Chapters 3 and 4 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 3: Nai Nai's Bound Feet

Aunt Baba told Adeline to help Nai Nai to her chair at the dining room table. Nai Nai had difficulty walking—her feet had been bound when she was a young child. Adeline compared her feet to her grandmother's and asked why her feet were so small. Nai Nai explained that her feet were bound so they would not grow. Small feet were considered feminine and beautiful—it had been a Chinese tradition for over one thousand years. Nai Nai was in severe pain and begged for the binding to be taken off, but her parents refused. Her toes were forced to bend back under the sole, ultimately crushing the arch. She had arthritis her entire life and her feet hurt every day in memory. She told Adeline that she was lucky...