Previous
Chapter 2: A Tianjin Family
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Chinese Cinderella, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Physical and Emotional Abuse
Coming of Age and Self-Worth
The Power of Stories
Toxic Family
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
At dinner, the same day that Adeline showed Aunt Baba her school medal, the family is sitting down to dinner. Grandmother Nai Nai walks slowly because her feet are bound, so Adeline runs ahead and pulls Nai Nai’s chair out for her. Adeline asks her grandmother why her feet are so small, and Nai Nai explains that it has been the custom to bind women’s feet for over a thousand years. She is bitter about having had her feet bound and “maimed,” and she tells Adeline that she is fortunate the custom is no longer practiced so she can run and jump.
Nai Nai plays a relatively small part in the story—the author mainly uses her to comment on the quickly-changing role of women in modern China. While Adeline’s gender certainly plays a part in the story and limits her in some ways, Nai Nai’s commentary suggests that Adeline is far less restricted by being a woman than she would have been two generations prior, and gender inequality is much less an obstacle than familial abuse, at least in this depiction of Adeline’s childhood.
Themes
Adeline takes her seat between Second Brother and Third Brother. Third Brother notices her school medal and congratulates her on being so honored after just one week. Second Brother, however, strikes Adeline hard in the back of the head and painfully twists her arm, angry at her for showing off her achievement. Third Brother pointedly does not intervene. Niang, Father, and Big Sister all enter the dining room and Second Brother instantly leaves Adeline alone. The family eats dinner. For dessert, each child gets a bowl of Adeline’s favorite fruit. She laughs with joy, but does not yet eat them.
This introduces both Third Brother’s kindness and Second Brother’s abject cruelty, providing a stark contrast between the two. That Third Brother does not intervene when he sees Second Brother hurting his four-year-old sister is an early indicator of the way in which a toxic family dynamic can suffocate the goodness of its members. Rather than having courage and standing up for Adeline, Third Brother gives in to his fear and lets the abuse persist.
Themes
Although Niang’s two children are still too young even to eat with the family, everyone knows they are “special,” naturally considered smarter, prettier, and more valuable than the five stepchildren. Despite this, Father notices Adeline’s medal and is proud of her, a rare show of affection from him. As the adults leave the room, Father encourages Adeline to keep studying hard and honoring the family. She is thrilled. However, after the adults have left, all of the other stepchildren scowl at Adeline and take all the fruit from their little sister’s bowl, leaving her with nothing.
The toxic and foul family dynamic is on full display here. Since Father is so neglectful of all, one child earning his brief affection immediately provokes the jealousy of the other children. Thus, Adeline is caught in the unenviable position of choosing between being utterly ignored by Father and safe from her siblings, or recognized by Father and abused by her siblings. This is a tragic no-win position to be caught in, especially for such a young child.
Themes
