How does the text related to the theme of a journey?
The text talks about the life journey of the author, Adeline from her childhood life to adult. During her childhood, she faced serious family problem: her cruel stepmother, Niang and her mischievous siblings, Lydia, Gregory and Edgar. During her adolescence, Adeline was sent to Sacred Heart Convent School. She felt lonely because she was the only one left behind during the summer vacation where everyone was picked up by their parents. At the age of 17, she was admitted to University College in Bloomsbury as a medical student. At there, she suffered from racial prejudice. However, her hard work paid off when she was offered by Professor Mc Fadden to work as an assistant lecturer. In the end, she took up the job offered by Dr. Chun in order to please her Father.
After seven months of internship, she flew to America with Martin Ching. There, she met Byron whom she fell in love with. They get married and had their first child, Roger. However, after that their marriage seemed to deteriorate and they divorced in 1964. Adeline’s career continued to flourish after the finalization of her divorce. Through a blind date, she met Bob and they were perfect match for each other. It was Adeline’s second marriage and they had their first daughter, Ann. They moved into a new home in Huntington Beach where Adeline led a comfortable life with the support from her partner.
She finally saw the true color of her siblings when she discovered a conspiracy was made between them to deceive Adeline the truth of Niang’s will. However, she didn’t fight with them for the inheritance. In the resolution, she travelled back to Shanghai, her hometown to accompany Aunt Baba in her final years. After all sort of difficulties she faced outside her hometown, she came back to look after the person she loved the most, Aunt Baba.
What is the main issue of the text?
The story revolves around the family problem faced by the author, Adeline after her father remarried a wife whom she referred her as ‘Niang’. Niang gave unfair treatment towards her stepchildren. For example, her own son Franklin whom she favors the most, was given beautiful clothes to wear, whereas her stepchildren were forced to wear old clothes. She did not want them to outshine her own children. In addition, she forbade Aunt Baba to communicate with Adeline because she thought that Adeline’s will become more rebellious with Aunt Baba beside her.
Other than that, it’s the darker side of human being. In Niang’s will, Adeline was not given a share even though she made effort to repair the relationship between Niang and Lydia. In the end, she found out that it was actually Lydia, the culprit behind all of these. She tricked Adeline into helping her and said bad things about Adeline by secretly writing letters to Niang.
Another main issue was about race and gender discrimination. In 1950s, racial prejudice was much in evidence in England. For example, in University College in Bloomsbury, Chinese students were marginalized and female medical students were proclaimed by others that they were ‘robbing’ qualified males of entry into medical school and those on scholarship and grants were ‘wasting’ government fund.
What quality do you admire or dislike in a character?
After reading the text, the bad character of Niang really annoys me. She portrayed violent character. In the story, when the 2-year-old Susan was picked up by her mother, Niang who to her was a complete stranger because they have been separated when she was just few months old, she resisted her mother and screaming, ‘I don’t want you! I don’t want you! Aunt Baba! Aunt Baba!’. Feeling rage, Niang slap her in her face and Susan cried only louder. Niang began a more vicious beating of her daughter, slapping her cheeks, ears and head. No one dare to stop her except Adeline who asked Niang to stop beating Susan which only causes much more hatred of Niang towards Adeline.
In addition, Niang was a merciless person and did not care about the feelings of other people even her own child. In a dinner between Susan and Niang in Magnolia Mansions, Niang accused Susan for being ungrateful, untrustworthy and brought up a litany of Susan’s every transgression since early childhood. She started to cry over Franklin’s death and she wished it had been Susan instead. This was more than anyone could endure let alone Susan who did not received much care from her mother. Therefore, Susan shouted and fought back by saying that her mother was vicious and vindictive who love no one but herself and also never had care nor love her. As a result of Susan’s exploding comment, Niang decided to disown her as a member of Yen’s family, mercilessly.
How does the text develop your understanding of the world?
The text centered on the cruel reality. Firstly, a stepparent is more likely to favor his/her own children than stepchildren. This was very much portrayed through the character of Niang who treat her own son, Franklin like a treasure but ignored or sometimes even dislike the rest. Besides, even your own family member would betray and backstab you. For example, Adeline, despite helping her sister, Lydia repairing the relationship between her and Niang, was betrayed by Lydia in the end who secretly wrote letters to Niang talking about Adeline’s bad , in order to influence Niang’s actual will.
Other than that is the racial and gender discrimination that lurked in England in 1950s. There was superiority of the West, so people tend to looked down on the Chinese in Western countries. Female medical students were considered to be ‘alien’ at that time because majority of medical students were boys.
Last but not least, in the summer of 1966, gangs of local Red Guards roamed the streets of Shanghai looking for trouble. On 14 September 1966, 25 Red Guards banged on the door of Aunt Baba’s house. They were boys and girls in their teen and a few men in their twenties. They beat Aunt Baba and Miss Chien badly and destroyed all things in her house. See, even teenager could carry out such violent crime. In present time, we could even see kids in Pakistan carrying firearms around them.
Author : Adeline Yen Mah
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