ars was because of its sexual appeal.Footbinding is an issue that the Chinese do not like to talk about: The men don’t because it suggests that men have the power to dominate over women and tell them what to do. Women don’t like to talk about it because it is unsettling to think that their ancestors crippled their own daughters just to fit a social standard. The truth is that footbinding was very popular and degrading to women. The most obvious reason for bound feet was for the pleasure of men. Men that loved bound feet were called “lotus lovers”. The most important part of the foot was the crevice that was created by breaking the arch during the original binding process. The beauty of bound feet was a value deeply rooted in the sexual process. Feet were only unbound for cleaning and for lovemaking. Men said that looking at an unwrapped bound foot would destroy their pleasures forever. It was also said that a girl of marriageable age with natural feet only had limited chances of having a successful marriage, while a girl with bound feet will have increasing opportunities to have a great marriage. Another reason women bound their feet were to show refinement and a sense of class. No matter what the reason was, women still endured this great pain from an early age and continued this agonizing process for many of their childhood years. The girls were bound at an early age to take advantage of the softness of their bones. Before beginning the actual binding process, the feet would be soaked in warm water to soften the skin. Various ingredients were added such as ground almonds, mulberry root and other herbs to help soften the skin and make for a better binding. Families would pass down these special soaking recipes from generation to generation. The bandage used was approximately two inches wide and ten feet long. The four toes (leaving out the big toe) would be forced under the foot towards the sole...
