt with counterfeited antiques noticed her fine bound feet. The employer considered to marry her to his eldest son. The son however fails to notice and appreciate the intimacy of Lotus’ tiny feet. Despite her husband’s crudeness and insensitiveness, her father-in-law provided a gentle hand to her (Tamura, 1997).
Lotus discovered that her privilege in holding the position of pecking orders is because of her small fine feet, which she periodically exhibited in contests with the house cleaners and other daughters-in-law. Tong and his business associates judge these contests. These judges also contest their ability to analyze the lore of the golden lotus. The women competition for the best delectable feet and the men’s most scintillating tongue is fierce and characterized by deception and guile. For instance, the persiflage of the male that led to the first contest, Tong Ren-an had an unsuspected visitor show off his expertise in relation to the bound feet and only to be challenged by Tong’s superior insight. The guest looks foolish until Tong decides otherwise. The contests of the female are relatively chary (Tamura, 1997).
“The Three-Inch Golden Lotus”
The Three-Inch Golden Lotus begins with a description that is harrowing in the process of binding. The novel clearly brings out the degradation of the women’s position in a traditional society of the Chinese. Feng is not solely concerned with the resurrection of an old evil as a way of raising women issues in China. The novel’s major interest is in the culture of binding feet. The brutal process of binding feet was desirable as it creates an aesthetic shape. The novel revolves around the bound feet contests and the complementary well designed intellectual competitions of the lovers. In this line, the narrative includes a historical background and the related literature concerning the bound feet of women in determining their beauty (Tamura, 1997).
Feng’s fascination is in the ultra-refined, humorous and curiosity of cultural practices. The novel reveals seductive nostalgia and the interest of making everyday life aesthetic. For instance, the rumors of emergence of anti-bound-feet campaigns caused the decline of the Tong family. The patriarch of the family ordered the girls belonging to the family to have their feet bound as an effort to promote the continuity of the old cultural practices. Ironically, the revolution against this practice faces resistance by its victim who is the heroine in the novel, Fragrant Lotus. Her futile effort to preserve the practice shows that the binding of their feet was not only painful but it was also a psychological investment in their belief that the tiny feet were a source of beauty to the women as well (Tamura, 1997).
The modern changes to unbind feet towards the end of the book are acts of promoting natural feet to the Tianjin community. The death or absconds of all men of Tong family and leaving only women to confront the angry mobs that assemble at Tong’s compound with an aim of liberating them is an evidence to this fact. The author created this unexpected circumstance of women without male influence or presence to accentuate the notion that women who are feet bound are agents of their own victimization. Further victimization takes place in the name of “liberation” at the end. The coercing to bind the women feet and the movement aimed at unbinding their feet shows that Fragrant Lotus and her cohorts are victims of both progress and masters. More so, Lotus and her cohorts fail to take in upon themselves and resign from victimization. Contrary, they create resistance and contest against their own liberation (Tamura, 1997).
The unusual and unexpected circumstance in which the women are alone without the male support shows their self-reliance spirit in defying the mobs that rage against them on a daily basis. The women therefore learnt from the foot binding that their destiny and fate lies in their own hands and feet. Fragrant Lotus not only became the dowager of Tong family but also the head of the preservation society of Lotus. Eventually, Lotus faces confrontation by the leader of the society advocating for natural feet who displays her natural feet (Tamura, 1997).
By displaying the cultural details of foot binding against the native Tianjin, Feng Jicai facilitates us to have a glimpse of the details of the ordeal to the female practitioners and the male wordsmiths. To the women, it was a painful ordeal originating from the relationship between a daughter and her mother. The loving care of a mother causes a daughter’s pain leading to our realization that Chinese pain, and loving care sarcastically means the same depending on the context and intentions parties involved. For example, the death of Fragrant Lotus’ parents made her realize that her grandmother was the only one who loved and cared for her. However, her grandmother prepared and initiated her into the binding ordeal that was painful and frightful (Ko, 2007).
The golden lotus was therefore an ordeal that prepared a girl to face the consequences of marriage. For instance, it prepared Lotus to compete favorably with her female-in-laws in order to receive male favors. The foot binding thus enabled women to be vigilant and encounter periods of increased pain and effort. For example, the losing of Fragrant Lotus in the first contest causes her devastation and almost led her to commit suicide (Tamura, 1997).
However, the foot binding was not the only measure of women accomplishments since the ultimate goal lied in the speech and acts of men. This evidence lies in the foot contests whereby women showed their attributes through the agility of their bound feet while the male spectators signify the verbal non-genuineness. “The Three-Inch Golden Lotus” to a large extend shows the civilization of the Chinese society. Insinuation of a sense of civilization is through authenticity in the human bodies (Tamura, 1997).
Ultimately, Feng’s fiction tale “The Three-Inch Golden Lotus”, adopts a way of narrating this story that allows great deal of narrative flexibility. Feng suspends the prejudgment of his readers. There exist mischievous confusions between what is true and what is false throughout the narrative. The campaigns against foot binding are correct to end the cruel practice regardless of the psychological or physical consequences. Feng believes in moral power caused by humor and is reluctant to condemn the brutal characters (Tamura, 1997).
Feng Jicai criticizes the Chinese society through his traditional story of women’s bound feet. Observation of the idea of the Chinese history lies in the bound feet of the Chinese women. It demonstrates the difficulty of differentiating between the truths and lies. The examination of these truths and lies is through the Tong family that reflects the attitudes of the Chinese people in relation to social change, individuality and sex. The Tong family head, who is an antiques dealer and his like-minded business associates have a regard for the bound feet. The men debate on the history of foot binding and organize contests in determining the smallest feet among different families (Tamura, 1997).
Conclusion
The narrative demonstrates the thirst for power and the prestige of women in the Chinese society through using the binding of feet as beauty. Over decades, the life of Chinese women was full of suffering and pain as a means of gaining wealth and happiness. The novel portrays the relationship between lives of Chinese women and the concept of suffering while looking for happiness. Chinese elders such as Tong Ren-an hold the belief that a woman whose feet are bound attain fortune, success and power. Foot binding became a handicap for the women as in the novel “The Three-Inch Golden Lotus”. Lotus used the painful practice to gain happiness and used the power bestowed on her to resist the associated challenges. This is particularly during the rise of the anti-bound-foot campaign and the decline of the custom.
Reference
Tamura, E. (1997). China: Understanding its past. Honolulu, Hawaii: Curriculum Research & Development Group, University of Hawaii and University of Hawaii Press.
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