Bound (post 5)

So, I've finally finished Bound! I'm so pumped and excited to move on to the next book which is Briar Rose. However, before I can start that one I need to make at least one more post on Bound.

Chapters 26-29

So, Xing Xing goes down to the cave festival at the park. Mainly she is there just for the experience. She isn't looking to find a husband like Wei Ping is. Night has fallen and the ci sharing is about to start when Wei Ping and Stepmother spot a beautiful Xing Xing in the crowd which startles Xing Xing making her run off back to the cave. In the process she loses one of her mothers golden shoes...OH NO! When Wei Ping and Stepmother get home they find Xing Xing in her tattered rags and don't even suspect that she left the cave. So, now the shoe is lost and it travels from man to man who bids the highest until the price of it is so high that only the prince can afford it. He travels from town to town looking for the girl the shoe fits and he arrives to the Wu household last and when the shoe fits neither Wei Ping or Stepmother the Prince is completely downhearted. But, then Xing Xing gets the chance to prove that she is the girl from the cave festival and she and the prince leave together to live happily ever after.

Ok, here comes the important interesting stuff...

Xing Xing's shoe is golden unlike other versions. The slipper or shoe that the character wears reflects society's view of that person or type of person. In both the Grimm and Disney versions the slipper is glass, however in this version the slipper is golden. Glass is fragile and reflects the wearer as that and dainty, however in Bound Xing Xing's slipper is golden which is very valuable and not just in beauty, in smarts too. The Cinderella's in the Grimm and Disney versions are beautiful, but they are never displayed as intelligent unlike Xing Xing who tells the Prince what she wants and doesn't want, "I don't want to be bought or sold" (183) and other things about her, "My feet are not bound...[and] I don't have a dowry" (184). By doing this Xing Xing makes sure that the Prince really wants her as a wife not because she is beautiful, but because he has an interest in her as a person, a virtue that the Grimm and Disney Cinderella's did not have.

Something else I found really important is that, "...neither Stepmother nor Wei Ping ever looked at her. Not really. A change of clothes, and they didn't even recognize her." ( 166) showing that neither of them really saw anything special in Xing Xing, they just always assumed that she would be there. They didn't really see how intelligent she was or even what she looked like physically. It's the same as the Cinderellas in the other two versions because they were also not recognized at the balls they attended.

Also, this version is a little less gruesome, but like in the Grimm version both Wei Ping and Stepmother's feet do not fit the shoe because one's toe is to big and the other's heel is to big. However, they don't cut them off in order to try and get the shoe on. They don't seem as desperate as the stepsisters in the Grimm version.

Napoli like the Grimm brothers are trying to present the idea that when someone works towards something they'll get it in the end. Xing Xing wanted to get away from her Stepmother and she finally did. And, that intelligence is far more important than beauty. However, she doesn't present it in the violent and gruesome way that the Grimm brothers do.

Nicole

Bound (post 4)

So, it was a Wednesday morning during winter vacation when Nicole decided that it was time to once and for all try and get this book over with. =)

Chapters 21-25

After Xing Xing comes home from writing her ci she, Wei Ping, and Stepmother are seated around the kang eating dinner. It's a soup that has many ingredients including millet, mallow, reeds, and bamboo, "and fish, of course" (135). The next day Xing Xing goes down to the fresh water stream and calls for the fish, however no matter how much she calls for the fish it doesn't come. The fish in the soup is Xing Xing's mother fish. The fact that Stepmother would kill the girl's only friend and then feed it to her emphasizes that she is evil and even though she is being nice to Xing Xing by giving her the dress and "[delivering] fish to most of the families on [their] side of the hill" (133) she is still the Stepmother and because of that she is always up to no good. She most likely gave Xing Xing the job of writing the family ci for the festival as a way to get her out of the house so she could capture the fish and the fish she delivered to all the neighbors was probably part of the huge magic carp.

Also, throughout these chapters Xing Xing's ears keep buzzing and ringing. It happens whenever something unfortunate or terrible take place. It seems as though it is her mother and father trying to guide her from the dead. Like it's their spirits trying to help her along with life.

