Re: Response to "Ridding China of Bad Customs"

I completely agree! The article was incredibly moving, in Qui Jin's ability to demonstrate how a Chinese woman's whole life is placed "in the hands" of others (from footbinding parents to matchmakers to "a family seeking rich and powerful in-laws" to her husband). Knowing now that even society would blame the women for her husband's abusive behavior, as "retribution for some sin committed in her previous existence," it is clear how ingrained sexism was in Chinese society (as in American).

This article was also greatly complemented by the 1920 "On Freeing Slave Girls" piece, which seems to illustrate how Qui Jin's work began to slowly take effect in the national consciousness. The fact that a man is advocating for liberation for not only slave girls, but "prostitutes" and "concubines" is also inspiringly progressive. Once again, it seems he advocates for education, which seems to further bring up your question, Sara, of the commonality of this type of thinking.