Chinese Cinderella - 1413 Words

FROM CHINESE CINDERELLA Adeline Yen Mah’s ‘Chinese Cinderella’ is the story of pain, rejection and triumph. Mental pain, contempt and cruelty were the harsh realities of her life. But the will to succeed and win recognition proved to be powerful motivating factors. The subtext is based in the years 1940-1950 and on memoirs of Adeline’s childhood. This extract is based on one of the few occasions when she went home. The title has a dreamy fairy tale like tone. It is used in an ironic manner and appropriately chosen. This extract has an autobiographical tone as Adeline relates her personal experiences. The words ‘rejected’, ’despised’, ‘left there’ describe her relationship with her family and reveal the unhappiness of her childhood...like†¦show more content†¦The great distance between father and daughter and the total absence of love and trust is clearly revealed. Adeline considers him an enemy, a hypocrite, a deceiver. The inner conflict is revealed through the entire monologue and in the use of rhetoric ‘Sit down! sit down!’. The use of repetition to make Adeline feel more comfortable. ‘Don’t look so scared’ – irony. Short sentences are used to build a climax. The extract from the newspaper adds authenticity and contrast to the earlier emotive language. ‘Is it possible? Am I dreaming? Me, the winner? Series of rhetorics which show her disbelief in her own abilities and her low self esteem. The cause of the ‘radiant’ look was the international literary prize that she had won. ‘I had given him face’, prestige, with a ‘revered colleague’. ‘For once he was proud of me’ emphasizes that never before had he acknowledged her as his daughter or been proud of her. And even now, it was only because of the prestige she had given him with his colleage that he was acknowledging her. But Adeline’s phrases ‘He looked radiant’, ‘Is this the big moment I have been waiting for?’ show how much she longed for parental recognition. Her joy is communicated effectively through the use of highly emotive language and the effective use of the hyperbole ’My whole being vibrated with all the joy in the world. I only had to reach out my hand to reach the stars’. In her euphoria she felt she could overcome the current reality of herShow MoreRelatedReview Of Cinderella A Chinese Cinderella Story And T he Golden Sandal 1119 Words   |  5 Pagesthat Cinderella stories have become an essential folktales not only to young people but as well as to older people. These stories have been recognized worldwide. Even more so, they were retold by different people and have been translated to different languages. What is fascinating about this is that different cultures have different interpretations of Cinderella stories and some do not appear to be the same slightly. Moreover, this paper examines two different cultures, Yen- Shen a Chinese CinderellaRead MoreChinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah610 Words   |  3 PagesIn the autobiography Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah, the narrator was influenced in many ways by the people around her. One character which influences the narrator’s life to a vast amount was her step-mother Niang. Her Aunt Baba also played a very big part on how Yen Mah turned out in her later and earlier years as well as everywhere in between. Her grandfathe r Ye-Ye was a constant support to Adeline Yen Mah. In the book Chinese Cinderella it is apparent that Niang has had a positive andRead More Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah1433 Words   |  6 PagesAs the world continues to evolve, there are various social issues that exist. Childhood neglect is problematic in society, especially in China. In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah exposes the severity of emotional abuse and neglect of children through her personal experiences. Literature addresses this topic through the interactions of the characters and the plot of the novel. She conveys her autobiography through antagonistic characterization and her writing style of point of view and tone. LiteraryRead MoreI Have Discovered Is Adeline Yen Mah s Chinese Cinderella916 Words   |  4 Pageswriting have had an impact on my life unlike any other. Specific writings have prepared me for the journey of life. These pieces of literature consist of, Chinese Cinderella, Life’s for the Living, Forever in our Hearts, an autobiography written by my great-great-grandfather, the phrase ‘Mind over Matter,’ and Project Semicolon. Chinese Cinderella, Life’s for the Living, and Forever in our Hearts have influenced me to be unyielding. The autobiography inspires me to work diligently and never concedeRead MoreChinese Cinderella3586 Words   |  15 PagesT a h r ’N t s eces oe W RITTEN BY SUSAN LA M ARCA Chinese Cinderella Adeline Yen Mah 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 littleRead MoreChinese Cinderella1599 Words   |  7 PagesAdeline’s character: In Chinese Cinderella, there are many instances whereby we can observe positive characteristic of Adeline. Firstly, Adeline is accepting of her situation and is very forgiving. On the first day of school, there was no one taking her to school and after school, â€Å"nobody was coming to pick her up†. However, she does not blame her father for failing to pick her up from school. Not only she is accepting to her situation, she is also very independent. She did not ask for help butRead MoreChinese Cinderella Analysis1398 Words   |  6 Pageshad it worse. Mah was hated by her parents. They even beat her for hanging out with her friends. Even when Mah gets abused by her family, she still yearns to be loved by them. After not being involved in her family’s will, Mah ends up writing Chinese Cinderella, a story about her traumatizing childhood. She never truly tells us her reasons why she wrote this story, but we can infer. Her dedication page was written for the children who weren’t loved by their parents. In Mah’s dedication page, she tellsRead Morechinese cindere lla notes1125 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Chinese Cinderella Study Questions (Chapter 1-11) Chapter 1 (pgs. 1-3) 1. When does this story begin? Autumn, 1941 2. What is Adeline’s great accomplishment in this chapter? She was top of the class. 3. What is Aunt Baba like? Really kind, however very secretive about her sister. 4. What does Aunt Baba keep in her safe deposit box? Why? Jade Bracelet, Pearl Necklace and A diamond watch because they are her ‘treasures’. 5. How did Adeline’s mom die? She died giving birth to Adeline. 6. WhyRead MoreChinese Cinderella Book Review910 Words   |  4 PagesThe book â€Å"Chinese Cinderella† by Adeline Yen Mah is a heart touching true story about an unwanted girl named Adeline, who longed for the compassion and love of her parent’s. While giving birth to Adeline, her mother passed away from child birth complications, leaving her father with five children to care for, including a new born. Four years later, her grandmother Nai Nai also passed away leaving her father no choice but to remarry. Soon after, her father met and fell deeply in love with a womanRead MoreChapter Review of Chinese Cinderella Essay1713 Words   |  7 Pagesreceive tram fares from their parents. Although they promised each other they wouldn’t give in, Big Sister held out for ten days and her three brothers held out for another week before giving in. Adeline wouldn’t and didn’t give in. Chapter 9: Chinese New Year Second Grade – Seven years old. Niang and Father gave Adeline and her siblings’ traditional clothing (‘unpopular’) whilst Niang’s children received stylish Western outfits (‘popular’). The children feel it’s unfair and plan to plot against