¶ … Inch Golden Lotus According to the 1000-year-old Chinese tradition, "a pair of perfectly bound feet must meet seven qualifications- small, slim, pointed, arched, fragrant, soft, and straight- in order to become a piece of art, an object of erotic desire." (Wang 2000, p.3) This passage describes what many consider to be a barbaric practice: foot binding, or a process by which a girl's feet were wrapped tightly so as to force the prevention of growth. This process, which can be traced back over a thousand years, was considered to be a sign of beauty and eroticism in women, and carried with it great symbolism within Chinese society. But by the beginning of the 20th century, foot binding was considered by many to be a backward and barbaric practice which forced women into a second class position; and it was outlawed. Feng Jicai, in The Three Inch Golden Lotus, explored the paradoxes, as well as the complexities, involved in the custom of foot binding through the story of a woman who was forced to have her feet bound and the tragedies and triumphs she experienced because of it.

It has been said of Feng Jicai's The Three Inch Golden Lotus that it obliterates the distinctions between kindness and cruelty, history and fable, forgery and authentic work, in other words, the story lies in the realm of ambiguity without declaring well-defined ideals of right and wrong. The title of the book, The Three Inch Golden Lotus refers to the idealized size and shape of a woman's foot; that it should be three inches long and shaped like a lotus flower. According to Chinese tradition, foot binding was a way to demonstrate the high level of society to which the woman belonged. It was almost impossible to perform any type of physical labor if one had their feet bound, and since most peasant women needed to work, only the upper class women...

Having small bound feet was also considered to be beautiful and erotic within Chinese society, especially among men, who enjoyed their artistic value. But this artistic value came at a terrible price, the mutilation of a woman's feet. The pain associated with foot binding began on the very first day when, as described by Feng Jicai, the four smaller toes were forced "downward and back, at a slight angle, toward the arch. [and] With a muted crack, the bones in the toes broke and gave way." (Jicai 1994, p.16)
While the foot binding process was excruciatingly painful, and generally crippled a woman for life, it was also a way to guarantee a successful marriage to a wealthy family. The pain and suffering associated with the process of foot binding was seen by the Chinese as a sacrifice one must make in order to ensure future happiness. Fragrant Lotus' grandmother explained to her "Suffer once, be happy all your life…And as you grow up your precious feet will get you everything…a good husband, [as well as] guarantee you fame and fortune for your whole life." (Jicai 1994, p.20) It was the paradox of years of suffering inflicted upon young girls, in the name of future happiness, that Jicai explored in his book; the blurring of the line between torture and love. Fragrant Lotus is literally tortured by her loving grandmother so that Fragrant Lotus will have the necessary attributes to be successful in Chinese society. And it works, as she later is married into a wealthy family, and although her husband is somewhat dimwitted, her father-in-law truly appreciates her bound feet. As her grandmother predicted, her feet ended up getting Fragrant Lotus everything, including eventually becoming dowager of a great family.

Near the end of the novel Jicai once again explores the paradox…