ipl-logo

Cultural Elements In The Story Of Yeh-Shen

561 Words3 Pages

Since the beginning of time, children around the world from every culture have been told stories to teach them lessons and entertain them. One of those stories that spans time and place is that of the “Cinderella” tale. More than 1500 versions of this universal story have been narrated to countless children in numerous cultures. The basic premise of the story remains the same: a young, mistreated girl is rewarded for her kindness, gentleness, and goodness and is elevated in society. These worldwide interpretations become unique when a culture infuses its own values and customs into the story making it relevant. The universal “Cinderella” story is made unique, with specific cultural elements, in China’s “Yeh-Shen,” Perrault’s “The Little Glass Slipper,” and The Old Man’s Daughter. …show more content…

In ancient China, it was a cultural norm and expectation for young women to bind their feet. Tiny feet were considered exceptionally beautiful, and if a woman wanted a chance of a good marriage, she participated in this practice. This is evident in “Yeh-Shen” when the king meets Yeh-Shen and “…he was struck by her beauty and he noticed she had the tiniest feet.” Another important cultural element to the story was the presence of the fish in Yeh-Shen’s life. Yeh-Shen is told by her guardian spirit that “…the bones of the fish were filled with a powerful spirit…” and she was “…warned not to waste their gifts.” In Chinese culture, fish represent wealth and abundance and Yeh-Shen was careful to respect the bones of the fish. By including elements like the fish and footbinding in the story, “Yeh-Shen” is made relevant to a particular group of

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Cinderella By Grimm Brothers

    1631 Words  | 7 Pages

    However, Cinderella successfully overcomes this psychological element through the usage of genre conventions. The “uncanny truth” of living authentically is exemplified through the rewards of Cinderella's lifestyle and the punishments of her sisters, yet audiences are

    Read More

  • Chi Li Slays The Serpent: World Mythology Rosenberg

    1003 Words  | 5 Pages

    For nine years, the people of Chiang Lo County lived in terror of the monstrous Yung serpent whose appetite was only fulfilled by human flesh. (331) Each year county officials would choose a young maiden to be sacrificed, bind her and take her to the mountainside where they had built a temple near the opening of the serpent’s cave and watched as the serpent fed off of the young maiden. In the tenth year Chi Li was determined to volunteer. Living in a patriarchal society she felt that she had no self-worth and her life was

    Read More

  • Comparing 'Yeh-Shen And The Algonquin Cinderella'

    343 Words  | 2 Pages

    Comparing the 4 Cinderella Stories There are many things that are similar and many things that are different between “Ashenputtel”, “Yeh-Shen”, “The Algonquin Cinderella”, and the poem “Interview”. In this essay I will be comparing the three stories. I will also be contrasting them. Finally, I will conclude my essay. There are many similarities between the different versions of Cinderella.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Cinderella And Egyptian Cinderella

    491 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Stories of “The Wonderful Birch” and “The Egyptian Cinderella” , each a different variation of Cinderella, have different patterns of characteristics. The cultures of these stories have different economics, achievements, religions ,and social necessities. Even though you will see recurring patterns, the stories are very different at heart. To begin with, “The Wonderful Birch” leads you to know about different

    Read More

  • Comparing Poniewozik's Cinderella And Princess Culture

    1213 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Cinderella tale has been at the heart of many stories for generations. People have become very familiar with the storyline, as it is very prevalent in society today through many moderns movies and stories. The Cinderella story is adored by young children, more specifically by young girls. However as a more feminist culture has emerged, society’s viewpoint of fairytales is becoming increasingly negative. In, “The Princess Paradox” and “Cinderella and Princess Culture”, authors James Poniewozik and Peggy Orenstein further evaluate themes found in the Cinderella stories.

    Read More

  • Ruth Panttaja Cinderella Not So Morally Superior Analysis

    922 Words  | 4 Pages

    Elisabeth Panttaja uses her article, “Cinderella: Not So Morally Superior,” in order to demonstrate that Cinderella is not the moral hero she is made out to be in modern versions of the ancient fairy tale. She accredits the majority of Cinderella’s triumphs to her recently dead mother in the form of supernatural gifts and assistance rather than Cinderella’s perseverance against a cruel step-family showing how she is craftier, willing to employ powerful magic to defeat the forces arrayed against her. Her argument is somewhat successful in dismantling the moral high ground built around modern day Cinderella, but Panttaja tends to interpret information to only support her argument and does not add in any

    Read More

  • Chinese Cinderella Quotes

    798 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen-Mah is a depressing story. This is because many gloom things happen in the story, Adeline's stepmother steals, lies, and does many other rude things to people, and family, and Adeline's family train a dog, and the dog only obeys two people. “Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul.” ― Dave Pelzer. This quotes is an important quote for child abuse, it show what childhood should be, and what it shouldn't be.

