Adeline Yen Mah is an unwanted child. She was born into a family with siblings, it was Adeline’s birth that caused her mother’s death. This led to the poor relationship with her siblings, who understandably, saw the arrival of Adeline as the reason for their mother’s death. “If you had not been born, Mama would still be alive. She died because of you. You are bad luck”. This quote makes the reader feel empathy for both Adeline, who must always wear the blame, and empathy for her siblings who must struggle with the death of their mother. Adeline is an unwanted sister. This is just one of the many ways the author demonstrates being an unwanted child.
Adeline hardly gets accepted, excluded from her family occasions and blamed for all issues. “I had seen infants wrapped in newspapers left to die in doorways. Beggar-children in rags routinely rummaged the garbage-cans searching for food.” This quote is a metaphor of all the horrible experiences she had in her life. As she was about to be abandoned and taken to a boarding school without her knowledge, she believes she will be one of the infants. Adeline described it as she has no hope in regaining a better future which then she believes she will be one of those children who rummaged