essay questions for chinese cinderella

Chinese Cinderella

By adeline yen mah, chinese cinderella essay questions.

What makes the events that occurred during her childhood so poignant to Ms. Yen Mah at the point of her life when she relates the story?

A complete answer to this question would look at a it from a variety of perspectives. While one can talk about the deep psychological trauma that events cause during a decisively absorbent age, it is also important to mention the imperfectness of memory. The thoughts of a child can be distorted with time, augmenting some wrongs and forgetting some rights. The most important aspect of an effective response is the ability to understand different perspectives.

How might Adeline’s relatives describe themselves if given the chance to tell their own life stories?

An effective answer to this question would look to address the incredibly static nature of the characters within Adeline's story. None of the characters within the novel, besides perhaps Adeline herself, have any changes in personality, either positive or negative. They are, at the end of the novel, the same people as they were at the beginning. The writer would first look to answer the question of why the characters are so static. Then, they would look to find the deeper conflicts that may have affected the development of these periphery characters.

Why does Niang behave towards Adeline, and her other stepchildren, as she does?

A difficult but central question, the nature of Niang's conflict with Joseph's natural born children can be difficult to ascertain. The matter of Niang's youth is a particularly interesting aspect for the writer to pursue, although it will not serve as a satisfactory answer on its own. The successful essay will also look at the dynamic between Niang and her husband, perhaps trying to answer why he deferred to her so easily. Father's pride of his French wife may perhaps be the root of this development. Finally, the matter of inheritance may be considered as in play.

At one point, Adeline feels close to her third brother. However, the bond is constantly broken and rebuilt throughout the story. Why is this relationship difficult and changeable?

As the least confrontational of the siblings, Third Brother is naturally the one who Adeline can build the greatest connection with. However, the flippant nature of his alliances can also brig about a rapid end to any comradeship. While Third Brother may perhaps like his younger sister, he does not have a strong enough personality to stand up to his other siblings. An above average essay will try to explain the origins of this dynamic and try to explain how the distinct prerequisites under which those moments of friendship arise.

Why doesn't Aunt Baba do more to ‘rescue’ Adeline?

A prickly issue to address, the answer to this question would probably characterize Aunt Baba as a very passive sort of hero, a benevolent human rather than a game changing force. Although this would go against the role of protagonist she takes in the novel, it is by far the most realistic. A successful essay will look at Aunt Baba as someone forced into the hero role since she was the only one who would help Adeline, but unable to complete the prerequisites of the elevated position. Aunt Baba does what her personality has dictated she could do: she writes encouraging letters and prays for her niece, not charging into a boarding school and flying her out to America.

How does the financial state of Adeline's family influence the dynamics of the story?

An observant reader would try to visualize a life in which Adeline's family was unable to obtain the resources it had, closer to the beggars mentioned throughout the book. A particularly interesting position would say that even though Adeline had an incredibly difficult childhood, she had access to opportunities that millions of Chinese children did not. If things had been different and the Yen family could not afford mansions and American cars, Adeline may not have even been born. This is an interesting essay topic because it challenges the writer to think that maybe the term of "Chinese Cinderella" may fit others better than Adeline Yen Mah.

How does Chinese culture play a role in Adeline's life?

The important distinction to take note of here is the difference between the dynamic of Adeline's family and a more traditional Chinese family. Although there is the customary nod to major public holidays, the Yen family is distinctly anglicized. The writer can perhaps engage with the question of whether this is a shift throughout Chinese society or if it is an issue particular to the Yens. While the role of Chinese culture is not direct, the successful essay would note that it's influence is pervasive all the way until it is stated outright in Ye Ye's last monologue.

Nai Nai has had her feet bound as a child. This ‘custom’ is part of an older time. Culturally, the world of Adeline and that of her grandparents are very different. From Adeline’s story, what can you see that has changed and what has stayed the same over time?

The successful essay writer would note the similarities in terms of what is expected from each of the sexes but the differences in the process. While women in Adeline's time have more opportunities than before, they are expected to play a role similar to that in the times of footbinding. It will be important to note the specific aspects of Adeline's story that tie back, like the arranged marriages and the ability of her to study abroad. However, it will be crucial to note counterexamples within the novel.

How does the political climate of the time affect the development of Adeline's story?

Adeline lives in the midst of major changes in Chinese society, with the upcoming victory of the People's Liberation Army bringing about massive governmental evolution. However, it seems like the primary impact that this has on Adeline is on her location, not her personality. There are two ways the writer may take this. For one, he can say that national politics have little effect on the day to day lives of the people, particularly in a family as affluent as the Yens. On the other hand, the writer may question the reliability of the narrator, since Adeline may not be able to grasp how the rise of the Communist party affected her parent's personal development and thus the growth of their children.

