Chinese Cinderella Analysis

This painfully true story of Adeline Yen Mah’s life describes how, as a young child, faces difficult obstacles as she plays her role as an unwanted daughter in China during the mid 1900’s, a time when communism was still present in her area. The story mainly circulates around her growth during childhood and how she copes with loss, separation, and accomplishment with a backdrop of a neglectful home life. Though faced head-on with these challenges, Mah prospers, strengthened by the emotional damage inflicted on her. “Chinese Cinderella” begins by introducing Mah as a young school girl coming home from obtaining a medal for being lead of the class, a situation known to have occurred frequently throughout the book. Adeline Yen Mah was known--by …show more content…
During her stay at a boarding school, she signs up for an international contest and is finally acknowledged by her own father because she had received first place. Through this, he allows her to carry on her studies abroad in England, along with her older brothers.
“Chinese Cinderella” is an extremely emotional book, filled with a natural pathetic appeal created for young readers who may feel undervalued or neglected by their family. It brought me to tears reading the phrases where she would state how she felt worthless and wanted to wither away from all the problems. It’s severely saddening to read a book like this, and be able to stand in her shoes for a few hours and somewhat empathize through her difficult experiences. But it’s heart-warming knowing that she is able to pull through and strive as a better person.
A phrase in the book that especially caught my attention was when she was talking to Third Brother about their mother. She had said, “But we can visit her [the mom]... All you have to do is close your eyes…(Mah 65).” This quote revealed how she had always longed to see her mother and had dreamed or imagined how it might be facing her. It tells the reader how much she thought of her mother and maybe imagined how it might have been if her mother were still …show more content…
When Mah had stated that she was sick of learning Chinese and that only English would bring her success, he responds by explaining the truth about the Chinese language. Ye Ye told, “Reading Chinese history will enlighten you in ways English cannot…” (Mah 151). It made me realize the reason why she had inserted and explained Chinese words in the beginning and throughout the story. Through Ye Ye, she learned that by valuing her culture and language, she can carry it on throughout her life and hold on to something that no one can take away from her.
I believe that this book was exceptionally written. It is structured with excellent diction and Mah made use of impactful rhetorical appeals to sway the audience. When a young reader, coming from a similar background, picks up this book, they will be able to relate their experiences and learn from Adeline Yen