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Falling Leaves by: Adeline Yen Mah

Faith Clark

Chloe Darsey

Zuri Caple

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Adeline Yen Mah was born in Tianjin, China. She is an author and a physician. She is best known for her books, Falling Leaves, and Chinese Cinderella. She has won many awards like the Lamplighters award and The Children's Literature Council of Southern California.

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The book falling leaves is about the author Adeline Yen Mah and what she experienced throughout her life by her family. She was put through physical and mental abuse and this book goes through each event and occurrence that this happen in her life. This book matter because it sheds light on what people go through in their lives.

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little asian girl being left out by her family

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This book is in written in first person with her use of words such as "I" and "my". It shapes the readers experience by making it as if we are experiencing the events she goes through with her and it makes the emotion more intense and causes us to sympathize with her more.

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Adeline's stepmom named Jeanne Virgine Prosperi but called Niang is of Chinese and French descent with a French father and Chinese mother, she is described as modest, well groomed, and she likes many western styles when it came to clothing or decor. Throughout the book we see more of her personality come out and observe that she is a very strict and controlling person and likes for things to go strictly according to the way she wants regardless of how other people feel. She shows very narcissistic traits, including manipulation, humiliation, and the need for control.

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a french chinese mixed lady during the 1900s in china dressed in western attire

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Joseph Yen is Adelines father (she refers to him as father throughout the book). He is very successful in business and strives to maintain focus and status in only his business. He is very emotionally unavailable and leaves most all of the authority in the household to Niang. Although he may not agree with Niang and observe her abusive ways, he still stays silent and ignores all conflict unless it directly has to do with him and benefiting him. However, sometimes we do see his support and his high hopes for his children although very momentarily.

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The theme of falling leaves is the search for identity within family dynamics. Between the love, hatred, and favoritism in Adeline's family, she continues to search for herself. Through education, her career, or relationships she searches for her self. With everything that she learns from her Grandfather and herself it motivates her to keep finding more for herself.

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Adelines birth mother died after giving birth to her which was seen as bad luck and also causing Adeline to not have any idea of how her mom looked like. This event is what caused her dad to go seeking another wife which later turned out to be Niang. After Niang and her father's marriage, Niang immediately changed each of Adelines siblings including her name to more western names.

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A Chinese woman in a hospital bed asleep

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Niang was a crucial part of Adelines life that shaped her into the person she turned out to be. During Adelines childhood Niang would favor her own two children but mistreat Adeline and her siblings terribly. Adeline was treated the worst out of all of them due to her resilience and stubbornness. Niang would try various manipulation tactics to gain total control over Adeline and her siblings it worked with her siblings but most times not Adeline. Because of Niang Adeline gained the motivation to keep going, discipline and a great work ethic.

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A little Chinese girl being yelled at by her mom in the 1900s

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Key event 3: adulthood, gaining independence

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Key event 3: adulthood, gaining independence

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Adeline leaves to go study medicine in England. This is an important event because Adeline is able to escape her parents mental abuse to pursue something she is passionate about. She is also able to build her own life with her own decisions and gets to act more freely.

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Key event 4: Family betrayal/ father's death

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Key event 4: Family betrayal/ father's death

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After Adeline's father dies, Niang gains control over his inheritance. This causes more family conflict as Niang manipulates and causes the siblings to turn against each other in competition for the inheritance money once she dies. Adeline is cut out from the family inheritance with lack of pity making her feel betrayed and deceived. Adeline finds out that she was originally supposed to get a cut of her dad's inheritance through his will, but Niang prevented this. From all of the conflict Adeline learns she can only rely on herself and reassures the fact that Niang never valued and loved her.

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Setting-When Adeline was born in Tianjin China, 1937, this was during a time a China was politically unstable. China was fragmented between things like Japanese invasion, and the Nationalist government trying to rise. Traditional Confucian values like filial piety, hierarchy, and obedience were still used in everyday society.