Does the title of 'Chinese Cinderella' truly fit Adeline Yah, or is this an inaccurate view of her life?

There are many dimensions to a question of this magnitude, which must be made to fit under the banners of "yes" and "no". The argument on the side of "yes" would point to the cruelty of her adopted stepmother and the self-reliance that created the opportunities that she had today. The stereotypical "no" side would point to the wealth of the Yen family and the opportunities this afforded her, which would arguably outweigh the personal difficulties that she had to overcome. However, a exceptional "no" essay would not focus on the wealth aspect but rather on how the self-reliant aspect of Adeline's story makes her very different from Cinderella, both Chinese and Western.

Chinese Cinderella Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Chinese Cinderella is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why is big brother so forceful?

Adeline's eldest brother is distinct from the other three in that he often shows a maturity corresponding to his position, albeit interposed with flashes of malice that corrode any of Adeline's built-up good will. Big Brother, along with his other...

How is the narrator of Chinese Cinderella's school life different from her home life?

At home, Aunt Baba views Adeline as a treasure “impossible to replace” (4). In the final paragraph of Chapter 1, however, this illusion is shattered. Big Sister’s treatment of Adeline is representative of the rest of the family’s opinion; Adeline...

How did Adelines mother die?

Adeline's mother died as a result of complications of childbirth.

“Your mother came down with a high fever three days after you were born. She died when you were two weeks old.…” She hesitated for a moment, then exclaimed suddenly,

Study Guide for Chinese Cinderella

Chinese Cinderella study guide contains a biography of Adeline Yen Mah, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Chinese Cinderella
• Chinese Cinderella Summary
• Character List

Essays for Chinese Cinderella

Chinese Cinderella essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah.

• The Significance of Family in 'Chinese Cinderella'

Lesson Plan for Chinese Cinderella

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Chinese Cinderella
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Chinese Cinderella Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Chinese Cinderella

• Introduction
• IGCSE Extract Synopsis

Chinese Cinderella

Adeline Yen Mah is outlining her experiences of growing up in Hong Kong. She describes a moment when her father became proud of her and she made a life-changing decision to move to the UK.

1950s Hong Kong life was relatively new and difficult. In 1945, the British resumed their rulership of Hong Kong. There were a large number of refugees from the mainland and the population grew significantly.

author’spurpose

Adeline Yen Mah grew up in Hong Kong. She was brought up in a wealthy family and she describes the house within this extract. It is interesting how she is reflecting on a childhood event but she is doing this as an adult. It could be that a memory is different from the reality.

Emotive Language

Emotive Language is any language and vocabulary that creates an emotion. It is an umbrella term that encompasses many different devices:

‘My heart gave a giant lurch as it dawned on me that he was agreeing to let me go. How marvellous it was simply to be alive! Study? I thought. Going to England is like entering heaven. Does it matter what you do after you get to heaven?’

Within this quote, there is usage of descriptive adjectives. However, most significantly is the use of different sentence types to create the emotion.

There are exclamatory sentences. These are sentences that end in an exclamation mark. These reflect the excitement of the child at the time.

There are rhetorical questions. These are questions that do not require an answer. She asks herself several questions. These reflect her excitement.

There is much dialogue within the extract:

‘‘Adeline!’ Ma-mien Valentino was calling.

‘You can’t go now,’ Mary protested. ‘For once I’m winning. One, two, three, four. Good! You’ve landed on my property. Thirty-five dollars, please. Oh, good afternoon, Mother Valentino!’ ‘

It almost appears as though this is a story. This conversation and time was obviously extremely important to the writer, as she remembers each word that was mentioned.

It is interesting how we do not meet the family until part way through the extract. The focus suddenly becomes on her father. The conversation is clearly remembered. It impacted upon her greatly. She wants to see him but it is unusual for her to enter into his room. She then goes through a range of emotions when meeting her father. It is him who controls her actions, as represented by the ending:

‘Agree? Of course I agreed. Apparently, he had it all planned out. As long as he let me go to university in England, I would study anything he wished. How did that line go in Wordsworth’s poem? Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive.’

‘Father, I shall go to medical school in England and become a doctor. Thank you very, very much.’

It appears as though this conversation affected the rest of her life.

examquestions

Within your examination, you will be asked a series of questions about the article.

Some of the questions will be short questions. For these questions, you must look at the number of marks in brackets. It is important to answer in full sentences.

Other questions will be long questions. For these questions, you must look at using analysis. You will also be asked to compare. Think carefully about the key comparisons and plan your answer first.

Assessment features are __coming soon: ____check back here in the next few days for the opportunity to ____unlock assessment ____and access ____teacher-written questions ____with ____model answers.

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Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

The theme of abandonment is profound in this novel. Name three times where Adeline feels abandoned by her family and how she handles the situation.

