Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Struggling with distance learning? Bajpai, Ratna, et al. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Lily talks of the traditional form of mother love, known as teng ai, which in the language of her people is “composed of two characters. "This was horrible! Footbinding. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The Temple of Gupo symbolizes the stigma associated with the girl child. In the first and last chapter, the narrator Lily reveals that she is dictating the story to Peony, the wife of her grandson, as a form of confession to her friend Snow Flower who is now in the afterworld. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan study guide contains a biography of Lisa See, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The Silk Fan (symbol) Lily and Snow Flower send notes to each other on a silk fan. Read the Study Guide for Snow Flower and the Secret Fan…, Portrayal of Footbinding in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Isolated by their families, they furtively communicate by taking turns writing in a secret language, nu shu, between the folds of a white silk fan. Lily , Snow Flower , and the other female characters live very different lives from the men around them. 14 likes. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a frame tale, a story within a story, as told by an eighty-year-old Chinese woman, reflecting on her life and preparing for her death. The custom serves the purpose of preparing doll-like females to attract grooms from the upper-class of society. Essay Topics. 13 likes. Lily is one of the pair of characters central to Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and she is also the narrator of the entire story. It symbolizes a medium of expression for women who live in a society bound by rigid social conventions. The act of binding the girl’s feet is a preparation for her marriage, and begins when she is still a small child. Start studying Snow Flower and The Secret Fan. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is so rich in psychology, feminine high stakes and marital intrigue that it evokes the work of Jane Austen. Teng Ai - Mother Love. The emergence of the secret language symbolizes a woman’s retaliation to a sex-segregated society. However, she must eventually redeem herself after cutting Snow Flower off based on a misunderstanding. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See About the Book Lily is haunted by memories --- of who she once was, and of a person, long gone, who defined her existence. "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is the story of such a friendship. The room has a single lattice window through which they can look out. It could be said, the envisioned wings become an enthusiastic substitute for their wrecked feet. As a part of the stomach-churning custom, the feet of little girls are gruesomely tied and stunted in the hope that they will become beautiful like lotus buds. According to the Confucian norms, girls are supposed to live in a secluded chamber of the house until they get married. Our, “Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Symbols & Motifs. The warring matchmakers are marvelous characters, and the story made me recall the girl closest to my own laotong. In 19th century Chine, tiny lotus shoes had a special place in a little girl’s heart. For the girl, the shoes have emotional meaning that goes beyond the material aspect, because since the day she receives them, her mother starts teaching her all the characteristics of being a good woman, beginning with sewing and shoe making. The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Puwei is the farming village in Hunan where Lily Wu and her family reside. GradeSaver, 27 March 2019 Web. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Character Analysis. Many cultural aspects of Imperial China were touted as backward, … One of the major themes in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is the bond between women. (Ko 2001, 69). Symbols & Motifs. The system allows women to communicate with each other, keep autobiographies, write poetry and create stories. Related Posts about Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Symbols And Motifs. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”, Hair-Pinning Days: The Flower-Sitting Chair, Rice-and-Salt Days: Letter of Vituperation, read analysis of Lily and Snow Flower's Fan. London: University of California Press. Lily and Snow Flower send notes to each other on a silk fan. An editor The new mothers leave behind baby shoes at the altar. Lily Lily is the narrator and main character of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.She is one of five children, born the second daughter, a status considered to be low in the family. In 19th-century China, seven year old girls Snow Flower and Lily are matched as laotong - or "old sames" - bound together for eternity. The custom depicts the mindset of a society that gives preference to the male child. In her introduction to the novel, See writes that Lily, the narrator, was born on June 5, 1824—"the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year of the Daoguang Emperor's … Lily. "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Symbols, Allegory and Motifs". The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. SNOW FLOWER LISA SEE AND THE SECRET FAN A Novel. With the period detail and deep resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel delves into one of the most mysterious of human relationships: female friendship. Snow Flower becomes Lily's sworn sister, or "old same," meaning perfect match. The extreme pressure for a perfect body gives rise to the tradition of foot-binding. The…, Instant downloads of all 1386 LitChart PDFs Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a 2011 historical drama film based on the novel of the same name written by Lisa See. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Author: Ashley Davis. The Chinese women use a secret language ‘nu shu’ which means ‘women’s writing.’ As the traditional Chinese culture forbids girls to receive an education, they practice nu shu in secrecy. The lattice window is symbolic of a gateway to the world outside the confines of their home. The references to wings are allegorical, summoning the young ladies’, especially Snow Flower’s, wants to transcend their physical limitations. The first means pain; the second means love. They are tucked away doing household chores, weaving, and embroidery. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:). The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Summary Lisa See’s novel Snow Flower and the Secret Fan takes place in China during the 1800s.Lily is the main character and first-person narrator of her life story. However during this project, I explored other meaningful symbols. Written by Ratna Bajpai and other people who wish to remain anonymous. (including. Like “I have a whole life to tell; I have nothing left to lose and few to offend.” ― Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Misogyny and Misinformation. Through the letters, they share their joys and tragedies, hopes, and frustrations. Directed by Wayne Wang, the film stars Gianna Jun, Li Bingbing, Archie Kao, Vivian Wu, and Hugh Jackman Plot. Expectant mothers are under pressure to give birth to sons, and a daughter’s birth is a matter of shame. The central story of the friendship between Snow Flower and Lily is framed within the context of Lily as an old woman, dictating her story to her grandson’s wife, Peony. The procedure effectively disfigures the feet, permanently breaking the bones and re-shaping the feet so that they appear to be tiny. This is a work of historical fiction. The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan quotes below all refer to the symbol of Birds and Flying. In a feudal Chinese society, tiny feet are symbolic of feminine beauty and sensuality. Lily teaches Snow Flower cooking and cleaning, while Snow Flower teaches Lily the art of weaving and calligraphy. The brutal mutilation frequently involves broken bones, infections, and incapacitation. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is … The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Set in nineteenth-century China, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan tells the story of Lily, a young girl who is given the opportunity to learn to read and write in order to correspond with another girl her age, Snow Flower. The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan quotes below all refer to the symbol of Feet. They observe the growing and shrinking moon. The expectant mothers are supposed to secretly ‘steal’ the shoes for their new babies. Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. Apart from the well-known actual people, events, and locales that figure in the narrative, all names, char- The Chinese women visit the Temple of Gupo to pray to goddess Guanyin for sons. Ko, Dorothy. Lily and Snow Flower spend their days watching the birds fly, and the clouds sail. Discussion of themes and motifs in Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. tags: femininity, self-censorship, shame. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan essays are academic essays for citation. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan A Novel (Book) : See, Lisa : In nineteenth century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, or "old same," in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Symbols & Motifs. this section. Snow Flower is from a high family in a prestigious neighboring town, her grandfather an imperial scholar. Like “Anyone who tells you that the Yao people never care for … They write songs, embroider messages on handkerchiefs, and create stories. All Symbols Birds and Flying Lily and Snow Flower's Fan Feet Upgrade to LitCharts A + Instant downloads of all 1368 LitChart PDFs (including Snow Flower and the Secret Fan ). In rural Hunan province, a county in China, Lily and her friend Snow Flower are a laotong pair whose sisterly relationship is far stronger and closer than a husband and wife's. I felt terrible knowing that she was suffering and I couldn't put my arms around her to comfort The shoes are usually embroidered with certain motifs and given to her from her mother on the first day of footbinding. Essay Topics. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating A woman who bears a daughter is humiliated by her family, especially her mother-in-law. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. The timeline below shows where the symbol Lily and Snow Flower's Fan appears in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. In a patriarchal Chinese society, women are uneducated, isolated, and undervalued. Important Quotes. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a delicate, if sometimes disturbing, portrait of the enduring relationships that bond women together, out in theaters now. ― Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. With the period detail and deep resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel delves into one of the most mysterious of human relationships: female friendship. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a brilliantly realistic journey back to an era of Chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. Teachers and parents! a RANDOM HOUSE NEW YORK . She … will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. Every Step a Lotus: Shoes for Bound Feet. Every mother teaches the language to her daughter. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a 2005 novel by Lisa See set in nineteenth-century China. They write songs, embroider messages on handkerchiefs, and create stories. After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. The shoes were of great significance as they were the sign of her mother’s love which was rarely shown especially since girls were not as valued as boys and their sole purpose was to give birth to as many sons as possible, but not daughters. 2001. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. 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