Chinese Cinderella By Adeline Yen Mah
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 Chinese name. Is it Jun-qing?” -Father (Yen Mah 124). This shows that her father cares so little about Adaline that he doesn't even bother to remember her name. This also shows aspects of Father’s character. He cares more about himself than about
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One example of this when Adaline admits that “For a few hours I had been a normal little girl attending a birthday party at her classmate’s house. This was strictly prohibited, and I had broken Niang’s rules. If she found out, the consequences would be disastrous.” (Yen Mah 99-100). Adaline needed a lot of courage to go against Niang’s rules like that, especially since Niang already disliked her and would likely punish her more than any of the other children if they had broken the rule. Even more courage was needed when her friends followed her to her house and threw her a surprise party, further breaking Niang’s house rules. “I reentered the living room and stood in front of my classmates, unable to say a word. I felt naked and ghastly and vulnerable. None of them looked at me, and I dared not look at them. At school, I had been so careful to pretend I came from a loving family. Now they knew the pathetic truth! Unwanted and unloved by my own parents! How long did it take for a person to die of shame?” (Yen Mah 115-116). Adaline had a hard enough time in school without public humiliation. Even going to school the next day must have cost more bravery than most people even have. Adaline Yen Mah compares herself to Mulan in the story Chinese Cinderella because of their similarities in bravery, strength, and the battles they fought in. Adaline lead a tortured childhood, which, as hard as it was at the time, only made her stronger. Overall, Adaline’s experiences finally came through and helped her succeed in
One example of this when Adaline admits that “For a few hours I had been a normal little girl attending a birthday party at her classmate’s house. This was strictly prohibited, and I had broken Niang’s rules. If she found out, the consequences would be disastrous.” (Yen Mah 99-100). Adaline needed a lot of courage to go against Niang’s rules like that, especially since Niang already disliked her and would likely punish her more than any of the other children if they had broken the rule. Even more courage was needed when her friends followed her to her house and threw her a surprise party, further breaking Niang’s house rules. “I reentered the living room and stood in front of my classmates, unable to say a word. I felt naked and ghastly and vulnerable. None of them looked at me, and I dared not look at them. At school, I had been so careful to pretend I came from a loving family. Now they knew the pathetic truth! Unwanted and unloved by my own parents! How long did it take for a person to die of shame?” (Yen Mah 115-116). Adaline had a hard enough time in school without public humiliation. Even going to school the next day must have cost more bravery than most people even have. Adaline Yen Mah compares herself to Mulan in the story Chinese Cinderella because of their similarities in bravery, strength, and the battles they fought in. Adaline lead a tortured childhood, which, as hard as it was at the time, only made her stronger. Overall, Adaline’s experiences finally came through and helped her succeed in