Essay Topic 2

Niang treats her own children vastly different from Adeline and her siblings. Choose two siblings in addition to Adeline and describe how Niang treats them in specific situations. Compare and contrast her treatment of these characters to Little Brother and Little Sister. What, according to your personal thoughts, are her motivations for treating these children differently?

Essay Topic 3

What role does Ye Ye play in the life of Adeline? What lessons does he teach her? What does he and Nai Nai represent for her? Write a complete essay outlining the various ways that Nai Nai and Ye Ye both contribute to Adeline's life and her understanding of the world at large.

Essay Topic 4

Explain why the title of the...

(read more Essay Topics)

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Chinese Cinderella

Adeline yen mah, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Physical and Emotional Abuse

In Chinese Cinderella , Adeline Yen Mah tells the story of her painful childhood in China as an unwanted daughter of cruel and abusive parents. Although the physical abuse inflicted by her F ather and her stepmother Niang is painful and frightening, it is their emotional abuse that ultimately does the most lasting harm and remains with Adeline even into adulthood. Her story demonstrates the way that the emotional trauma of abuse can be more…

Coming of Age and Self-Worth

Adeline Yen Mah’s memoir is a coming-of-age story colored by her abusive childhood; it is an account of her journey of survival and overcoming trauma. After being raised in such a demeaning environment, Adeline takes her first steps towards overcoming her childhood and entering adulthood when she begins to learn to base her self-worth on her own abilities and her capacity to create a new future, rather than on the approval or acceptance of her…

The Power of Stories

Although young Adeline stumbles into writing stories “by accident,” she immediately falls in love with it. She is compelled by her newfound ability to reshape the world around her and to hear other people express many of the pained emotions she has long felt but been unable to voice. Story-writing, Adeline discovers, offers her a reprieve from the “horrors of [her] daily life,” allowing her mind to focus entirely on the process of crafting a…

Toxic Family

Although Adeline is abused most often, Father and Niang ’s cruelty affects everyone in the family. The life of the family entirely revolves around the parents’ demands, desires, and preferences, creating a toxic family dynamic in which everyone is bent towards serving the whims of one or two people. Niang and Father’s demand for total control and their utter selfishness has the greatest negative impact on their children, ultimately causing most of the children to…

Although her home life is abysmal, Adeline ’s childhood is full of genuine and affectionate friends. Though they do not realize it at the time, these friends and the love they show to Adeline are critical in keeping her from utter despair. The power of Adeline’s friendships suggests that a strong network of friends is crucial to enduring a traumatic situation and can even compensate for a lack of family support.

Adeline’s primary school friends…

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About the Book

In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Adeline’s affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for — the love and understanding of her family.

Following the success of the critically acclaimed adult bestseller Falling Leaves, this memoir is a moving telling of the classic Cinderella story, with Adeline Yen Mah providing her own courageous voice.

Adeline Yen Mah, 2017.

• Lit Charts Plot summary.
• Super Summary Plot summary.
• Lit Charts Character list.
• Lit Charts Themes.
• Lit Charts Quotes.
• Study Questions Questions to answer after each chapter.

Historical Context

From page 138 Adeline describes, from a historical viewpoint, some of the background to the period through which she lived as a child. Though these events certainly affected her life and that of her family at the time, as political and social events they were not fully understood by the young Adeline.

Whilst Adeline is unceremoniously placed in a convent boarding school in Tianjin (p.142), the Communists, under their leader Mao Ze-Dong, are moving through China swiftly taking power. At the very time when Adeline is placed in this convent, away from family and friends, the members of the population who can afford it, or are able, are fleeing China in droves. In only a short time Adeline finds herself the only student remaining in the convent (p.148) as everyone else has been collected or evacuated by their loved ones. It is only well-meaning relatives who, without consulting Adeline’s parents, collect Adeline at the last minute (p.153).

• More on the historical context

Chinese Culture

• Elder superiority
• Foot binding
• 'Bad luck' child

In the 1940’s, and even now, there has been a large tradition of strict respect and superiority of elders. Many families in the Chinese culture live together, usually with three to four generations under a single roof. There is large superiority by the grandparents and crowded living conditions because of the many generations in one house. In Chinese Cinderella, Jung-ling’s family is taken by surprise when her NeNe (Grandmother in Chinese) dies of old age. Once their mourning period ends, the oldest family member of the next generation took charge. That family member happens to be her Stepmother, Niang, who abuses her power and takes favour over Jung-ling and her siblings for her own blood-children. With grandparent superiority comes abuse of power and unjust decisions made within the family.  According to tradition, elders of the family are in charge of decision making; and as a sign of respect, all family members are to agree with them. Since this is happening, no one else is able to disagree with the decision made, or speak their minds. When Niang takes over Jung-ling’s NeNe’s position, she also begins to make decisions for the family; and when others disagree, or speak out about her decision, Niang would then fight with them and wave them off as if they were nothing.

