“Yeh Shen” and the Ancient Chinese

CinderellaA Multicultural Approach

When was it written?

It is believed that first version of the Cinderella tale was written down in the early 9th century A.D.

HUH?Just to give you some

perspective…

…we are now in the 21st century

OH…

That means it was written about 1,200 years ago. Are the lights coming on upstairs?

“During the time of Ch’in and Han dynasties…”

This was a time of prosperity and economic growth. Someone of status held large pensions and had many legal privileges. Slaves were owned during this time.

“…Wu married two wives and each gave birth to baby girls.”

While monogamous marriages were of the norm during this time, a men of noble birth with money were known to support more than one wife at a time.

Various members of the family were treated with different levels of respect.

“Each day the fish came out of the water…”

The fish has always been held in great esteem by the Chinese…

…as a symbol of great Wealth and success.

How does it fit?Questions to ask:

How does the fish fit into the story of Yeh-Shen?

How might this cultural symbolism affect the story?

The Price of Beauty

Small feet were considered feminine and beautiful. But why?

Couple of Ideas

One story claims that an ancient Chinese empress had a club foot

It is said that she demanded women to bind their feet so that her foot would be the model of beauty.

Another IdeaOther stories

state that a prince named Li Yu found small feet to be incredibly attractive, causing foot binding to become a fashion.

Other Cultural Aspects

While reading, analyze other cultural aspects of the story. How do the customs mentioned in the story differ from our customs today?

What cultural aspects might one see in a a current day Cinderella tale?