Chinese Cinderella 11-13

In Chapter 11 Adeline and all of her siblings were given a duckling by their father's friend Mrs. Huang. Adeline loved her duckling and named it P.L.T. although it started as the smallest one and the one everybody didn't want Adeline picked him, because she could relate to the little duckling. She cared for P.L.T and would always run home from school so she could play wit him. However when her Niang told her Big Brother to go get one of the ducklings so they could see if their misbehaved dog had learned anything at it's very expensive dog obedince lessons, he of course chooses P.L.T. And when the duckling is placed in the middle of the yard the horrible dog devulges it. This breaks Adeline's heart, but she decides to bury her poor duckling while the wretched dog is for a walk. On her way to bury him her Big Brother confronts her and says he is sorry for choosing her duckling. "I'm sorry about last night too. I didnt know which duckling to pick when Father gave me that order I only took yours because you're the one least likely to give me trouble afterward." pg.84. Adeline breaks down when he says this and retaliates with "She was my best friend in the whole world," I began, tears welling up in spite of me " Now I've lost her Forever." pg.84.

This was a really sad part of the book, because I can definitly relate to the thought of losing your pet or your best friend and how it would absolutely devaste you.

In Chapter 12 Adeline talks about how her Big Sister was getting married to a business assoicate's son of her Father. This horrified Adeline considering her sister was only 17 while the man she was marrying was 31. She also talks about how when gifts would come for her sister her Niang would take them first and if they were fancy and very nice her Niang would tkae them and keep them for herself. Her big sister revolted once when she was given a jade necklace but was caught by her Niang. When she was caught her big sister blamed it all on Aunt Baba knowing that Niang hated Aunt Baba.

I couldnt really relate to this chapter except for the part of blaming someone else for my mistake.

In chapter 13 it is about Adeline's first real run in with trouble in Shanghai. It all started when her friend Wu Chun-mei kept persisting Adeline to come to her birthday party. Now Adeline was not allowed to ever go to a friend's house, so she always found excuses so she wouldnt have to go. But Wu Chun-mei kept switching the dates so that Adeline could attend. Finally they were given a holiday at school and Adeline decided that this would be perfect because her parents would never know and she would be able to go to the birthday party. Everything was fine until Adeline remebered that she always went home for lunch. She was found out by her Niang when her friend's called her house to make sure that she had gotten home in time for lunch. She was brutally beaten by her Father for having disobeyed his rules.

This was really hard to read. Not being allowed to socialize with friends and always having to lie to them would be extremely difficult. I think these were very harsh rules and if they were to me I would probably hate my parents for doing that to me.