At the end of chapter 24 Xing Xing goes into the storeroom to hide the magic carp's bones that she had found outside in the back, while in there she came across a loose stone in the floor and took it out. Inside of the floor was a letter along with pearls, shoes, and a dress. The letter was addressed to Xing Xing from her mother telling her, "Ornament yourself, if that makes sense. Sell these things, if that makes sense." (149) and so Xing Xing puts on these items and makes her way down to the festival. Wow, talk about Cinderella in the making. So let's rewind. Xing Xing was originally going into the storeroom to put the magic carp bones, so in a sense even after a second death Xing Xing's mother was leading her and helping her. The fish is like the bird that guides Cinderella to the ball. So, Xing Xing is on her way to her ball, let's see if she finds prince charming.

Nicole

How about something...Enchanted?

So, today I went to see Enchanted and there was so much stuff going on in that film I could barely keep it straight. But, I'll try my best =)...

The movie was a combination of many fairy tales, both Disney and non-Disney. Parts of Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty all made an apperance in this tale about a princess-to-be that takes a nasty fall and ends up in New York City.

Giselle started out as the usual maiden in a fairy tale who wants to find her one true love, and does when Prince Edward hears her singing from her hollowed out tree. Giselle, in the beginning, is the typical damsel in distress however takes a turn and becomes the heroine and kills the evil stepmother that tries to kill her new true love Robert who takes her into his home when she pops up in NYC with no clue of what to do but wait for Prince Edward to come and save her. Giselle isn't the typical maiden one would expect, she's actually very smart and ends up with her true love, happily ever after.

Queen Narissa (similiar to narcissus-yeah she's vain too) is indeed a stepmother, however she is the stepmother to Prince Edward and the loss of her throne is her motive to murder Giselle. She does turn into the ugly old hag and poisions Giselle with an apple like in Snow White. However, she also turns into a dragon like Malificent in Sleeping Beauty. She's very manipulative and sneaky, and admits herself as being "vindictive and spiteful". She ends up being slain by Giselle who saves Robert.

Prince Edward is really the total and complete opposite of what a Prince is in the other fairy tales. Normally Princes are brave, strong, smart, and handsome. Unfortunately for Prine Edward, he only ended up with three of the four. He was very brave, strong, and handsome, but he lacked in the brain department. He was completely oblivious to what his stepmother was doing and couldn't take a hint from Pip, the helpful chipmunk sidekick. He too ends up happily ever after with Roberts ex-girlfriend Nancy.

So, after all of this what has been observed?

Well...Nowadays, the Princess isn't the one who needs to be saved, she's the one who is doing th saving. She has grown throughout the years and doesn't need a Prince, but wants true love. She has gotten brighter, I mean after a hundred or so years of being hunted down don't you think she would catch on to the same tricks?

That Prince isn't what he seems to be and isn't needed by the Princess anymore suggesting that the Princess is more independent. The fact that Giselle fell in love with a man and not with Prince Charming displays the idea that society is getting away from the idea of Prince Charming and that there is something special in everyone. Plus, Robert had everything Prince Edward had and more.

The Stepmother in fairy tales just keeps getting more and more evil. The fact that Queen Narissa wasn't Giselle's stepmother but wanted to kill her anyway becuase she didn't want to lose her throne shows that the stepmother has become more ruthless and evil. And, as she said it herself, "vindictive and spiteful". She should have just tried to murder Prince Edward instead of Giselle because then there would never be a chance of her losing her throne to Edward's bride.

And, the best part of this movie is that it contains the meaning of a bunch of fairy tales, such as destiny cannot be overcome and what needs to happen will like in Briar-Rose (Giselle ends up with Robert even though she thought and tried to fall in love with Edward), evil will suffer in the end just like in Snow White (Narsissa dies), and working towards something will give you results like in Cinderella (true love).


Nicole =]

Bound (post 3)...A Cinderella In the Making!

