Summary
Chinese Cinderella, by Adeline Yen Mah, is about a young Chinese girl, living in the twentieth century of China, who is badly treated by her siblings and guardians. So far in the novel, Adeline earns a button that represents her leading her class. While her guardians applaud her for it, most of her siblings loathe her for it. Her big sister and second brother attack her when no one sees. Later, the narrator explains why her grandmothers feet are small: because during her time, she was forced to bind her feet to stay small so it would be attractive. Thirty years ago from the present time in the novel, that law in China was abolished. Afterwards, it is explained to us that there are Japanese businessmen who want to be partners with the narrators mother, and because of that, the father goes missing for about a year. During that year, the narrator's stepmother, Niang, leaves with the youngest brother and also disappears. It was a better life style for her as she states during the time her father is gone, until her grandmother dies of a massive stroke. After a year, the children finally meet with their father again, and move to Shanghai, where new rules are placed for their household and the children go to new schools. At first, the narrator is brought to school by the cook when everyone else is gone, and as she leaves school, no one picks her up. She tries to try to find the way home, but ends up lost and calls her father when she is welcomed in a restaurant. Apparently, no one misses her or knew that she didn't get home yet, so her father comes and gets her, and gives her a map for when she gets lost. Later, she and her siblings are forced to walk to school, even though it's a long way from home, and yet she and her siblings could take what was called a "tram".
Quotation
"Continue studying hard and bring honor to our Yen family name so we can be proud of you." (Yen 11)
Reaction
I think that this quote is a sad one because i thought that parents would already be proud of their children instead of a few years after they start school. I also find it really horrible that during the first 41 pages of Chinese Cinderella the narrator is the one who is always left out like when she waits for someone to bring her to her new school in Shanghai and who brings her home. But since it's titled Chinese Cinderella, I think that things will be a whole lot better for Adeline.
