chinese cinderella essay family relationships

Only available on StudyMode Read full document → Save to my library Family & Relationships Leaving behind & Loneliness Self-esteem Here are quotes which support these themes: Family and Relationships: ‘To her we are not separate people. Over here, we have become a single unit known as all of you’. (page 28) This quote relates to the theme of family and relationships. The profound barrier between Niang’s biological children and step-children is described through the different treatment of the two groups, with Niang’s ‘real’ children favoured immensely. ‘In no time at all huge sister went over to the other side. I knew Niang abhorrent me and despisedmy aunt.’ (page 59) This quote relates to the theme of family and relationships. The reader feels disgust and sadness for Adeline, and pity for her as Niang’s despise for her tears her and her siblings apart by bringing Huge Sister over to ‘their side’. Leaving behind & Loneliness: ‘One by one they were greeted and led away by nervous mothers. Nobody came for me.’ (page 30) This quote relates to the theme of leaving behind and loneliness. The reader pities Adeline and it is simple to empathise with her as she watches ass her friends taken from school with loving mothers and it is left alone to ponder her misfortune. ‘I took the duckling to my heart it reassured me to know I was needed.’ (page 84) This quote relates to the theme of leaving behind and loneliness. The duckling made Adeline feel as though she was not completely worthless and was needed. This was a change for Adeline. Self-esteem: ‘If you had not been born, Mama would still be alive. She died because of you. You are terrible luck.’ (page 3) This quote relates to the theme of self-esteem. The reader feels very wretched for Adeline and it is simple to see why she does not feel excellent in this area herself and carries guilt if she is constantly oral to this way.
1999 Puffin edition For the sequel, see Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society. Chinese Cinderella: The Secret Story of an Unwanted Daughter is a book by the Chinese-American physician and author Adeline Yen Mah describing her experiences growing up in China during the Second World War. First published in 1999, Chinese Cinderella is a revised version of part of her 1997 autobiography, Falling Leaves. Her mother dies two weeks after giving birth to her (of fever) and she is known to her family as bad luck. Her father, Joseph Yen, remarries a woman who treats Adeline and her siblings harshly while spoiling Adeline's half-brother and half-sister. Plot[edit] Adeline's cruel family considers her as bad luck since she caused her mother's death in child birth and they don't pay attention to her throughout her early childhood. This is the story of her struggle for acceptance and how she overcomes the odds to prove her worth. Born the fifth child to a wealthy Chinese family, Adeline's life begins tragically. Adeline's mother died two weeks later after her birth due to complications brought on by the delivery, and in Chinese culture she is considered bad luck. This situation is compounded by her father's new marriage to Jeanne Prosperi (referred as Niang , an alternate term for mother in Mandarin Chinese), a Eurasian woman who has little affection for her husband's five children. She displays overt antagonism and distrust towards all of the children, particularly Adeline, while favoring her own younger son, Franklin, and daughter, Susan (Jun-qing) born soon after the marriage. Niang is also responsible for renaming all Adeline and her siblings: her eldest sister becomes Lydia (Jun-pei); her three older brothers are renamed Gregory (Zi-jie), Edgar (Zi-ling), and James (Zi-jun) respectively, while Jun-ling is renamed Adeline. The book outlines Adeline's struggle to.
What makes the events that occurred during her childhood so poignant to Ms. Yen Mah at the point of her life when she relates the story? A complete answer to this question would look at a it from a variety of perspectives. While one can talk about the deep psychological trauma that events cause during a decisively absorbent age, it is also important to mention the imperfectness of memory. The thoughts of a child can be distorted with time, augmenting some wrongs and forgetting some rights. The most important aspect of an effective response is the ability to understand different perspectives. How might Adeline’s relatives describe themselves if given the chance to tell their own life stories? An effective answer to this question would look to address the incredibly static nature of the characters within Adeline's story. None of the characters within the novel, besides perhaps Adeline herself, have any changes in personality, either positive or negative. They are, at the end of the novel, the same people as they were at the beginning. The writer would first look to answer the question of why the characters are so static. Then, they would look to find the deeper conflicts that may have affected the development of these periphery characters. Why does Niang behave towards Adeline, and her other stepchildren, as she does? A difficult but central question, the nature of Niang's conflict with Joseph's natural born children can be difficult to ascertain. The matter of Niang's youth is a particularly interesting aspect for the writer to pursue, although it will not serve as a satisfactory answer on its own. The successful essay will also look at the dynamic between Niang and her husband, perhaps trying to answer why he deferred to her so easily. Father's pride of his French wife may perhaps be the root of this development. Finally, the matter of inheritance may be considered.
