Adeline Yen Mah's Chinese Cinderella

In the story chinese cinderella the main character Adeline faces a lot of adversity throughout the book. She faces the most her adversity at home with her parents and siblings being unfairly cruel toward her. She has a lot of courage for going through with all this pain and still staying optimistic about everything.

This memoir, Chinese Cinderella, tells us of a little girl who has an abusive childhood. No matter that she was the top student of her class or was one of the kindest people around, her new stepmother made her childhood one that she wouldn't want to remember. “You have defined the odds and garnered triumph through your own efforts. Your future is limitless, and I shall always be proud of you” (Yen Mah 197). This quote said by her aunt, Aunt Baba, shows how she always believed in Adaline. She told her by doing what she was good at, she could accomplish what no one thought she could. Adaline has always been fighting a never ending war in her childhood, that couldn't have been minimized without Aunt Baba and YeYe. Aunt Baba and YeYe are always

Adeline comes home from her first week of kindergarten, all smiles because she had been chosen to lead the class and has received a medal and a certificate for her achievement. Her aunt Baba is full of pride and files the certificate and medal in her safe deposit box. She described the certificate as “some precious jewel impossible to replace” (page 2). Adelines academic achievements are how she eventually gains acceptance within an uncaring family. She had a lot of pride over the metal it shows the sadness she is facing everyday, with her siblings hating her achievements and her dad only caring when she receives them. “I was winning the medal every week and wearing it constantly. I knew this displeased my siblings, especially Big Sister and Second Brother, but it was the only way to make Father take notice and be proud of me” (page 15). Adeline starts to mature when she starts to realize that her achievements should only matter if it makes her happy, not just her father. Adeline's parents threaten to move her to a far away school. Adeline is elected class president. Everyone is excited, her classmates and more importantly her. Her classmates decide to celebrate at her house and this is when her parents lash out and get

The autobiographical novel Chinese Cinderella, is about protagonist Adeline Yen Mah’s 1940 childhood in China. Our main antagonist in the story is Adeline’s stepmother, Niang, who is portrayed throughout the story as the ‘evil-stepmother’ figure. But is there the possibility that Adeline has unfairly depicted Niang? The time period in Naing’s life which this book takes place in, would have been an extremely difficult and stressful for her. She was forced into a marriage with man twice her age and expected to become maternal towards his five children from his previous marriage. Under Niang’s circumstances she also had to take measures to protect, manage and discipline 7 children, which we only see as cruel and violent because of the modern viewpoints.

“Every thought is a battle, every breath is a war, when I look back at the flashbacks, I don't want to remember them any more”(anonymous). These words have many attributes of Adeline's bleak life as a child. Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah is a depressing story in many ways. The main character Adeline is discarded by her family, she is physically and mentally bullied by her parents, and her loved ones and friends are taken from her.

Chinese Cinderella is a very sad story where a little, unwanted girl is being abused every day. The novel Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah is depressing. The main character, Adeline, is always being treated the wrong way, this story could not be more sad.

A reoccurring theme in Chinese Cinderella is confidence and resilient. Adeline’s family is always making her feel lost, unwanted and unloved. Because of her mother’s sudden death shortly after Adeline was born, even her siblings didn’t give Adeline the kindness that should be given to a sister. An example in the book ’’But then Mama died giving birth to you. If you had not been born, Mama would still be alive. She died because of you. You are bad luck.“ This is said of her older sister, Lydia, to her. This indicates her siblings blamed Adeline for the cause of their mother’s death and considered her ’bad luck’. ”They blamed me for causing Mama’s death and never forgave me.“ This is said by Adeline herself. This suggests that they were always singling her out

In Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah. Ye Ye and Aunt Baba demonstrate their belief in Adeline by always loving and inspiring her. I believe Adeline would not have risen above her abusive childhood without Ye Ye and Aunt Baba. I believe this because both of them practically rose Adeline from when she was a baby.

Aunt Baba is always there to listen to Adeline when she needs help. “Close the door and come sit by me” (page 110) Aunt Baba wants to talk to Adeline and Niang would not talk to Adeline at all. Aunt Baba might help Adeline with something. Aunt Baba also comforts Adeline.

Family and inspiration are key parts to the development of all children, but when neglect and abandonment appear, rising above an abusive childhood can prove a difficult task. In the memoir, Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah, Adeline is inspired throughout her life by her grandfather Ye Ye and Aunt Baba. Without her grandfather and aunt's help, Adeline would not have risen over her cruel and abusive childhood to become the successful writer she is today. Aunt Baba was Adeline’s one, true friend who motivated her to create her own destiny and defy the odds. Without her support, many of Adeline's greatest achievements and accomplishments would not be possible.

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah, is a very depressing story about a young girl, Adeline, who lives in China. The story tells about Adeline’s life of abuse, that includes whippings, verbal abuse, withholding of food and parents who ignore her existence. Adeline is even abused by her siblings who don't like her because she is “bad luck.” Adeline’s birth led to the death of her mother and because of this her whole family doesn't like her. Growing up in a loving family makes this story even more depressing as one learns how cruel others in the world can be to one another.

Chinese Cinderella is an autobiography of Adeline Yen Mah. Adeline Yen Mah, the Chinese Cinderella was not as lucky as the original western Cinderella who got the help from others. Their lives are totally different. Her family considered her bad luck because her mother died giving birth to her. Although Adeline won prizes at school, they were not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for the love and understanding of her family.

As Keats has his nightingale, and how Cinderella has her fairy godmother and Adeline, her Aunt. They all act as some counterpart towards what discontents them; the physical world and for Cinderella and Adeline, being unwanted/unloved. The nightingale’s song makes him extremely happy and Cinderella’s fairy godmother enables her to attend the ball, although in Chinese Cinderella, Adeline’s Aunt does not allow her to attend university (since she was separated from her and didn’t know of her current status) but instead is the fundamental that drives (her grandpa as well) her to pursue her dream, which eventually gets her into university, by her father’s approval. The last two lines of the poem (“was it a vision, or a waking dream? fled is that

The book Chinese Cinderella, written by Adeline Yen Mah has four main themes. They are: family & relationships, abandonment & loneliness, self-esteem and history. The author Adeline Yen Mah, also wrote the book Falling Leaves but Chinese Cinderella was written for younger audiences. Chinese Cinderella is actually an autobiography, not a fairy tale. Adeline (the protagonist) has to work for her dreams, not by wishing from a fairy godmother. This book was set in the 1900’s (1941-1952). At that time WW2 was happening making Adeline’s life harder. The moral of this book would be that no matter your circumstances, you can work hard and achieve your dreams. This book is really captivating and it tells the reader not to underestimate anyone. That’s why I think this is an amazing book for everyone to read.

Imagine being envied by siblings, neglected by parents, and the only people who care are being taken away. For Adeline Yen Mah, that is the story of her life. When Adeline was only a baby, her mother died the day after she was born, and was since then considered “bad luck” to her four other siblings and her father. To make matters worse, later on in her life her father remarried to a cruel French woman named Niang, who afterword had two children. Not only was Adeline neglected, but her older siblings were also not as popular as Naing’s children. In the book Chinese Cinderella, Adeline was a weak character when she would not stand up to her friends, could not stand up to her siblings, and would not even think about standing up to her stepmother.