Chinese Cinderella (A Puffin Book)

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Adeline Yen Mah was born in Tianjin, Republic of China on 30 November 1937 to 30-year-old Joseph Yen (Yen Tsi-Rung), [5] a businessman, and Ren Yong-ping, an accountant. Zhang, Juwen. "Rediscovering the Brothers Grimm of China: Lin Lan." The Journal of American Folklore 133, no. 529 (2020): 285-306. Accessed July 24, 2020. doi:10.5406/jamerfolk.133.529.0285. Ye Xian was the child of widowed Chief Wu, who lived in ancient China. When she was just a baby her father died from illness and she was left in the care of a foster mother. This woman despised Ye Xian, because she was prettier and kinder than her own daughter; so she mistreated her by assigning her the most unpleasant chores. Joseph is the father of Adeline and all of her siblings, referred to as "Father" throughout the novel. Affluent, intelligent, business savvy and ambitious, Father is seemingly ignorant of the feelings of others, particularly his children. Continually abandoning Adeline, ignoring the wishes of his own father, he appears to value only the opinion of his new wife Niang and an overwhelming drive to be materially successful.

Adeline excels in her academics once again and has a few close friends, but she never manages to confide in them about her abusive family life. She also feels rather pathetic, since Father and Niang refuse to buy her properly fitting clothes or anything that is not worn out. Despite her impressive intelligence, Adeline most often feels shabby and inadequate. During this time, she begs her parents to send her to study in England, where two of her brothers are already in college, but Father and Niang ignore her. The story ends as one would expect: despite all odds, Ye Xian makes her way to the location where the slipper is kept - on display in a pavilion - convinces the king that it is her shoe, and tells him the circumstances of her life. The king becomes captivated by her, and rescues her from her horrid stepfamily, setting her up in To'Han as both his wife and queen. Just as Cinderella, Ye Xian lives happily ever after. The cruel stepmother and her daughter were never allowed to visit Ye Xian, and were forced to live in a cave until the day came when a rain of fiery stones killed them. In 1942, Yen Mah's father (Joseph) and stepmother (Jeanne) moved from Tianjin to Shanghai to a house along Avenue Joffre.

Meet the Cinderellas: Ye Xian, Zezolla, and Cendrillon

Ye Ye is Adeline's grandfather on her father's side and the head of the household at the beginning of the novel. A devout Buddhist, Ye Ye maintains a moral compass unseen in the rest of the family. Working at the same company as his son, Ye Ye has a tight bond with him. Ye Ye is traditionally seen as the patriarch of the family, but his role is undermined by Niang's introduction to the family. While Ye Ye remains an influence within the household, it's primarily ceremonial, if that. Mah, Adeline Yen (1998). Falling leaves: the true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter. New York: Wiley. p.xi. ISBN 978-0-585-36179-6. OCLC 47011622. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.

To me, writing was pure pleasure. It thrilled me to be able to escape the horrors of my daily life in such a simple way. When I wrote, I forgot that I was an unwanted daughter who had caused her mother's death. Instead, I could be anybody I wished to be. In my narratives, I poured out everything that I dared not say out loud. I was friends with the beautiful princesses and dashing knights who lived in my imagination. I was no longer the lonely little girl bullied by her siblings. Ding Naitong [in Chinese] (1974). The Cinderella cycle in China and Indo-China. Helsinki: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia. ISBN 951-41-0121-9. A figure from Slavic folklore , Koschei the Deathless (aka Koschei the Immortal) was known for his titular characteristic: his inability to die. What is most interesting about this figure, however,...a b Mah, Adeline Yen (2015). Chinese Cinderella. London: Puffin Books. pp.248–251. ISBN 978-0-14-135941-0. OCLC 914452896. At the death of her dear friend, Ye Xian broke down and sobbed by the water’s edge. Suddenly, an ancient spirit appeared and informed her that the fish’s bones contained a powerful spirit and that if she ever needed anything, she should kowtow before them and make a wish. Ye Xian found the bones and hid them. This quote by Ye Ye reflects a core principle of Yen Mah’s novels, the beauty of the Chinese language. This is followed by a monologue on how the pictographic aspect of Chinese characters can help tell a story in ways that the Western alphabet cannot, reflecting the message of the author’s foundation which aims to teach youth of Chinese heritage their language. This also reinforces the theme that people should be seen as much more than what society views them as, a message that is clearly lost on the rest of Adeline’s family. Her father understands the importance of appearances and the value of daughters in society, but does not truly grasp the potential that his daughter exhibits until it is shoved in his face, well after all the damage is done. Little Sister is the second child of Father’s second marriage, the youngest of Niang’s biological children, and youngest of all the children in the household. For much of the memoir, Little Sister is…