Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Bonesetter’s Daughter, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Secrecy and Misunderstanding
Memory, Culture, and the Past
Storytelling
Women’s Solidarity
Summary
Analysis
The Changs accept LuLing as their daughter-in-law and agree to recognize her as family even before the wedding, during the special ceremony that will be held during the Moon Festival to honor Mr. Chang’s “scientific achievements.” The aunts advise Mother to send LuLing to the Changs as soon as possible—before they have an opportunity to change her mind. At this point, neither LuLing nor the Changs know the truth about LuLing’s birth. Mother orders LuLing to join the Changs before the Moon Festival. She and GaoLing cry tears of happiness for LuLing. In contrast, LuLing’s relationship with Precious Auntie remains strained. When Precious Auntie isn’t working in the ink studio, she sits at her table and writes, though about what, LuLing can only guess.
The Changs’ eagerness to welcome LuLing into their family likely stems from Chang’s desire to acquire the remainder of the dragon bones. LuLing remains blind to this because her upcoming marriage to Chang’s fourth son has finally given her the Lius’ approval, evidenced by the tears of joy GaoLing and Mother cry in anticipation of the nuptials. The document Precious Auntie is writing is the manuscript that will eventually reveal to LuLing the truth of her parentage, but in LuLing's excitement, she could care less about the story that Precious Auntie puts such painstaking care into writing.
Themes
A few days before LuLing is scheduled to go to the Changs, Precious Auntie wakes LuLing, presenting her with a bag that contains the bound pages she’d been writing. Then, Precious Auntie leaves the room. LuLing reads the papers, which detail Precious Auntie’s tragic life story. However, as soon as LuLing gets to the part where Precious Auntie criticizes Chang, she throws the papers to the floor and refuses to read any more—including the very end of the story, where Precious Auntie tells LuLing that she is her mother.
LuLing throws the manuscript aside because hearing the truth about Chang complicates her plans to acquire the honor, respect, and independence she believes she deserves. She effectively erases the parts of Precious Auntie’s history that are inconvenient to her own path forward. In so doing, LuLing unwittingly deprives herself of the critical piece of information that Precious Auntie is her mother. This builds tension, since Precious Auntie now (incorrectly) believes that LuLing knows Precious Auntie is her mother, when in reality, LuLing remains ignorant about this detail.
Themes
At dinner that night, Precious Auntie tries to feed LuLing, but LuLing rejects her. Later, when Mother and the aunts are embroidering LuLing’s bridal clothes, Precious Auntie asks LuLing if she finished reading her story. LuLing answers yes, not wanting to fight with Precious Auntie in front of the rest of the family.
LuLing’s rejection now hurts even more, since Precious Auntie is under the impression that LuLing knows Precious Auntie is her mother and chooses to reject her anyway. LuLing’s decision to lie to Precious Auntie about reading the manuscript could contribute to Precious Auntie’s choice to die by suicide, which LuLing has already revealed occurred when she was 14, the age she is at this point in her narrative.
Themes
Later that evening, Precious Auntie asks LuLing if her thoughts toward her have changed now that has read her story and knows the truth. To this day, LuLing can still remember her exact response to Precious Auntie: even if the Changs were all murderers, she’d still marry into her family to get away from Precious Auntie. Precious Auntie blows out the candle and doesn’t say another word to LuLing.
LuLing unwittingly tells Precious Auntie she sees the Changs—a murderous, untrustworthy, and wretched clan—as more her family than Precious Auntie. LuLing’s rejection hurts Precious Auntie in ways LuLing cannot comprehend due to her failure to finish Precious Auntie’s manuscript and understand that she is Precious Auntie's daughter.
Themes
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When LuLing awakens the next morning, Precious Auntie is gone. LuLing isn’t worried at first, but she grows concerned when Precious Auntie isn’t at breakfast, either. Later, when the aunts, GaoLing, Mother, and LuLing enter the ink studio to work, the room is in shambles, and every surface is stained with ink. Suddenly, Mother shrieks. LuLing turns and sees Precious Auntie: her face is white, and her hand is still gripping the knife she used to slit her own throat.
This scene is significant because it’s a defining moment in LuLing’s life—perhaps the defining moment. Precious Auntie’s suicide is what convinces LuLing that she is cursed, evil, and unworthy of future love and happiness. It affects her well into her adult life and indirectly compromises her ability to show affection to her future daughter.
Themes
LuLing can’t remember much about the day. She remembers waking up in her room sometime later and initially forgetting that Precious Auntie is dead. LuLing suddenly remembers the horrific sight of Precious Auntie’s body as she approaches the ink studio, but when she opens the door, she finds that someone has cleaned the room and removed the body. LuLing returns to her room and falls back asleep.
LuLing’s story also parallels Precious Auntie’s: just as Precious Auntie existed in a drugged, semi-conscious stupor in the days following Baby Uncle’s and the Bonesetter’s deaths, now LuLing exists in a similar state. Precious Auntie’s body, like the corpses of Baby Uncle and the Bonesetter years before, is also removed before LuLing can appropriately honor and grieve for them.
