1. In what ways are Pearl and May limited by the traditional expectations placed upon them as daughters in Chinese culture? Why do their parents allow them to ignore many of the cultural expectations that Chinese girls would normally comply with? How do many of the cultural and social expectations of today's society limit you and those with whom you associate?
Pearl and May are limited by the traditional expectations placed upon them as daughters in Chinese culture because they are expected to follow specific gender roles as Chinese woman. In Chinese culture, a woman must follow the wishes of their father. Once they are to be married, the father then gives his daughter to her husband, where those wishes are still to be followed, but now to the husband. A traditional Chinese woman is to be obedient to her father then husband once married, which shows that traditional Chinese culture places woman at a lower level than men, where women are expected to follow every wish of the man in the spotlight of their life at the time. Traditional Chinese culture also expects Chinese woman to bear a child, being a boy, to enable the family name to carry on. The woman is often shamed for bringing in a female child, rather than a boy, because they cannot carry on the family name. A woman is also expected to not carry on free speech, but rather speak when addressed by their husband, which is rather submissive. A traditional Chinese woman's role in a marriage is to be attentive towards their children and obey their husband.
Pearl and May are limited by the traditional expectations placed upon them as daughters in Chinese culture because they are expected to follow specific gender roles as Chinese woman. In Chinese culture, a woman must follow the wishes of their father. Once they are to be married, the father then gives his daughter to her husband, where those wishes are still to be followed, but now to the husband. A traditional Chinese woman is to be obedient to her father then husband once married, which shows that traditional Chinese culture places woman at a lower level than men, where women are expected to follow every wish of the man in the spotlight of their life at the time. Traditional Chinese culture also expects Chinese woman to bear a child, being a boy, to enable the family name to carry on. The woman is often shamed for bringing in a female child, rather than a boy, because they cannot carry on the family name. A woman is also expected to not carry on free speech, but rather speak when addressed by their husband, which is rather submissive. A traditional Chinese woman's role in a marriage is to be attentive towards their children and obey their husband.
Pearl and May’s parents allow them to ignore many of the cultural expectations that Chinese girls would normally comply with because the roles of being an obedient woman mainly was geared towards woman of a lower socioeconomic level, in which they were not. There were servants and maids in the household, who did the jobs that Pearl and May would have had to do otherwise. If the family was not wealthy, Pearl and May would have had to tend to their father to clean and do as he wished, but since there were servants and maids, the jobs were done for them, so they were not raised to tend to their father in their household. Pearl and May come from a very wealthy family, and the girls often do not ask for permission as they are expected to do as Chinese woman; they often make their own decisions. Peal and May are labeled as the “beautiful girls,” which often helps them sway their father into doing what they wish. Overall growing up in their wealthy household, they are not raised to tend to their father, which makes it difficult because if they did not tend to their father, they may not be willing to tend to their husband, which is expected.
There are many cultural and social expectations of today’s society that are limiting towards women, including myself. Women are still expected to get married and have children, and when a woman does not do that, she is often ridiculed. Many women in today’s society are working towards obtaining an education, but often in some families, higher emphasis is placed on starting a family as well. Women are still expected to have a family, clean the house and do other duties in the household, as well as tend to their husband and children. This is often hard, as many women are also working themselves as well. Men used to work and be the only “bread winner”, while woman stayed home and took care of the children and household, but now that more and more women are becoming educated, it seems harder to take on all of the gender roles placed upon us.
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