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Footbinding Vs Corset Essay

1033 Words5 Pages

For centuries humans have been practicing body modification for the sake of beauty. Two common forms of body modifications are corset wearing and footbinding. The corset was an important part of the female wardrobe for several centuries in the Western culture. It helped to sculpt the body allowing for an outward intimate visualization of the female physique. Middle-class women depended heavily on the use of the corset to aide with keeping the mind and body tamed. Footbinding, was equally important to women of China for centuries. Tiny feet were once seen as a sign of female beauty by the men in China. A woman needed to have bound feet so that she was able to find a good husband. Parents were obligated to make sure the process of footbinding started during early childhood, to ensure the success of their daughter’s ability to be wed. Footbinding and Corset wearing both illuminated beauty as the main attractiveness of female worth, while decreasing the likelihood …show more content…

Women participated in footbinding and wore corsets to look beautiful for society and men. These women may have never known their true beauty or worth because they were restricted to those practices. They both were a sign of status and the traditions had to be followed to be able to marry or fit-in in society. Both of these practices played a role in deforming a women’s body and making it difficult for her to participate in any daily activities, which forced the women to depend on the assistance of a man to take care of her. This oppression of women is still in practice today in the 20th century. Women are constantly changing their outer appearance to look appealing to society. Today instead of using corsets and footbinding, women have a growing list of possibilities that include, plastic surgery, implants, piercings, tattoos. There are also options that are not as invasive such as body shapers, make up, and

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