Themes
The next time LuLing wakes up, GaoLing is sitting at the edge of her bed. She has tears in her eyes and tells LuLing that they will always be sisters, no matter what. GaoLing explains to LuLing how yesterday, Mrs. Chang came over, angrily clutching a letter that Precious Auntie had delivered to their house. In the letter, Precious Auntie claimed that her ghost would haunt the Changs forever if the marriage between their son and LuLing proceeded. When Mother informs Mrs. Chang of Precious Auntie’s suicide, Mrs. Chang runs away, terrified. Then, Mother walked to the studio and proceeded to kick Precious Auntie’s body, angrily screaming at her for being ungrateful. She promises to sell LuLing into prostitution if Precious Auntie’s ghost returns to haunt them. After that, GaoLing tells LuLing, Mother ordered for Precious Auntie’s body to be thrown over the cliff.
GaoLing’s promise to LuLing turns out to be true. Although the sisters have their disagreements as elderly women, GaoLing publicly maintains that they are sisters and treats her as such, attending family functions with LuLing and caring for her when dementia begins to break down LuLing’s body. This scene is also important because it adds a layer of complexity to Precious Auntie’s suicide. While Precious Auntie’s despair likely was the immediate cause of her suicide, the death also protects LuLing by ensuring that the Changs call off the proposal for fear of Precious Auntie’s vengeful ghost. Precious Auntie demonstrates resilience in death by sacrificing herself to protect her daughter, ensuring that LuLing has more opportunities to author her own life than Precious Auntie had to author her own.
Themes
After GaoLing leaves, LuLing finishes reading Precious Auntie’s story and discovers, too late, its final words: “I am your mother.” Later that day, she goes to the End of the Earth to search for Precious Auntie’s body. At the bottom of the ravine, LuLing realizes that she has perpetuated the family curse: Chang had only wanted her to marry his son so he could have the dragon bones hidden in the Monkey’s Jaw. LuLing frantically searches for Precious Auntie’s bones but fails to find them
This scene illustrates the other central origin of LuLing’s belief in her curse: her failure to locate Precious Auntie’s bones and give them a proper funeral. She inherits Precious Auntie’s belief in curses. Just as Precious Auntie believed her ancestor cursed the family for removing his bones from the Monkey’s Jaw, so too does LuLing believe Precious Auntie’s ghost curses her for not returning her bones to that same cave. LuLing’s belief in the curse is a warped way of continuing a family tradition and owning the familial ties she has discovered only too late. Now, instead of it being an honor to be a part of Precious Auntie’s lineage, it’s a burden and a curse.
Themes
LuLing remains unable to eat or move for nearly a week afterward. Precious Auntie visits her dreams and tells her she is doomed to stay unhappy for the rest of her life. The Changs revoke the marriage contract, and Mother stops pretending the LuLing is her daughter. Only GaoLing continues to treat LuLing with kindness.
LuLing’s belief in the curse is less a result of its actual existence than her choice to see fortune as misfortune. The tragic way she depicts her life story after Precious Auntie’s death makes her interpretations subjective and geared toward proving the curse. In reality, the Changs’ decision to call off the marriage is a fortuitous turn of events that spares LuLing from marrying into an evil, dishonest family. However, LuLing’s biased way of spinning her story to make herself out to be a villain prevents her from seeing it this way.
Themes
Two weeks after Precious Auntie’s suicide, Little Uncle returns from Peking, crying and disheveled. He informs the family that the ink shop has burned to the ground. He explains to Mother how Precious Auntie’s ghost visited them last night. Father knocked over an oil lamp in his attempts to chase her away, and before they knew it, the entire shop was engulfed in flames. The fire destroyed the adjacent shops, too, and Mother knows the shopkeepers will make their family pay for the damages. Mother orders everyone to hide the valuables.
The Lius’ belief that Precious Auntie’s ghost is to blame for the horrific fire gives them a reason to kick LuLing out. In reality, the fire was likely nothing more than an unfortunate accident, but their belief in fate and superstition ensure that they tell a story in which ghosts are to blame.
Themes
Father, Big Uncle, and their sons return the next day, looking haggard and sooty. Everyone is beside themselves and uncertain of the future: will they lose the house? Will they have to run away? GaoLing and LuLing cry together and promise to look after each other as sisters, no matter what happens. Unlike the rest of the family, GaoLing doesn’t blame Precious Auntie or LuLing’s birth for the misfortunes that have befallen the family. Instead, she tells LuLing that Precious Auntie is lucky to have died quickly, since the rest of them will undoubtedly face a slow, painful death by starvation and social ostracization.
GaoLing’s remarks demonstrate her dedication to LuLing. They also show that, unlike the rest of her family (and LuLing), she is less beholden to spiritual beliefs and superstition. Perhaps this mentality is what allows her to be more well-adjusted as an older woman many years into the future after she and LuLing emigrate to the U.S.
