The Fox Wife

“Girls, be wary of men who smile with their mouths and not their eyes.”

This passage alludes to the overarching theme of Women’s Negotiated Safety. In the novel, women must always be on guard in their interactions with men. There is often the possibility that they will be manipulated and exploited.

“No other creature hobbled its females like this, breaking the arch of a child’s foot at the tender age of four or five and binding it into a hoof.”

Snow’s remarks about the foot-binding tradition in China distinguish the cultural differences between humans and foxes. While Snow and the others may look like they belong among humans, they hold fundamentally different values. Snow’s words—“hobbled,” “breaking”—show her disdain for foot binding.

“Since ancient times, foxes have been feared and revered.”

This points to how humans use superstitions to explain uncomfortable situations or provide reassurance. They are afraid of mystical beings, such as when blaming the mystical for an unfaithful spouse. At the same time, they pray to mystical beings as they would a god, such as for a cure.