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
Ye Ye, Aunt Baba, Third Brother, and Little Sister arrive in Shanghai. Little Sister, nearly two years old now, has not seen Niang in a year and a half. The toddler has started walking and talking, running around the living room as the family catches up. Though Niang tries to get Little Sister to come to her arms, Little Sister refuses and instead keeps going to Aunt Baba, saying that she doesn’t want or like Niang. After Little Sister tips a candy bowl over, both Fourth Brother and Big Sister scream at her, trying to earn goodwill from Niang by being cruel.
Fourth Brother and Big Sister’s screaming at a toddler is telling, once again indicating the way in which children in a toxic family can inherent the wicked behavior and unrealistic expectations of their parents. More than being merely mean, both children hope that by their viciousness, they will earn the love of Niang, indicating how truly warped their young minds are already becoming.
Themes
Niang forcibly picks up Little Sister, loudly screaming at her to keep still as the infant struggles and kicks. In the struggle, Little Sister breaks a valuable pearl necklace Niang is wearing. Niang explodes, slapping and beating her daughter on the head who now only struggles and makes more noise. All of the adults in the room are pointedly silent, not making eye contact. This confuses Adeline. Little Sister’s screams become unbearable to the point where Adeline tells Niang not to beat her daughter anymore since she is just a baby.
This is a prime example of Niang’s need for control, an aspect of her character that will resurface constantly and contribute to much of her abusive behavior. For Adeline, this moment represents a tragic loss of innocence—even in the presence of Aunt Baba and Ye Ye, it seems there is no protection from Niang’s fury. Adeline’s confrontation of Niang also indicates her compassion, a highly unusual trait within her family.
Themes
Aunt Baba gives Adeline a warning glance not to speak anymore, but Niang is already enraged. She fumes at Adeline, pointing a finger at her and telling her that she shall never be forgiven for her arrogance. Her words are cold and full of malice. In that instant, the whole family understands the new dynamic: now that Nai Nai is dead, Niang rules the household.
Niang’s dominance over the household suggests a powerful personality and sway over Father, since she is the youngest adult in the home by at least 15 years. Her position of dominance over Aunt Baba and especially Ye Ye, as the patriarch, is an inversion of the the normal structure of authority and further represents a wildly distorted family dynamic.
Themes