• More information

Another Chinese tradition is the belief in superstitions. It is believed that if a mother dies while giving birth, or soon after, her child is considered bad luck. A child that has lost a mother whilst giving childbirth can struggle socially and emotionally; which can affect their life forever.  If the family is incredibly strict, they too will ignore the child and treat them unjustly. For example, Jung-ling’s mother dies shortly after her birth, and because of that her entire family considers her as bad luck, which affects her entire childhood.

About the Author

Her first book Falling Leaves was published in 1997. It made the New York Times Bestseller list and sold over a million copies worldwide, being translated into twenty two languages. After the publication of Falling Leaves, Adeline gave up medicine to write full-time. Chinese Cinderella is her autobiography written for children and also sold over one million copies worldwide. It received an award from the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California in 2000 for Compelling Autobiography and Lamplighter’s Award from National Christian School Association in June 2002 for Contribution to Exceptional Children’s Literature. Her third book Watching the Tree is a book of Chinese philosophy, published in 2001. Her fourth book, A Thousand Pieces of Gold, was published in October 2002.

Image retrieved from Goodreads, 2017.

• Last Updated: May 26, 2023 1:02 PM
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IGCSE Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah Model Essays Question 04

Edexcel English IGCSE: Chinese Cinderella

By adeline yen mah, q4. how does the writer provoke sympathy for adeline in this passage from chinese cinderella, edexcel english igcse model essay by an expert.

It is clear from this passage that Adeline has a difficult life. She has a tense relationship with her family and little control over her future.

Adeline’s reluctance to leave school evokes sympathy, as the reader wonders about the cause of this fear. The reader quickly realises that Adeline’s dread about leaving school is not simply because she loves education. She uses a simile comparing the thought of leaving school to “a persistent toothache”, suggesting that it is like a physical pain which she cannot ignore. The repeated time phrases in the opening paragraph also show that she is preoccupied with the idea of leaving, even though the end of term is months away. Her fears are realised when she is instructed to go home. She describes her reaction with a repeated structure which shows the overwhelming nature of her emotions: she was “full of foreboding” and “full of dread”. The reader pities her because it is sad that a young person should be so worried about going home.

More pitiful information about Adeline’s relationship with her family is revealed when she arrives home. Tragically, she does not recognise her own ‘home’, because her parents have moved house. The insensitivity of the chauffeur, who reacts to her pitiful confusion with the rude question, “Don’t you know anything?”, evokes further sympathy for Adeline. The house is “quiet and cool”, reflecting the family’s reactions to Adeline. The fact that nobody has come to greet her shows that they do not care about her; the reader is particularly shocked to learn that her family are not busy, but “playing bridge” and “sunbathing”, showing that they could have come to greet her if they wanted to. Adeline clearly lacks warm family relationships.

The reader also pities Adeline for the lack of control she has over her future, due to her cruel and dominating father. Adeline’s use of repeated questions, such as “Dare I let my guard down?” and “Is it possible?” are a pathetic revelation of her lack of self-confidence and suspicion of her own father. The short sentences used to describe her father’s reaction to her winning the competition – “He looked radiant. For once, he was proud of me.” – reflect her amazement and disbelief that her father is finally giving her approval. His reaction to her ambition to become a writer also makes the reader sympathise with Adeline; he asks her cruel questions, encouraging her to doubt her writing abilities. He then tells that she “will” become an obstetrician, giving her little choice in her future career.

There is dramatic irony in the fact that the reader knows that Adeline does become a successful writer. The reader pities Adeline in the passage, but also admires her for finally achieving her ambition.

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Chinese Cinderella

45 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-15

Chapters 16-18

Chapters 19-22

Key Figures

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Historical Context: China in the First Half of the 20th Century

Chinese Cinderella is set against the backdrop of seismic political shifts occurring in China. Over the course of the autobiography, Adeline witnesses various colonial powers vying for control over the country, as well as the resolution of the Chinese Civil War (1927-1949), which resulted in the communist takeover of China.

At the start of the 20th century, China was under imperial rule, as it had been since 221 BCE. The Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) was under extreme political strain after decades of conflict with foreign powers. In the mid-19th century, the First Opium War (1839-1842) with the British Empire ended in the defeat of China, forcing the Chinese imperial government to cede Hong Kong to the British and legalize the importation of British opium products into China. Opium’s rapid introduction to China proved socially and economically overwhelming and was followed by a series of internal rebellions. At the turn of the century, the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) further crippled the dynasty when a Japanese victory resulted in territory cessions and trade expansions with the West. A final internal rebellion, called the Wuchang Uprising, resulted in the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912.

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