The eldest of Father's original children, Big Sister is vicious, jealous, and spiteful. Born with a lame arm, she uses her handicap to her advantage, by forcing her siblings to carry out her chores. This is just one of the ways she manipulates those around her. Big Sister constantly attempts to curry favor with Niang and Father to advance her own situation. By ratting out her younger siblings, she is invited to join the "superior" children on the second floor, and becomes one of Niang's spies. Though she is one of the cruelest to Adeline, Big Sister is just a lonely girl looking for love and attention. Mah, Adeline Yen (1998). Falling leaves: the true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter. New York: Wiley. p.91. ISBN 978-0-585-36179-6. OCLC 47011622.

Emotive Language is any language and vocabulary that creates an emotion. It is an umbrella term that encompasses many different devices: Afterwards, the scene of Big Sister's wedding juxtaposes the upscale Anglicized society that Niang's children live in and the antique customs that the natural born children are forced to uphold. The betrayal of Aunt Baba by Big Sister should not come off as a surprise to anyone reading the book, since the characters have been noticeably static. The wedge driven between Niang and Aunt Baba clearly foreshadows the impossibility of this family structure staying the way it is for long.Beauchamp, Fay (2010). "Asian Origins of Cinderella: The Zhuang Storyteller of Guangxi" (PDF). Oral Tradition. 25 (2): 447–496. Mah, Adeline Yen (2015). Chinese Cinderella. London: Puffin Books. p.265. ISBN 978-0-14-135941-0. OCLC 914452896. This quote by Ye Ye reflects a core principle of Yen Mah’s novels, the beauty of the Chinese language. This is followed by a monologue on how the pictographic aspect of Chinese characters can help tell a story in ways that the Western alphabet cannot, reflecting the message of the author’s foundation which aims to teach youth of Chinese heritage their language. This also reinforces the theme that people should be seen as much more than what society views them as, a message that is clearly lost on the rest of Adeline’s family. Her father understands the importance of appearances and the value of daughters in society, but does not truly grasp the potential that his daughter exhibits until it is shoved in his face, well after all the damage is done.

Yet another version of the story finds Ye-Xian's new husband bringing her stepfamily to live with them in his palace. There is a catch, however: Jin and Jun-Li must cater to the whims of his queen and himself, and to the eventual whims of their children and heirs. Otherwise, Jun-Li and Jin will be cast out among the populace...who, knowing of the pair's ghastly natures, will surely rip them both to pieces on sight. And so poetic justice prevails: Ye-Xian's stepfamily find themselves trapped in servitude, surrounded by the lifestyle of royalty to which they aspired; they are in it, and of it, but they will never have it. Rather, it has them instead. In 1942, Yen Mah's father (Joseph) and stepmother (Jeanne) moved from Tianjin to Shanghai to a house along Avenue Joffre. My heart gave a giant lurch as her words sank in. For a dazzling moment, I knew with every fiber of my being that somehow, against all odds, Aunt Baba had come to my rescue! The whole of me was vibrating with joy, and I ran as fast as I could towards the visitors’ lounge, followed by Mother Marie.” Chinese Cinderella, p.136 Shirley See Yan Ma (4 December 2009). Footbinding: A Jungian Engagement with Chinese Culture and Psychology. Taylor & Francis Ltd. pp.75–78. ISBN 9781135190071. I think this is the children’s version of the author’s autobiography, Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter. It’s pretty short and focuses on the author’s childhood as an unwanted child.