This book is the moving autobiography of a young Chinese girl, Adeline Yen Mah. Born the fifth child to an affluent Chinese family her life begins tragically. Adeline’s mother died shortly after her birth due to complications bought on by the delivery, and in Chinese culture this marks her as cursed or ‘bad luck’ (p.3). This situation is compounded by her father’s new marriage to a lady who has little affection for her husband’s five children. She displayed overt antagonism and distrust towards all of the children, particularly Adeline, whilst favoring her own younger son and daughter born soon after the marriage. The book outlines Adeline’s struggle to find a place where she feels she belongs. Denied love from her parents, she finds some solace in relationships with her grandfather Ye Ye, and her Aunt Baba, but they are taken from her. Adeline immerses herself in striving for academic achievement in the hope of winning favour, but also for its own rewards as she finds great pleasure in words and scholarly success. The book was written following the successful publication of Adeline Yen Mah’s first autobiography, Falling Leaves, which details the years of Adeline’s life from fourteen years of age into adulthood. ‘The secret story of an unwanted daughter ‘ (The book’s subheading) The idea of an unwanted daughter, blamed for the death of her own mother, is a superstition that may have caused the abandonment of many. What is the strength of such a superstition? How does such a superstition come about? In her life Adeline Yen Mah has been many things, a brilliant academic, doctor and a writer, yet it is the role of ‘unwanted daughter’ that plays heavily on her heart. Why is this so? Why does it overshadow all other achievements? Why is it so difficult to move beyond childhood hurts? The pain felt by Adeline is acute and permeates almost every scene in the book. The story.
Yen, Adeline Mah. (2001). Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf. 224 pp. Grade Range: 6-12 Genre: nonfiction Summary and Critique In this compelling memoir, Adeline Yen Mah relates the story of her heartbreaking yet inspiring childhood. Set in China in the 1940s, the book chronicles both the abuse the young girl endures as the last child of her father's first marriage and her quiet acts of courage in the face of adversity. When their mother dies a few weeks after giving birth to Adeline, the older children blame the young girl. Their powerful father basically ignores Adeline (except when she does extremely well in school). When Adeline's father remarries, the new wife—much like the evil stepmother of countless fairy tales—daily ridicules and humiliates the youngster. Unwilling to dishonor her family, Adeline tells no one about the abuse she endures. Ultimately, with the help of a grandfather and aunt, the perseverant heroine moves to England, eventually becoming both a successful doctor and a best-selling b4teens_author. Written in a lyrical style, the memoir touchingly portrays both the plight and pluck of the young Adeline. Although most middle-school students will be able to read and enjoy the text, the book remains popular with adults, as well. Critics have praised Mah's book for its honest voice, historical details, and uplifting portrayal of one teen's valiant spirit. Awards ALA Best Book for Young Adults Publishers Weekly Best Book Themes/Topics Families Friends & Enemies Race, Ethnicity, and Culture Challenges and Triumphs War & Peace The Individual vs. Society Author/Illustrator/Editor Information Adeline Yen Mah's is a physician and a writer. Her first memoir, Falling Leaves, describes the author's search for her father's will which had been hidden from her by her stepmother. After the tremendous success of.
HomeStudy GuidesChinese CinderellaQuotes and Analysis Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah 'But then Mama died giving birth to you. If you had not been born, Mama would still be alive. She died because of you. You are bad luck.' Chinese Cinderella, p.3 The first lines we hear from Big Sister set the tone of both the novel and the character. The blame that rests on Adeline from her birth prohibits any hope of an easy childhood; with her siblings believing that she brought about the end to their idyllic lives, she is in no position to convince them otherwise. The endless cycle of hate and bias has already begun, fed by any negative turns or disappointing results. Although this is brutally unfair, it--like being a daughter and being Chinese—is a part of realities that Adeline has no choice but to overcome.   “It hurt so badly I couldn’t sleep. I screamed in pain and begged my mother to free my feet, but she wouldn’t. In fact, the pain has never gone away. My feet have hurt every day since they were bound and continue to hurt today. I had a pair of perfectly normal feet when I was born, but they maimed me on purpose and gave me lifelong arthritis so I would be attractive.” Chinese Cinderella, p.8 The practice of footbinding in Chinese culture was a cruel one that persisted for many centuries and only ceased in the early days of the 20th century. This form of subjugation for Chinese women was on of many ways that a pervasive anti-female culture was ingrained in the Chinese psyche. The belief that women were vastly inferior to males allowed for the ill treatment of daughters and the propagation of arranged marriages, creating an imbalance that would make it difficult for young girls like Adeline to succeed. The history of footbinding through the eyes of Nai Nai and what that meant for women of the day was another disadvantage that Adeline had to overcome while growing up.