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Chinese cinderella Essay

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Chinese cinderella Essay
Chinese Cinderella is a book written by Adeline Yen Mah. The author writes an autobiography about her own experiences and her life as a child. It is a true story about an unwanted daughter who suffered because of the unfairness of the family towards her. In this novel, Adeline illustrates the sad memoir of her own childhood, growing up in the 1940’s and 50’s and describing her struggle for acceptance from the time she was born to the age of fourteen. The author chose the title of her book as Chinese Cinderella because it is very similar to the original Cinderella story, with the main elements of a girl being unwanted, unloved and rejected by her family. There are three quotes that portray well about her experience with metaphors and similes.
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

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