"In those years it was not as it is now. There was no freedom then for women. I stayed with him." (634)
From The Nortons Book of Woman's Lives by Phyllis Ross
Stories from Ning Lao T'AI-T'AI's Life: A Daughter of Han
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A Daughter of Han: Ning Lao T'AI-T'AI Written by: Idis Pruitt |
The quote above shows how hopeless she was living in poverty, so much so that she was willing to stay with her husband after all that he put her through. With her marriage on the decline, she conjures enough strength to leave him as she says she has to "'come out'"(635) and make her own living without a man. This must have been terrifying for her as she was a woman and women did not have much freedom in the 1800s, but it really shows us how strong of a woman she was to have gone through so much and still manage to escape from that toxic relationship.
I think this blog post was very interesting and I enjoyed reading about your perspective and input on the scenario. While reading this excerpt and your blog post, I cant help but think about how lucky and privileged we are that this is not a common occurrence and we do not have to worry about this anymore. I cannot fathom what Ning has gone through and I enjoy how you brought up how terrifying it must have been for her. Although I do not wish this upon anyone, I believe this made her such a strong woman and I really liked reading your insights on the chapter.
ReplyDeleteI like your comment about the toxic relationship that she had with her husband. Even though it is blatantly obvious that it is, it is something that wouldn't usually come up. A lot of people would be like, "well, it's her fault he took their daughter" or something along those lines, but he was being neglectful and abusive towards her and their children. She was doing her best to help them and their children, but he was only trying to satiate his own needs.
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