    Read More

  • Foot Binding In Ancient China

    741 Words  | 3 Pages

    In ancient Chinese societies, women learned their roles under the influence of men. The men used several different tactics in order to maintain their power and authority over the women. One such practice involved foot binding. In an article about Chinese culture and its history, Donna Drucker writes that foot binding was designed to weaken but also beautify women. The typical length of a “beautiful foot” was about four inches (Drucker).

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Cinderella By Grimm Brothers Grimm

    830 Words  | 4 Pages

    The slipper reveals the flaws and cracks in the values that form the foundation of our society by being the embodiment of the human spirit. In order to comprehend how the slipper illustrates the lack of integrity in society’s morals, the influence it has on the populace needs to be considered. All three interpretations of Cinderella paints a picture of a materialistic world obsessed with wealth and status. Each variation, however, emphasizes different levels from the actions of an individual to the movement of an entire kingdom. In the Grimm Brothers version of this tale, the composition of the shoes change each day, ranging from “slippers embroidered with silk and silver”(Grimm 33) to slippers “of pure gold”(Grimm 46).

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Disney And Yeh Shen

    782 Words  | 4 Pages

    Fairy tales in the U.S. typically include the nicest version of the story as they are meant for children. What many people don’t know is that there are many versions of the same fairytale, each having their own unique similarities and differences. One of the stories with multiple versions is Cinderella. There seems to be an infinite number of versions of this story from many regions around the world; there will be four versions that will be focused on Yeh-Shen: A Chinese Cinderella Story, Rhodopis (The Egyptian Cinderella) adapted from Stabo, The Hidden One, A Native American Legend told by Aaron Shepard, and finally Cinderella as written by Walt Disney.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of What's Wrong With Cinderella

    1343 Words  | 6 Pages

    From its onset with its first feature-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, Disney has grown to become a worldwide phenomenon today. But over the years, various parent groups, scholars and film critics have accused Disney for creating shallow, stereotypical princesses whose ultimate aim was to find her 'prince charming ' and live happily ever after. In her article, “What’s Wrong With Cinderella?” in the New York Times, Peggy Orenstein expresses her concern over the effect of princess figures like Cinderella on young girls ' perceptions of themselves and how they should behave (“What’s Wrong With Cinderella?”).

    Read More

  • Behaviour Of Fish In An Egyptian Tea Garden Summary

    772 Words  | 4 Pages

    Keith Douglas’s poem, “Behaviour of Fish in an Egyptian Tea Garden” is a sensual story of an alluring woman and her power to seduce men, of any age or ‘species’. Douglas creates a rich image of an aquatic, underwater environment throughout the poem which parallels the actions of a woman and men to the animalistic nature of society. The ‘behaviour of fish’ mimic mankind 's values in this piece by eventually portraying the ugliness and superficiality of physical attraction; an attraction only driven by the lust of filthy lucre. Douglas utilizes the elements of imagery and diction to create a vivid depiction of the seductress in the marine environment. The poet also expands on the extended metaphor between man and fish, referring to different ‘species’ of men and their instinctual mannerisms.

    Read More

  • Chinese Cinderella Quote Analysis

    732 Words  | 3 Pages

    “It hurts when the person who made you feel special yesterday makes you feel so unwanted today”. Chinese Cinderella is about a little girl named Adeline who was an unwanted daughter. Her father and stepmother showed her no love, she had only two family members who cared about her, her Ye Ye and her Aunt Baba. Adeline’s parents did not support her and treated her like a slave, but Ye Ye and Aunt Baba treated her like a precious little treasure. Adeline was a truly bright girl and without her Grandfather and Aunt’s support she would not have been where she is today.

    Read More

  • Foot Binding: The Role Of Women In Ancient China

    501 Words  | 3 Pages

    This caused the foot to be curled into a stump, and was regarded to be attractive. The process of foot binding was painful and caused women to hobble because they could no longer walk properly due to the deformity of their feet. The wealthiest and highest classes of Chinese women bound their feet, and the practice soon spread to lower classes, although some women could not bind their feet so that they could work. This process began during the age of 5-6 and took years to complete.

    Read More

  • The Fish Figurative Language

    246 Words  | 1 Pages

    Have you ever thought about how an animal feels when they a caught? As a man you should respect nature and Elizabeth Bishop demonstrates this in her poems. In on of her poems “The Fish” heavily depends on figurative language. As Elizabeth writes the poem “The Fish” she uses the figurative language of imagery. For example, “Here and there his brown skin hung in strips like ancient wallpaper (9)”.

    Read More

More about Cultural Elements In The Story Of Yeh-Shen

Open Document