Chinese Cinderella

Chinese Cinderella Essay In the book, â€Å"Chinese Cinderella,’ by Adeline Yen Mah, there are many things that happen to Adeline throughout her life. The book is based on the original Chinese Cinderella, had a similar life to Adeline. Both were maltreated by their stepmothers, both original mothers die and both gradually become more powerful and renowned throughout their lives. The two girls were severely maltreated by their stepmothers throughout their childhood years. Chinese Cinderella, Ye Xian, was bullied by her stepmother.In the letter from Aunt Baba about the Chinese Cinderella, it said, â€Å"Her stepmother maltreated her, showing preference for her own daughter. † So what Ye Xian’s stepmother did was, she ate Ye Xian’s only friend, her goldfish, then she hid it but then Ye Xian found out. Adeline Yen Mah was also maltreated by her stepmother. Her stepmother was always biased and only treated her own children and the elder children (siblings of A deline) well. For example, Niang never gave her any tram money but she gave it to the other children.Also, Niang and her father never cared for her when she was young. What Adeline’s parents did affected her a lot in life. Adeline would strive to achieve more throughout her time at school to show what she could do, which made her more confident to work harder and have a better future. Both of the girls’ mothers die when the girls were very young. Ye Xian’s mother died first, and then her dad passed away a short time later. So the only carer for Ye Xian was her father’s other wife, her stepmother. She had her own child and didn’t care much for her, leaving Ye Xian on her own.Adeline’s mother died when Adeline wasn’t even in kindergarten yet. But Adeline wasn’t told much about her mother, even how her mother looked. On page 3, it said, â€Å"Do you have a picture of my dead mama? † But her aunt hesitated a bit and said no. This changed Adeline’s life because this could have made her work a lot harder at school so she could get a good job and try to recover her mother’s history. The two girls were afraid and weak when they were young but proved they could do well and become powerful when they got mature. Ye Xian was a professional at being a potter.She made many pots once and traded them for a pair of golden shoes. She wore them to a festival but lost one. A warlord found out it was Ye Xian’s shoe and married her. This is how Ye Xian was successful at the end. Adeline Yen Mah also became powerful at the end after all the years of suffering. She got very good marks at school and entered a writing contest once and won first prize. Her father was proud of her for one time and let her go to university in England. She was successful and got married and became a mother, which was a very big responsibility for her.How they became powerful was a big step for the two girls because they cou ld have courage in themselves, giving them more opportunities they had never done before and not be afraid to encounter problems. I think that Aunt Baba sent her this story because she wanted to tell Adeline she wasn’t the only person that was treated that way and wanted to give her more faith in herself. In conclusion, Chinese Cinderella and Adeline Yen Mah had pretty much the same life, but just different people in their stories. Chinese Cinderella Adeline Yen Mah’s novel Chinese Cinderella is an autobiographical novel about ‘the secret story of an unwanted daughter. ’ The novel is memorable because the story is intriguing and it is also historical as it depicts the chaos of China in the early 1940s. The novel is also remarkable for its strong depiction of characters. The novel is based on a girl called Adeline who is neglected and unloved by her family members. There are few people who love her. Adeline’s family considers her bad luck because they believe she killed her mother. Big Sister [tells] me, ‘†¦ 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. † (Yen Mah, 1999:3). Chinese Cinderella is the story of Adeline’s struggle for acceptance and how she overcomes the odds to prove she is worth a chance. She does this by excelling in her studies at school. She is born the fifth child to a wealthy Chine se family where her life began tragically due to her mother’s death. She then struggles to find a place where she feels she belongs.With no love given from her parents, she finds a special relationship with her grandfather and Aunt Baba, who she is later separated from. She is then sent to a convent boarding school in Tianjin where the communists enter under their leader Mao Ze-Dong. Soon she is the only child left in the convent due to communism. After many months she is collected by Aunt Reine Schilling who is Niang’s sister. â€Å"Adeline! ’ she smiled and greeted me in English. ‘†¦ Do you remember me? I am Aunt Reine Schilling, your Niang’s older sister. ’†¦ ‘Come here! Don’t be afraid! †¦ (Yen Mah, 1999:154). Adeline was then taken to Hong Kong. The characters in Chinese Cinderella are portrayed