The Bonesetter’s Daughter

by

Amy Tan

The Bonesetter’s Daughter Symbols

Bones

The oracle bone symbolizes tradition, the past, and the power of storytelling. Oracle bones connect Precious Auntie to her family after her father, the famous Bonesetter, dies. When Precious Auntie becomes LuLing’s nursemaid…

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The Tea Tray/Sand

The tea tray symbolizes generational trauma and the many ways it can manifest itself in a person’s life. When Ruth is six years old, she breaks her arm while playing at the school playground, and…

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Hawaiian Pearl Necklace

The Hawaiian pearl necklace symbolizes the secrecy and misunderstanding at the heart of Ruth and LuLing’s relationship. Years back, toward the beginning of Ruth and Art’s relationship, the couple vacationed in Hawaii, and…

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