Theme and significance.

Ties that bind, ties that break

Themes.
Man and women roles	In the novel, the roles women and men play in the Chinese society are stand out by the author. We can appreciate the amount of differences there are regarding behaviors or education. Traditionally, women had to change the way they live by, first of all, binding their feet (page 12 "you haven't had her feet bound yet"). They were not supposed to have big feet and they should not be running around (page 12” Mrs. Liu spoke: once the girl's feet are bound, Auntie Tao, she will stop running around [..]” ). Another aspect in which man and women differ is education. Girls were not allowed to attend to public school; they had to attend to the family school (at home) where they couldn't learn things like English, science or astronomy. (Page 15 "I'd love to go to a public school, I said [...] we study astronomy, answered Hanwei").
Traditionalist families	In this novel, it is clear to see how traditionalists were some Chinese families. for instance, Ailin's family is a sample of a traditionalist Chinese family, in which men (in this family case, the grandfather) have to work to maintain the family while the women take care of the housework and children, following to the letter the traditional binding feet in order to get married.
Politics	In this book, we get to know how politics used to work in china. Before becoming a republic chine used to be under the power of an empire. For some people like Ailin's father thought this new political change could bring advantages to the country, while others like Big Uncle thought a republic was not that beneficial for the country.
Matrimony	Marriage for women represents honor and status for the family and it was conditioned by the feet binding. We can see how relevant marriage was in a Chinese family. In Ailin’s situation,  she courageously decides not to have his feet bound despite the consequences (Disappointment for her family and the difficulty in finding a husband.)

Xenophobia	"Those greedy foreign devils!" (page 24) We can see the contempt they have towards foreign cultures and foreigners.
Bravery	The courage is evident in the life of Ailin, when he firmly decides to oppose the old Chinese tradition.

•  Significance of the book in the literary world: As the winner of an ALA award for the Best Book for Young Adults, this novel brings to light the relevance of the different traditions that characterize the Chinese culture. It shows the importance of gender equality and roles in the society. It also tells the political transition in china (from an empire to a republic).
• Significance of the title: ties that bind, that that break: It refers to the painful process by which girls and women had to go through in the Chinese culture in order to get married. The ties refer to the tools they use to join the feet to break later the bones.