Against the Norm: Sammy and Siu Sang’s Rebellion
In Jen Sookfong Lee’s End of East, the female characters are expected to conform to Chinese concepts of gender roles. These ideas have been integrated into Chinese culture since the inception of the Shang dynasty−which is, arguably, the first time the Chinese saw an emergence of city-states−and they continue to pervade social interactions in China even today. In the beginning of the novel, Siu Sang and Sammy both display active forms of rebellion towards the Chinese tradition of imposing male-centric gender roles, but as they begin to overcome them, reach a mutual understanding and reconcile their damaged relationship. Espoused within this essay, are discussions on specific gender roles within the book, Siu Sang’s experiences and reactions…show more content… The value of a woman’s worth is found in her ability to be a good wife and housekeeper. Her responsibilities in the home are simply cooking, cleaning, knitting and gardening (Lee 151). Beyond the aforementioned tasks, she is unable to create an alternative means of entertainment and is prohibited for being a means of economic production in her household (148); all a woman in this society can do is “[sit] at home all day watching the dust collect.” (148). Without the ability to perform these tasks, she is seen as a “lazy wife [who will] raise lazy children” (145) or even useless (122). This belief asserts the notion that a lack of performance is domestic chores is an indicator of a woman who is of little value. Her role in the home is solely to make sure that her husband and in-laws are happy. Her own needs and desires are secondary to what is required of her and if “[she] does not deliver,” (108) she is to face dire consequences for her actions (108). Moreover, to meet the stringent requirements outlined by custom, she has to relinquish control of her