Relevance-In this time in China, daughters were less valued compared to sons. Adeline’s struggles in her family like being labeled as bad luck were made worse by these patriarchal traditions. The importance of family honor and male authority affected how her father and stepmother treated her and her siblings.

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A crucial turning point occurs when she succeed in an international playwriting competition, securing a scholarship to study in England. This achievement, which she uses to pull herself away from her mistreating family, marks her first significant step towards independence and a means of escaping their emotional abuse.

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Obsequious

Adjective

Overly submissive.

"The maids were obsequious in front of Niang, always bowing and agreeing with everything she said."

This word describes how the servants behaved in an overly flattering way to gain favor from the stepmother.

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Capitulate

Verb

To surrender or give in

"Eventually, I had to capitulate to my father’s demands, even though I disagreed with him."

This refers to Adeline being forced to submit to the will of her controlling family members.

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Ostracize

Verb

To exclude someone from a group or society.

"From an early age, I was ostracized by my siblings, treated as if I did not belong."

This reflects the recurring theme of rejection Adeline experienced in her family.

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Irony

Adeline becomes the most successful and stable out of her siblings, she is able to build a good career, meet a loving husband, have a stable income, a nice house, and have kids. However, despite her being the most successful she is treated the worst and cut out of the inheritance. Family is supposed to make you feel safe and comfortable; however, her family was the cause of most of her suffering.

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A Chinese girl being ridiculed by her siblings

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The tone is used to shift between somber and reflective when she talks about her childhood trauma. Then, determined and hopeful when she discusses her education and independence.

The changing tone shows the difference between the cruelty she was put through and her inner strength.

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Symbolism

Adeline wins a medal at school, she uses this as a symbol to show her desire to be loved by her family. The way symbolism is used makes the feelings in her story even stronger. It helps understand how much Adeline wants to be noticed and loved, and not for her achievements, but for her true self. It also highlights that even being great at something isn't enough to earn love in a home where favoritism and harshness rule.

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When Adeline describes being locked in her room or left alone at school, she uses imagery. Like the silence she describes, the coldness of the room, and her feeling of hunger.

This imagery makes the reader feel her experience. It helps us feel the way she felt in the moment, deepening our sympathy for her situation.

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In traditional Chinese culture, the father leads the family, and children, particularly daughters, are expected to be obedient. Sons are prioritized over daughters, and birth order influences a child's status. This cultural belief affects Adeline's treatment as the youngest daughter of a deceased mother, making her seem unlucky and often overlooked. Her father rarely defends her, while her controlling stepmother, Niang, is especially harsh on the girls. Adeline's lack of power reflects cultural norms that prioritize male authority over individual happiness and voice.

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In Chinese culture, maintaining (face) miànzi is crucial for preserving dignity, honor, and social reputation. Families strive to appear successful and respectable, even if their reality is different. Adeline's parents prioritize their public image, sending their children to prestigious schools and living lavishly, while concealing emotional neglect and abuse at home. Adeline learns to hide her feelings to avoid embarrassment, and this cultural pressure makes it harder for her to seek help, leaving her feeling isolated.

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context-In Adeline’s childhood, Northern China was under brutal Japanese occupation. Families in China lived in fear, as resources were scarce. Education was unstable, and survival often depended on family connections and loyalty.

Relevance-The Yen family was wealthy, but the instability of war means that family unity could have been a source of protection. But, for Adeline that was not the case. She faced neglect and cruelty from within her own household. The contrast of safety in wealth but danger from her family shows her emotional isolation. It can also show why she clung so tightly to school as an escape.

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Context-After the Communist victory in 1949, Adeline’s family fled to Hong Kong, then a British colony. Hong Kong was becoming more modern and more had opportunities for women.

Relevance-This setting allowed Adeline to dream beyond what her family limited her to. She excelled in school at Western-style schools. Then she won a scholarship to study medicine abroad. Hong Kong was a turning point for her, the exposure to a world where her intelligence and hard work are valued. Even when her family continued to dismiss her.