Chinese Cinderella 3-7

"To her, we are not seperate people. Here we have become one single unit known as all of you. Seems like this is how it's going to be from now on." pg 25. This quote is very significant to the whole plot thus far. Adeline is talking about how her Niang(mother) has come to see the four children that were not born to her are, and how her own two children are reated with higher respect and much more power even thought they are many years younger.

In chapter 3 it discusses one of China's most known customs, the bounding of girl's feets. Adeline talks about how her grandma had arthritis, and could never walk properly since the age of 3. "It hurt so badly I couldn't sleep. I screamed with pain and begged my mother to free my feet, but she wouldn't. In fact the pain has never gone away." pg.8. I never understood why they found little feet so attractive in China. You would think that they would stop this custom from going into the future due to the fact that the bounding could ultimately lead to death. I just do not understand why they would even want to do that.

In chapters 4,5 6,and 7 it discusses her life in Tianjin without her father her two youngest siblings and her Niang. They never were told where her father and the rest of her family was living, but to Adeline it never mattered because life seemed to be much better without them. She was respected more by her siblings. But then that ended when her Nia Nia(grandma) died. Her grandma's death led them to be whisked away to Shanghai where they were reunited with her father and Niang. Life in Shanghia is much worse then life in Tianjin. For one her siblings and her are all given one floor to themselves where they all must share rooms and answer to their half-siblings half their ages. They are also disrespected by their father and Niang and they are banned from going to friends houses having friends over to their house. They are basically asked to go to school and then come home and do chores.

Adeline begins school in Shanghai and absolutely adored it. She was always top of the class and met many new friends. But on the downside she and her other siblings that were enrolled in school were never given pocket money for the bus to school and were told to walk even thought their schools were well over 3 miles.

These chapters have really opened my eyes to how children were allowed to be treated by their parents. It is kind of horrific to think that a child would get beaten and whipped for simply bringing home a friend or taking the bus to school.

Chinese Cinderella 1-2

My outside reading book is called Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yeh Mah. The book is Adeline's life story up until the age of 14. It is about her life as an unwanted child. In the preface and first two chapters, she describes how her mother had died while giving birth to Adeline. Deeming Adeline as bad lucky. In light of her troubled childhood, she was able to write this book and generate hope and support for the children out there who have been abused and neglected.

Adeline started kindergarten at the age of 4, and in her first week she is given a medal from her teacher for her leading the class. She is very excited about the medal and asks her Aunt Baba to pin it on her dress. While her aunt if pinning it on, Adeline brings up the subject of her dead mother. She sees that her questions hurt Aunt Baba deeply, and decides never to ask her aunt about her mother ever again. The subject of her mother does not offend her big sister as much, however her big sister is very bitter and ends up blaming Adeline for her death. "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." pg.3

So far this book is kind of troubling to think about. To think that this is a true story and that a four year old was treated this way. What is worse is that this kind of neglect and abuse was accepted in that community and widely practiced, having one person to blame for all the pain and misery.

Butterflies Response

I think that the book In the Time of the Butterflies is interesting. It is one of the only school books that i do not mind reading. I think the fact that it shows the perspective of women revolting against the government is more interesting then reading about men revolting, mainly because there are so many more books about that.

The character that interests me the most is probably Minerva. Her ability to stand up for what she believes in and doesnt seem to be afraid in rarely any situation is inspriational in the fact that many woman are more like Dede and seem to obey their husbands even if they do not believe in the same principles as them.