Meet the Cinderellas: Ye Xian, Zezolla, and Cendrillon

Mah, Adeline Yen (2015). Chinese Cinderella. [London]: Puffin Books. p.28. ISBN 978-0-14-135941-0. OCLC 914452896. Falling Leaves was translated into Chinese for the Taiwan market. It was titled Luoyeguigen (T: 落葉歸根, S: 落叶归根, P: Luòyèguīgēn). Unlike other cases of memoirs, the novel was translated by the original writer. [21] Mah, Adeline Yen (1998). Falling leaves: the true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter. New York: Wiley. pp.115–117. ISBN 978-0-585-36179-6. OCLC 47011622. Victor is the only person to see the injustices heaped on Adeline for what they are and then take an active role in protesting them. By refusing to get in the car with Niang and the others, Victor vocalized his opposition, something that Ye Ye and Aunt Baba never did. The gift offered by young Adeline can be seen as a means to highlight this distinction; while Aunt Baba and Ye Ye earned a level of loyalty, Victor deserved a higher distinction. The book was the only possession of any value that Adeline had, yet she understood the actions of Victor to be worthy of such high praise. In this exchange, Yen Mah relays the message that, while empathy is valuable, embodying the change is deserving of greater praise.

Ye Ye dies that year and Adeline attends his funeral. She is the only member of the family who cries at the loss. Niang also announces that Father will no longer pay for Adeline’s schooling after this term. Adeline falls into a heavy, anxious depression for several weeks. In the midst of this, however, Father’s chauffer takes her to discuss something with Father. She is initially fearful, but when she speaks with Father, he reveals that she has won the playwriting competition and brought Hong Kong and him great honor. As a reward, Father agrees to send Adeline to study in England with Third Brother, where she will study medicine. The cruel stepmother and her daughter were never allowed to visit Ye Xian, and were forced to live in a cave until the day came when a rain of fiery stones killed them. This book is really great because it gives me a sense of sympathy for the author. I don't really know hoe to describe my feeling toward this book, but i know i feel sorry for her. When i was reading this book, it made me cried because of all the unhappy things that happened to the author. It must be really hurtful for a child that is without her parents' love and care.

Dredge, Stuart (21 January 2013). "30 best iPhone and iPad apps this week". The Guardian. iPad app PinYinPal looks a lot like Words With Friends (well, Scrabble, obviously) but it's actually got even more educational ambitions. It's actually an app for learning Chinese through play, as you use letters of the alphabet to spell traditional Mandarin characters. A clever idea that looks good for anyone learning Chinese.

The cause for the disparity between the living conditions of the two sets of Yen children is again brought into question by these chapters. The embarrassment that the three eldest brothers suffer at the hands of their classmates is very public, as is their exposure to the various guests at the wedding. Since Father's prioritization of public image has been of the driving factors behind the developments thus far in the novel, his tolerance for the public shaming of his children seems oddly out of character. How can a man who cares so much of what others think of him allow his children to wear antiquated clothing? The facade of a happy and modern family that Father has worked so hard to create would seem irreparable by the events of the wedding.Adeline's loneliness is exemplified in this quote from her time at St. Joseph's in Tianjin, far away from any family or friends. There is nothing like isolation, especially in cases this extreme. With no one looking for her and no one writing her letter, not even her Aunt Baba, Adeline feels as alone in the world as one can be. The will to keep going even after that shows the perseverance that this book promotes. Adeline's eldest brother is distinct from the other three in that he often shows a maturity corresponding to his position, albeit interposed with flashes of malice that corrode any of Adeline's built-up good will. Big Brother, along with his other two natural brothers, is forced to have an outdated hairstyle and wear antiquated clothes, leading to much ridicule from their classmates. Although he takes up the banner of rebellion against Niang, his resolve is extinguished by his stepmother's all-encompassing influence. You may be right in believing that if you study hard, one day you might become fluent in English. But you will still look Chinese, and when people meet you, they’ll see a Chinese girl no matter how well you speak English. You’ll always be expected to know Chinese, and if you don’t, I’m afraid they will not respect you as much.” Chinese Cinderella, p.151 Amy Lai (2007). "Two Translations of the Chinese Cinderella Story". In: Perspectives 15:1, pp. 49-56. DOI: 10.2167/pst004.0 Adeline maintains a very close relationship with her Aunt Baba and both her grandparents, turning to them for reason and comfort throughout her early years. Her Aunt's support combined with her father's brief flashes of approval lead Adeline to pursue academic excellence, leading to her outstanding performance in school and indomitable drive. Although her siblings and stepmother Niang often abuse her, Adeline attempts to overcome her problematic home life with her performance and community outside it.