very well. Every character is three dimensional. The horror of Adeline’s life is depicted vividly in the nov el. The characters in this novel vary in personalities. The aspect of the story that impacts on the reader is the terrible treatment Adeline endured. Niang, who is the stepmother, has a particular hatred towards Adeline. Her father, who is a mysterious character loves her at times and at others uncaring towards Adeline. â€Å"Is this medal for topping your class? he asked. I nodded eagerly, too excited to speak. † (Yen Mah, 1999:11). This was the only time he congratulated Adeline. Adeline has three brothers and one sister. She is attached to Aunt Baba most who is a loving character. She shows great love and affection towards Adeline unlike her other family members. Her grandfather (Ye Ye) is one of her most passionate supporters throughout the story. Her grandfather believed in her so much that Adeline said â€Å"And if I should be so lucky as to succeed one day, it [is] only be because you [believe] in me. † (Yen Mah, 1999:208).This proves the influence her grandfath er had on her. Chinese Cinderella is so well written that one could envisage what China was like in the early 1940s. In the late 1930s to the early 1940s China was a strict society. People expect you to be obedient and respectful. Adeline’s life starts in Tianjin where she is born. She studies kindergarten with her older sister Lydia at St Joseph’s French Convent School. As soon as she starts school she shows her talent and skills. â€Å"What’s that hanging on your dress? † â€Å"It’s something special that Mother Agnes gave me in front of the whole class this afternoon.She called it an award. † My aunt looked thrilled. â€Å"So soon? You only started kindergarten one week ago. What is it for? † â€Å"It’s for topping my class this week†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Yen Mah, 1999:1) Adeline continues her success at school. A few months later in early 1942 Adeline’s Nai Nai dies of a massive stroke. Adeline’s family is planning to move to Shanghai due to the Japanese communists but waited six weeks till after Nai Nai’s funeral. Then Adeline, Big Sister, Big Brother and Second Brother left to Shanghai to live with Niang. On the way to Shanghai â€Å"[They] were delighted and astonished†¦ (Yen Mah, 1999:24) when they came face to face with their father. Even in Shanghai Adeline continues to succeed at school. The reader can imagine the conditions to which Adeline was subjected. One could imagine the misery of having to walk home from kindergarten. One afternoon, â€Å"Not long after Father and Niang [return] from Tianjin, Mr and Mrs Huang [come] to visit. They [bring] gifts for all seven of us children in a large cardboard box with several holes punched in the lid†¦When we [open] the gift from the Huangs, we [are] delighted to find seven little baby ducklings. (Yen Mah, 1999: 83). Adeline names her duckling PLT (Precious Little Treasure). After a few days Adeline’s father suggests t esting Jackie’s, the pet dog’s obedience after dinner. He orders fourth brother to fetch a duckling and he came down with PLT. That night is PLT’s death. Fourth brother has been with Adeline during PLT’s funeral. Soon Niang decides to get Lydia married. After the wedding Niang moves Adeline into Tianjin and sends her to a convent boarding school. By December that year she is the only student left due to the communists.Aunt Jeane Schilling comes to pick her up and take her to Hong Kong where she studies secondary school. Later Adeline studies medicine in England. The language in Chinese Cinderella successfully describes Adeline’s life, particularly the hardships. Upon hearing that Adeline wins the writing competition and her father being pleased she imagines, â€Å"[Her] whole being [vibrates] with all the joy in the world. I only [have] to stretch out my hand to reach the stars. † (Yen Mah, 1999:220). This quotation means that Adeline feels as though all the joy is inside her.She had so much joy she is vibrating. She thought the joy lied in the stars, which she obtains by stretching towards the sky. The language is also very emotive because the novel describes the feelings of every character, such as the scene when Adeline’s little duckling PLT is killed by their dog. â€Å"I [am] overwhelmed with horror. My whole world [turns] desolate. † (Yen Mah, 1999: 96). Adeline says this in a very small amount of words, but it is so descriptive you can feel the emotion.This quotation means that she is suffering through too much horror and sadness to cope with. Adeline felt that the whole world was deserted, nothing but grief. Through the language the reader is able to resonate with the hardships Adeline endured. Chinese Cinderella is a novel which depicts the chaos of China in the early 1940s. It is an autobiographical novel telling the story of an unwanted daughter. The novel is memorable because the language is c aptivating. Chinese Cinderella is remarkable for its strong interpretation of the characters.