Thank god, the story is finally starting to resemble that of Cinderella besides the fact that Xing Xing has a cruel stepmother and both of her biological parents are gone.

Chapters 17-20

Xing Xing has arrived home with the medicine for Wei Ping's feet. The house is a disaster with filth and old spoiling food all over the place. Wei Ping is still on the kang, where she was when Xing Xing left, with stepmother laying beside her. Stepmother took the medicine from Xing Xing and fiddled around with it, but couldn't get the knot loose and began to breakdown. Xing Xing took cleaned the house from ceiling to floor and then washed up Wei Ping and Stepmother then Xing Xing took care of Wei Ping's feet. After month of caring for Wei Ping's feet they began to heal and look relatively normal. Stepmother and Wei Ping are in amazing moods because the cave festival is shortly coming up and there is said to be an unwed prince who will be attending.

After taking care of Wei Ping and Stepmother Xing Xing goes down to the fresh water stream and swims with the fish. She and the fish "encircled around each other like white ribbons, making the water swirl behind them. They slid past each other, touching wholly, like mother and child" (117). The fish is indeed a symbol for Xing Xing's mother, like in the Grimm version where the bird is a symbol for Cinderella's mother. These animals are to serve the girls like a mother would during hard times. It is with the fish and bird that Xing Xing and Cinderella find comfort that they cannot find with their stepmothers or stepsisters, they make life more bearable to deal with.

Some unusual events takes place in the house after Xing Xing cares for Wei Ping's feet. They respect her a little more, and she is called "Sister" by Wei Ping's or Xing Xing by Stepmother (usually calls her Lazy One). However, in a way they do this to manipulate Xing Xing in order to get what they want out of her. Stepmother has had a barrow made in order to wheel Wei Ping down to the cave festival and decided that Xing Xing will be the one to carry it. In order for Xing Xing to not feel used they give her the dress that Wei Ping was going to wear for the festival and Stepmother makes another for Wei Ping. Then they ask Xing Xing to represent the family in the poetry session of the festival and to represent their family. Xing Xing is more then elated, but in some way it's really upsetting. They use her and give her all the things she has ever wanted out of personal gain...and I can bet that they end up treating her just as horribly as they use to after the festival is over.

It's quite evident that there are some similarities and differences between this and the Grimm version. There's a festival going on, like the ball, and the girls get to go, including Xing Xing without any question because she has to push Xing Xing there unlike Cinderella who had to sneak out to the ball. Xing Xing's dress is made by Stepmother!!?!? What is this? Is stepmother showing some kind of heart towards Xing Xing, I highly doubt it, but we'll see.

Nicole

Bound (post 2)

My previous post mentioned something about women and how they are said to be more connected to yin. I wasn't sure if it was a religious view or how society viewed them, but after research I found it to be one of society. Women were not allowed to hold any type of power and were considered property or objects.

Heres a little more: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art29973.asp

Chapters 12-16

Something surprised me while reading which I really didn't expect to find in this book mainly because it's an easy read and I didn't think that something like this would be presented in a book that is set in China. Maybe it is just ignorance, but, "And what would happen would happen; fate ruled the cosmos" (76) stuck out to me. This gave me the idea of foreshadowing, however Xing Xing takes it on herself to maybe change or alter her future when she jumps off of the oxcart. Maybe this means that in the end she won't end up with her prince like previous Cinderellas before her, or maybe that was what fate intended.

There is a lot of mention of birds in these chapters bringing to mind the Grimm version of Cinderella where the bird is the "fairy godmother" that helps her to the ball and meet her prince. However, I think that the bird was Cinderella's mother watching out for her just like Xing Xing's ancestors protecting her throughout her journey.

And, something I read came across as really funny just because it's really true. "And now, as the sun grew weak and the swuare emptied, it seemed everyone remembered their ailments" (85). This is where Xing Xing finally finds the doctor who can help Wei Ping's feet, however when she tries to tell him what happened everyone needs his assitance. He makes Xing Xing wait five days before she's allowed to tell him what is wrong with Wei Ping. It's ironic becuase Stepmother told her to be quick about the journey, but she ends up being slowed down an awful lot. It does seem as though everytime people are in a hurry what they needed to do always takes them longer.

