Curtain" of China. Falling Leaves ‚ by Adeline Yen Mah‚ unveils the darker side of Chinese culture through her eyes as an unwanted Chinese daughter. Shocking mistreatment‚ of not only the author‚ but also the females in her extended family keep suspense alive throughout the book. My heart sobs at each account of Adeline’s tortured life‚ but through it all‚ there was a flicker of her spirit that could not be put out. In China‚ girls are seen as a possession or a "cheap commodity" (Yen Mah 100). Sons
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luck. Adeline’s mother died in giving birth to her. Falling leaves is the true story of Adeline Yen Mah. It told of a person that was discriminated and emotionally abused by her family for all her life since her birth‚ all her life she suffered and was punished by her family from something she was innocent of and didn’t do. To understand this‚ a brief background of her family history should be known. Adeline’s Father Joseph Tsi-Rung Yen came from a rich family in Shanghai. He was born in
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and compassion.” (Yen Mah xii). Later in Adeline Yen Mah’s life‚ she learned that she could turn all of her hurt and abuse into bravery. In her childhood‚ Adeline was unwanted and lonely. Adeline was mostly lonely at home. Adeline’s self esteem was very low‚ and she even wrote down the word “nothing” as what her best quality was. Being an unwanted child certainly played a role in her low self esteem. For example‚ “I’m afraid I’ve forgotten your Chinese name. Is it Jun-quing?” (Yen Mah 124). To begin
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Chinese Cinderella is an autobiography written by author Adeline Yen Mah which describes her experiences growing up in China during theSecond World War. It was published in 1999 and is a revised version of part of her autobiography‚ Falling Leaves. Born the fifth child to an affluent Chinese family Adeline’s 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. This situation
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Chinese proverb says‚ "Falling leaves return to their roots." In Chinese Cinderella‚ Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and a powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother‚ while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school‚ they
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Chinese Cinderella‚ by Adeline Yen Mah. The secret story of an unwanted daughter. The story‚ set in 1941‚ during the time of the civil war between colonists and nationalists has all the constituents needed to make a good Cinderella story; a girl suffering with inequality within her family‚ a dead mother‚ horrid stepmother‚ careless father & hateful siblings. By now you would have had enough of all the different alterations of the classic Cinderella story‚ from the jealous siblings to the lost shoe
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The memoir‚ Chinese Cinderella‚ by Adeline Yen-Mah is inspirational. “A Little Princess” is a very uplifting story for Adeline. In her story‚ she says “Coming from a secure and happy home‚ Wu Chun-mei couldn’t grasp the impact this message had upon me.” (Mah 60) “If I tried hard enough to become a princess inside‚ like Sara Crew‚ perhaps I too might one day reverse everyone’s poor opinion of me.” (Mah 60) Adeline hopes so much for a loving family and wants them to think more of her. She tells herself
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in the face‚ her father whipped her multiple times‚ and her siblings blamed her for their mother’s death. Just wonder she felt‚ Adeline Yen Mah‚ with her horrid family‚ separation from her only loved ones; her aunt and single grandfather‚ and her genius mind that only her beloved Aunt Baba treasured. As it seems‚ this depressing novel‚ Chinese Cinderella‚ by Adeline Yen Mah‚ the one who lived through it all‚ was the most unfortunate girl in all of eastern China. Once Adeline’s mother died after
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In Chinese Cinderella‚ Adeline Yen Mah described her painful childhood and her difficult journey to reach her ultimate triumph over despair. Her family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. When her father remarries to Niang‚ her half siblings are thoroughly spoiled while she and her siblings from their father’s first wife are subjected to rejection. Although she excels in her schoolwork‚ Adeline yearns the love‚ support and understanding of her family. Her life journey
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In the novel‚ Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah‚ the narrator compares herself to Mulan. She and Mulan are alike in many ways. They are both very strong and courageous‚ and have fought many wars in their stories of triumph. Adaline Yen Mah is a lot like Mulan in her attitude and experiences. She must deal with many problems in her young life such as her own father not remembering her name or birthday: “The stewardess asked me to fill out these cards. I’m afraid I’ve forgotten your
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