Gbozsum-nonfiction

[[GraceBozsum|GraceBozsum

]] Grace Bozsum Mrs. Laurencot Non-Fiction Essay

In China there are about 573,000 orphaned children and over 69,000 that actually live in Chinese Orphanges. This story is about a Chinese girl isn't wanted by her parents. The main idea of the book Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah, is to show the reader that there future is limitless, and that you do anything you set your mind to. This book relates to society and history, teaches a lot, and offers much to the reader.

The book I read relates to society. In China and all over the world there are unwanted children. For example, my Aunt Kelly went to China to adopt a baby. The little girl, Shen, wasn't wanted by her parents, so they just dropped her off at an adoption/orphan center, where my aunt found her. In the story, Adeline, the main character, wasn't wanted by her father and stepmother. They sent her to several orphan homes and boarding schools, where she was often rescued by other family members.

This story takes place and relates to history. It took place during the 1940's in China. This story often talks about the war that was currently going on. "I didn't know it then, but the China I had always known was changing before my very eyes. My grandparents Ye Ye and Nai Nai were both born during the Qing dynasty, which ruled China for 374 years until Sun Yatsen toppled it in 1911. Following Sun's revolution, local warlords divided the country into fiefdoms and waged war with one another until the emergence of the Nationalist Party under Chiang Kai-shek. When Japan invaded in 1937, most of China was controlled by Chiang. However, the Communists under Mao Zedong were gaining momentum. Between 1937 and 1945, the Nationalists and Communists formed a united front to fight the Japanese. After Japan's surrender in 1945, the civil war resumed between Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek for the control of China."(pg. 123-124) Another example is that a group of Communists saw Adeline and a friend walking, asked them for directions, and gave them fruit as a reward for there help. This book teaches the reader a lot. I learned about the Chinese Civil War, the Communists, and about China's history. One thing I learned was that the Qing dynasty ruled China for 374 years. I also learned about a few Chinese traditions, some that have died out and some that still happen. For example, small feet were thought of as womanly, so the arch in the foot was crushed, keeping them small. Adeline's grandmother had this done to her. ""Nai Nai, how come your feet are so tiny?" I asked. "When I was three years old. a tight bandage was wound around my feet, bending the toes under the sold and crushing the arch so that my feet would remain small all my life. This has been custom in China for over a thousand years, ever since the Tang dynasty. In my day, small feet were considered feminine and beautiful. If you had large, unbound feet, no man would marry you. This was the custom." "Did it hurt?" "Of course! It hurt so badly I couldn't sleep. I screamed in pain and begged my mother to set my feet free, but she wouldn't." (pg. 123-124) I found this book very interesting. It relates to society and history, it teaches a lot, and has very much to offer to the reader. I think this book offers the reader a chance to read a unfortunate story of an unwanted child's life."It's so unfair," Victor continued. "Why doesn't she get to go anywhere with us?" (pg. 156)