The Relationship between Author and Text Questions responses by emily

This book is influenced by the author's life. Lisa See was 1/8th Chinese and she grew up in a very Chinese influenced area. i think this inspired her to write a book about her asian heritage. Lisa See originally did not want kids or even a husband and i think this was incorrperated into Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Lily seems to have trouble adjusting with her husband and they don't seem to see each other very much. You begin to think it is like this in all households but snow flower and her husband seem to know and like each other much more, their relationship seems much more normal to the reader. In the end of lily's life she becomes much closer with her husband and they enjoy talking and really getting to know each other. If i had to guess i would say this is when See's husband came into the picture. just a guess though. All in all this is a very authentic book because See did a ton of research on this topic spending so much time traveling through china and talking to random strangers in a forgeign land. It is authentic to the culture because of See's in depth research and dedication to its authenticity. See even went to towns were footbinding still occured and saw it.

Hey guys its nikki. It woun't let me comment on the question titled Mai Quotness so here is my response.

NIKKI- I think that Chinese hudbands kept their wives out of the outside life and happenings, because males were considered more dominant to females. I think that they feared if women were aloud to go out to the outside life than women would think that they were equal to males. Remember during this time, all females were exspected to do was to cook, clean and take care of the househodl and children, and this has been taught through out many generations. This means that women were taught from birth that they had no rights, and that there was no outside world, but if they were aloud to the outside world than women would feel differently about how women should be treated and what their duties should be.

Nikki- Lisa See other books that she has written and summaries.

Lisa See has written a few other books beside the Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Some of those other books that she has written includes, Dreams of Joy, On Gold Mountain Bones, The Interior, and her newest book, Shanghai Girls. In Dreams of Joy, the author talks about the sisters, Pearl and May, along with May's daughter Joy, from Shanghai Girls. Joy discovers shocking family secrets that her mother and her aunt were from her, and desides to run away to fo find her birth father. Joy mother's Pearl wants to save her daughter and get her back, and in doing that she faces a lot of her old demons. The story continues with the seperate journies of Pearl and Joy. In Shanghai Girls the main setting takes place in Shanghai, which is a place of great of wealth , but also is home to many homeless people. Pearl and her sister May are living a great life, until they later find out that their father has spent all their wealth on gambling. The story continues with their struggle to survive. On Gold Mountain is about Lisa See's memoir of the chinese american family. Lisa spent her summers in Los Angles Chinatown where her grandma and aunt would tell her past-stories all about the tong wars and their struggle to triumph over racist laws. The stories continues with the stories she was told as a kid. In Dragon Bones the main charcters Liu Hulan (an agent for China's Public security), and her husband David, who is an attorney, return to investigate a murder and theft at the Three Gorges Dam. You can find more summaries of Lisa See's books at http://www.lisasee.com/mysteries/dragon-bones/.

 

nnother post by steven

idk why, but my computer won't let me put up comments. anyway, this is to nikki's quote (i said im roflplatypus before, right?)

In ancient China, women had to follow the Cornifusian (?) ideals, which meant being a perfect housewife. They were ignorant of the outside world and could never leave their houses. Basicly, they were the antithis of modern feminism, i.e. they were slaves.

Discussion Question

"What I remember most is my mother's face. Of course, as a daughter I believed she was pretty, but i saw her true person for the first time that day. I had always known she had been born in the year of the monkey, but i'd never realized that its traits of deciet and cunning ran so strongly in her. Something conniving lay veiled behind her dark eyes... I would say that something like male ambition glowed right though her skin."

alright and the question is....

How does Lily's mother play a role in the story? Does Snow Flower's mother have as strong or importnant as a role? How does Lily's mother change her and the story throughout the book? Why would "male ambition" be a bad thing in a woman?

Summary and Review of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and Lily
are main characters.
This is a story of
their life together.
as two latongs,
two mandarin ducks
together forever.


They are connected
and help each other 
through good and bad times.


They grow from small girls
to the household moms.
They help each other
in their new houses.
Lily the new Lady Lu,
with all the prestige,
wealth, and town respect.
Snow Flower the cursed,
married to butchers,
life is depressing.


Life goes on and on.
taiping rebellion,
surviving in the
mountains by themselves.


They fight and don't talk
years go by silently.


Snow Flower's death bed
they make up with love.
forever in Lily's life
she will better her
wrong to Snow Flower.

Nikki- Discussion question and quote

"You dishonor this house with your behavior she said. Your becoming disgraceful."


In what ways was she being disgraceful, and how does this quote relate to the society's view of how women should behave?