The weak& sickly thing as an ideal for women is definitely not only in China but was a really big part of the Victorian age. Here some excerpts about this from this website about American women in the Victorian era: http://www.angelfire.com/indie/sugarplumfairy/sophsem.html
"Women of the higher classes were not known as simply “women,” but ladies. They had better chances of achieving the Victorian ideal, which meant that they were weak, angelic, sickly, virginal, and selfless. It was easier for them to possess these characteristics because they did not have to work, and had more time to perfect their images. They drank vinegar to increase their pallor, or paleness, and practiced fainting to make themselves appear fragile. Victorians felt that a lady should be quiet in her manners, natural and modest in her language, and careful to hurt no one’s feelings. From infancy, Victorian young ladies were taught how to acheive this ideal and behaved under the strictest etiquette.
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Death and illness played a big role in life as well in the Victorian Era. Tuberculosis, which was more commonly called consumption, was on the rise because of the growth of cities, and travelers or people living in large cities were dying by the thousands. However, tuberculosis was somewhat fancied because women who had the disease possessed some of the ideal Victorian characteristics. Women with the disease were generally very pale and weak, had bright eyes, and experienced sudden bursts of energy or creativity. In truth, tuberculosis was contagious and horrific, but many believed it was a romantic way to die. TB is very common in 19th century literature; in Louisa May Alcott’s famous Little Women, Beth dies of tuberculosis, and in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of the Island, Ruby Gillis dies of consumption and is described as having sparkling blue eyes and looking beautiful until the very end."
Posted on: Famous Characters in Chinese Literature
August 24, 2011 at 8:43 AMThe weak& sickly thing as an ideal for women is definitely not only in China but was a really big part of the Victorian age. Here some excerpts about this from this website about American women in the Victorian era: http://www.angelfire.com/indie/sugarplumfairy/sophsem.html
"Women of the higher classes were not known as simply “women,” but ladies. They had better chances of achieving the Victorian ideal, which meant that they were weak, angelic, sickly, virginal, and selfless. It was easier for them to possess these characteristics because they did not have to work, and had more time to perfect their images. They drank vinegar to increase their pallor, or paleness, and practiced fainting to make themselves appear fragile. Victorians felt that a lady should be quiet in her manners, natural and modest in her language, and careful to hurt no one’s feelings. From infancy, Victorian young ladies were taught how to acheive this ideal and behaved under the strictest etiquette.
(...)
Death and illness played a big role in life as well in the Victorian Era. Tuberculosis, which was more commonly called consumption, was on the rise because of the growth of cities, and travelers or people living in large cities were dying by the thousands. However, tuberculosis was somewhat fancied because women who had the disease possessed some of the ideal Victorian characteristics. Women with the disease were generally very pale and weak, had bright eyes, and experienced sudden bursts of energy or creativity. In truth, tuberculosis was contagious and horrific, but many believed it was a romantic way to die. TB is very common in 19th century literature; in Louisa May Alcott’s famous Little Women, Beth dies of tuberculosis, and in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of the Island, Ruby Gillis dies of consumption and is described as having sparkling blue eyes and looking beautiful until the very end."