snow flower paper
Arjuna Velayudam Period 2
February 28, 2014 Snow Flower Paper
Snow Flower Paper
In a patriarchal society, women have unfortunately suffered terrible limitations to personal life, social interactions, and even economic abilities. This is true of nineteenth century China, where physical pain was not only encouraged by the male-dominated idea of femininity but was also perpetuated by the women themselves. One glimmer of escape from this painful world was created by the relationship nurtured early in a girl’s life, laotang, and the secret language that partially freed these women to express some of their life situations and ideas. This is true in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See, in the relationship between Snow Flower and Lily. Nu shu becomes a chance at momentary freedom and personal understanding between the two women as they mature. Ladies from the nineteenth century in China were limited in their rights, but they still had a way to communicate separate from the male-dominated world. Nu shu is the “secret” women’s language that is used throughout Snow Flower and the Secret Fan as a symbol of the relationship between women during this period. Lily used this language when she was a small child all the way through to when she was Lady Lu in her elder years as a way to convey messages to her laotang, Snow Flower. The two women wrote messages on the fan on which they had written their laotang contract, and they exchanged the fan so as to share the messages, just like sending a letter through the post. Since the women were not able to physically see each other and talk as often as they would have liked, Lily used the fan as her voice and connection to Snow Flower.
The use of nu shu represented and served as an unbreakable bond of love between the two “sisters.” Their parents, in-laws, brothers, or even children could not understand this connection, which made their relationship unique to each other; they were the
February 28, 2014 Snow Flower Paper
Snow Flower Paper
In a patriarchal society, women have unfortunately suffered terrible limitations to personal life, social interactions, and even economic abilities. This is true of nineteenth century China, where physical pain was not only encouraged by the male-dominated idea of femininity but was also perpetuated by the women themselves. One glimmer of escape from this painful world was created by the relationship nurtured early in a girl’s life, laotang, and the secret language that partially freed these women to express some of their life situations and ideas. This is true in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See, in the relationship between Snow Flower and Lily. Nu shu becomes a chance at momentary freedom and personal understanding between the two women as they mature. Ladies from the nineteenth century in China were limited in their rights, but they still had a way to communicate separate from the male-dominated world. Nu shu is the “secret” women’s language that is used throughout Snow Flower and the Secret Fan as a symbol of the relationship between women during this period. Lily used this language when she was a small child all the way through to when she was Lady Lu in her elder years as a way to convey messages to her laotang, Snow Flower. The two women wrote messages on the fan on which they had written their laotang contract, and they exchanged the fan so as to share the messages, just like sending a letter through the post. Since the women were not able to physically see each other and talk as often as they would have liked, Lily used the fan as her voice and connection to Snow Flower.
The use of nu shu represented and served as an unbreakable bond of love between the two “sisters.” Their parents, in-laws, brothers, or even children could not understand this connection, which made their relationship unique to each other; they were the