Bound... feet or to a life of complexity?

Alright, I'm eleven chapters into this book, but that's only sixty two pages, and it's an easy read for the most part. The words are pretty plain and basic and some of the important symbols and metaphors are explained which takes away some fun, however there is still a lot to this book so far. There are some simliarities and some differences between this and the original Cinderella tale.

Xing Xing, a young girl, is left in the care of her stepmother after the death of her father and own mother. And, is forced to take care of her younger half/step-sister Wei Ping who needs constant tending to because of her bound feet. Now, there are already some similarities and differences between the Grimm verison and this one. There is a singular sister who shares a father with Xing Xing. They often get along and feel pity for one another, Xing Xing being, "hardly more than a slave" and Wei Ping experiencing pain from her bound feet. They form a bond when Xing Xing takes home a carp, who has some important significance, and a blind raccoon. This is all very different from the Grimm version, however something takes place that is very similar.

Wei Ping's feet were bound after the death of her and Xing Xing's father in order for Wei Ping to be married off to a better and well endowed man. One day the blind raccoon wakes up and smells the blood from Wei Ping's foot rags and attacks her foot out of hunger. She loses her big toe. Does this ring a bell? Well, it should. In the Grimm version each of the stepsisters cuts off a piece of their foot in order to have the slipper fit their big feet. Wei Ping is said to have big feet as well which is why she originally binds them and this presents an idea of altering physical appereance in order to gain something or be viewed differently, which brings to mind the recent unfortunate accident with Kayne West's mother. Mrs. West went to a well known and respected plastic surgeon wanting to get multiple procedures done at once. He refused saying it wouldn't be safe to conduct so many procedures without making sure her heart was in shape for it and he wouldn't perform such a risky thing. Mrs. West then went to another plastic surgeon who agreed to conducting the procedures and last Saturday she died of cardiac arrest. Changing or altering physical apperance to be viewed in a different light or to get something else out of it can only lead to a downward spiral.

The stepmother calls Xing Xing by Lazy one which is similar to Cinderella because she is also not called by her birth name. Also, the stepmother seems to be much worse than that of Cinderella's because of Xing Xing's mother's death wish that she would care for her father until the day he died. Which goes back to the idea of jealousy and that is what drives the stepmother to act in such a cruel manner towards Xing Xing who admits it herself that, "stepmother's jealousy of her grew in, until the end, the woman hardly looked at her without curling her lip" (26). However, unlike the Grimm version there is, at one point, in the story where stepmother accepts and is actually impressed by Xing Xing. When Xing Xing first brings home the carp and raccoon a smile on Wei Ping's face lights up for the first time since her bandages have been applied, and she finally has interest in something again, however once the raccoon bites off Wei Ping's toe the mood changes and Xing Xing is blamed for bringing evil into the house.

The idea of yin and yang is presented in chapter nine which I thought was interesting. Just as a review: yin is considered to be dark, cold, and stiff while yang is bright, hot, and flowlike and there would be no harmony if one existed without the other. Xing Xing refers to the raccoon as yin, having biten off a toe, and the carp as yang. Now, Xing Xing mentioned that she felt, "more affinity to the yang within her than to the yin, even though she was a girl..."(44). Now, at first I thought of the fall and Adam and Eve and how women are the bane of human existence, but then I remembered that they are not Christian or any form of it, but Kong Fu Zi which made me wonder if women are looked down upon because of religion or because that's just society. Anyway, Xing Xing is much more connected to her yang, however her stepmother is not, which makes me wonder why there isn't a sense of harmony in the house since they are polar opposites. However, Wei Ping's awful outlook probably has something to do with it.

That's it for now,

Nicole.

=]

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli is a novel set in China that is based off of Cinderella. Let's see if any parallels exist between Disney's Cinderella and the Grimm version.

Presentation of the story will of course be different, however I have a feeling the moral will stay the same.