Themes
The next day, a man comes to the house to deliver an official letter claiming the Liu clan’s responsibility for the fire. As soon as the other shopkeepers assessed the cost of their damages, the magistrate would announce the debt the Lius would have to pay. He also warns them that the village has been informed of the complaint and will know to report the Lius, should they try to flee. Realizing that there is no way to change their fate, Mother announces that they’ll blow through their fortune while they still can.
The Lius likely see the letter as solid proof of the curse Precious Auntie’s ghost has supposedly placed on them. The ghost has destroyed their livelihood and sent them deeper into financial ruin by saddling them with an enormous debt. Mother’s response to this bad news shows that she is a competent, resilient woman capable of making practical decisions on behalf of her family. Even though the men have most of the power in their patriarchal society, it’s the women who put things into action and aid in their families’ survival.
Themes
The next day, everyone goes to the market to buy the nicest fruits, sweets, and finest meats. GaoLing and LuLing make their way through the market. They eventually find themselves at Beggars Lane, which is full of miserable, disabled beggars. GaoLing wonders if this is the fate that awaits their family, too. A girl with no eyes approaches them and tells LuLing the ghost of her mother wants to speak to her. They tip the girl, who writes in the sand with a long, thin stick. “A dog howls, the moon rises,” writes the girl. LuLing instantly recognizes Precious Auntie’s nickname for her, Doggie. The rest of the message makes no sense to GaoLing, but LuLing thinks her mother is trying to shame LuLing for her betrayal.
This scene contextualizes the tea-tray writing that Ruth does later in her life. LuLing’s past thus helps make sense of her choices in the present. The beggar girl’s message is relatively vague and could be interpreted many ways, but LuLing’s internalized guilt makes it impossible for her to see the message as anything other than an indication of Precious Auntie’s anger at her betrayal. In this way, LuLing rewrites her story—reimagines reality—to conform to her inner sense of shame.
Themes
When the girls return home, the whole family is gathered around a Taoist priest, who thinks a ghost haunts the house. The priest’s assistant explains that the priest is a Famous Catcher of Ghosts. The priest offers to capture the ghost for the Liu clan but says they need to demonstrate their “sincerity” first. Mother and Father give the priest silver ingots. Next, the priest asks for the girl whom the ghost loved, and Mother and Father gesture toward LuLing. The priest orders LuLing to run her comb through her hair nine times. He orders her to place the comb in a jar when she’s finished. The priest and the young man circle around LuLing as they chant and hum to themselves.
The Catcher of Ghost’s insistence that the Lius demonstrate their “sincerity” by giving him money should be a tipoff that the priest is potentially taking advantage of them and benefiting financially from their anxiety. Still, their belief in Precious Auntie’s ghost blinds them to this possibility. They have rewritten reality around the belief that they must protect themselves against Precious Auntie’s curse if they ever want to reverse their bad fortune.
Themes
Suddenly, the assistant slams the lid of the jar first. The Catcher of Ghosts announces that he has captured the ghost. The next day, the family celebrates with a banquet, though nobody has much of an appetite. Mother hires a man to take photographs of the family. GaoLing insists that they include LuLing in one of the photos. A week later, Father calls for another banquet, for the magistrate has decided the Lius don’t owe any money. Apparently, the supposed valuable, ancient artifacts the shopkeepers claimed to have lost had been forgeries all along. Father takes this fortuitous development as proof that Precious Auntie’s ghost is truly gone.
The photo Mother takes with GaoLing and LuLing is the one Ruth will frame and gift to the women years later at the family reunion dinner. This detail clarifies the statements Ruth had assumed were evidence of LuLing’s confusion. While there is a logical explanation for the magistrate’s change of heart regarding the Lius’ financial responsibility, their beliefs force them to reframe the decision and attribute it to supernatural causes.
Themes
That evening, everyone is happy, except for LuLing. The next morning, Mother informs LuLing that she is sending her to an orphanage and that Mr. Wei is already waiting out front to take her away. LuLing returns to her room to pack her small bundle of possessions. Before she leaves, GaoLing secretly gives LuLing her favorite jacket. She cries as she promises LuLing that she’ll come and find her one day. As LuLing leaves the compound in Mr. Wei’s cart, she thinks about the message Precious Auntie had conveyed through the blind beggar girl: “A dog howls, the moon rises. […] In daylight, it’s as if the stars never existed.” LuLing stares at the sky and listens to her “howling” heart.
The apparent lifting of Precious Auntie’s curse relieves the Lius of their duty to care for LuLing. The jacket GaoLing gives LuLing seems to be the jacket LuLing referred to in “Truth,” the novel’s opening section, when she was listing the many things she has lost throughout her life. Knowing the significance of the lost jacket helps the reader understand how hard it must have been for LuLing to lose it: it was the one thing that tied her to her only living relative who cared for her. When LuLing looks at the sky and considers the beggar girl’s message, it shows how she sees every aspect of her life and her surroundings through the lens of Precious Auntie’s curse. Her shame distorts her sense of the world. She can’t see through it.
Themes
