From Chinese Cinderella
Essay
Leila Kadri, Grade 10
In the autobiographical book “Chinese Cinderella”, the author, Adeline Yen Mah, goes through a lot of hardships and difficulties with her family and life in general. She is not treated as part of her Fathers family and is sent away to live in a boarding school away from them.
Adeline’s relationship with her family is very distant and cold, she is unloved and unwanted. No one acknowledges her or shows any heed and sympathy towards her. This relationship is shown in line 28 when she asks ‘Where is everyone?’ As no one comes to greet her when she arrives home, showing how they are uncaring towards her and do not regard her as family, not even welcoming her arrival or asked if she would like anything. It is almost as if she is a stranger, even to her biological father and siblings who continue to play ‘by the swimming pool’, no one caring about her coming back home. In addition, she is not informed about her family moving home when she asks her Father’s chauffeur in line 23 ‘Where are we?’ Her questions show her confusion and little knowledge on what has been happening at home pointing out that her family have not even bothered to write to her. Her other siblings and stepmother are ignorant to her arrival as if she is a stranger and worthless.