Falling Leaves Padlet by Ceyda Sledge

Title~

sledgeceyda — 2025-09-02 13:01:05 UTC

Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah

Padlet by Ceyda S, Eisan K, Jasper W

subject focus

chipunion — 2025-09-02 13:22:33 UTC

This non-fiction book highlights the events in the authors life. Her name is Adeline Yen Mah and her story matters because it can show people that they can change the direction of their life because they are not defined by their families wants and needs.

About The Author

eisanking10 — 2025-09-02 13:23:30 UTC

Adeline Yen Mah was born in Tianjin, China, and was raised in both Shanghai and Hong Kong as a young girl, before winning a writing competition at 14 and being sent to England to study medicine. She graduated as a physician and established a medical practice in California. In 1997, she released "Falling Leaves", which became a New York Times best seller. She has since released 3 more books, which all also became best sellers, and lives with her husband and two kids in California and London.

Point of View and Reader’s Interpretation Perspective

sledgeceyda — 2025-09-02 13:26:36 UTC

The Point of View of the book was in First Person. It shapes the reader’s experience because we feel more connected to the book knowing that Adeline really experienced it. We can really imagine and picture each moment in the book because she explains it in such detail since it’s a first hand experience. We feel for her sadness, happiness and anger. Which is a very important feeling to have when reading a memoir about a persons life experiences.

Cultural Context

eisanking10 — 2025-09-03 15:22:07 UTC

One piece of cultural context in the book is the cultural practice of footbinding. Footbinding in China was very common amongst women, particularly those who were wealthy. However, Adeline's Grand Aunt, Yan Shuzhen, refused this, along with many other traditions used to keep women below men. This indirectly influences Adeline, making her see that she can be powerful and independent.

Historical Context

eisanking10 — 2025-09-03 15:35:58 UTC

The book takes place over the course of the Chinese Civil War. The Chinese Civil War involved the arrival of communism and the devastation it caused nationally. The story touches on how Adeline's family handled the civil war and how they were affected.

Rhetorical Themes: Imagery

eisanking10 — 2025-09-03 18:36:47 UTC

The falling leaves, used as the central imagery piece, represents how people always come back to their roots. In specific, Adeline always had a way back to her roots even when she was becoming a leaf and falling away from the tree.

Key Individuals pt 1

sledgeceyda — 2025-09-03 18:41:32 UTC

My first individual will be James, the brother from adeline. He aswell would get picked on as a child. By Niang and his other siblings. He then grew up to be a very strong and determined young man. Who was like Niang’s little puppet. He would do everything she asked and defend her like his life was depended on it. He became a cold individual to his sister Adeline, due to Niang’s opinions on her. He was a follower.

Key individuals pt2

sledgeceyda — 2025-09-03 18:45:52 UTC

My second individual will be Lydia, Adeline’s older sister. She was one of the siblings who would pick on Adeline. She was already evil from the start but the older she got the more evil she became. She got on Niang’s good side in her childhood but then got on her bad side when she moved away with her arranged marriage. She was a snake who used Adeline’s kindness as a way to get what she wanted. She would talk poorly of Adeline to Niang so that Niang doesn’t share any of her will to Adeline. She would manipulate and gaslight people she wanted things from. She was a user and would even be considered a “Evil step sister from Cinderella”.

Vocab Word #1 - Patriotism

sledgeceyda — 2025-09-03 18:52:06 UTC

Definition- a love and devotion for one's country, characterized by national loyalty and a commitment to its well-being and principles.

Part of Speech- Noun

Use in text- “By the time I next saw him and his wife in 1980, C. S. had lost his hair and his patriotism.”

Vocab Word #2- Contemporaries

sledgeceyda — 2025-09-03 19:00:42 UTC

Definition- people who lived at the same time or are of roughly the same age.

Part of Speech- plural noun

Use in text- “A few of my most idealistic contemporaries were asked to leave Britain in 1961 by the immigration authorities for being undesirable’.”

Rhetorical uses: Metaphor

eisanking10 — 2025-09-03 19:07:53 UTC

In the book, Adeline writes "The breakfast egg, more than anything, divided us into two distinct and transparent groups: the loved ones and the unloved ones". The metaphor suggests that the egg used for breakfast was separating them mentally and emotionally, even if it wasn't a physical barrier.

Vocab word #3- Unabated

sledgeceyda — 2025-09-03 19:10:31 UTC

Definition- Continuing at full force, strength, or intensity without any reduction or weakening

Part of speech- Adjective

Use in text- “He returned to a Hong Kong in the throes of a building boom which went on for over thirty years and continues unabated.”

Rhetorical devices- Imagery

sledgeceyda — 2025-09-03 19:19:47 UTC

My identification of Imagery is this sentence- “Colourful electrical signs blinked out their advertisements.”

It helped me understand and envision where she was in the story so I could get her perspective better.

central subject/theme

chipunion — 2025-09-03 21:19:32 UTC

The theme highlights rejection from her family and wanting to be accepted. This is seen when her step mother and her father is treated differently than her siblings. Her father and step mother did not show her any support or love despite doing good in school.

key event 2

chipunion — 2025-09-03 21:28:09 UTC

When her father got remarried to Niang. This event really changed the way she grew up. It led to her having an unhappy childhood due to her being cruel.

key event 1

chipunion — 2025-09-03 21:30:28 UTC

Something that heavily affected her life was her mother giving birth and a few weeks later she died. Because of this, Adeline was seen as bad luck, which made her family members mistreat her through out her life.

key event 3

chipunion — 2025-09-03 21:32:31 UTC

Adeline winning a playwright contest that was happening in Hong Kong. This allowed for her father to finally be proud of her, which ultimately led to him allowing Adeline to attend a medical school in London.

key event 4

chipunion — 2025-09-03 21:40:13 UTC

The last is her confrontation to her family after her fathers death. This showed Adeline that no matter how successful she was, she wouldn't be wanted by them. Her family wanted the inheritance.

pivotal moment

chipunion — 2025-09-03 21:50:01 UTC

The most pivotal moment of the memoir was Adeline winning the playwright. This is a big turning point because due to this success, he allowed Adeline to study medicine, which led to her being able to escape her abusive family and live independently.

rhetorical device: Tone

chipunion — 2025-09-03 21:56:31 UTC

Tone is used many times within the book to portray emotions and tone shifts in the moment of the book. an example of this would be "Please believe that I have tried my best to forgive, but the hurt remains." which is a reflective tone of showing her pain, but also the effort she put in to attempt to move past her family's cruelty. Without the tone, we would not feel empathy for the Author, but tone also helps the reader feel the way she did when being mistreated. It improves the connection with Adeline and the reader to further immerse them into the book and her story.

Context: Time, Place, Circumstances

eisanking10 — 2025-09-04 01:15:11 UTC

The memoir often mentions the heavy confucianism in China at the time, and the roles it plays into society. Confucianist roles often have men at the superior, emphasizing obedience and a hierarchy. Adeline takes a heavy hit from these roles due to the lack of love she received from a perception of being seen as inferior and unlucky. She was hit by the patriarchal rules of the religion/family beliefs, which "justified" their treatment of her.

Context: Time, Place, Circumstances

eisanking10 — 2025-09-04 01:21:21 UTC

After fleeing mainland China, Adeline’s family settles in Hong Kong, then a British colony. Hong Kong offered safety and lots of Western influence, including access to English education, which became a pathway to Adeline’s eventual independence in the states. However, the colonial setting also showed emphasis on class difference and cultural blending, which isolated Adeline further within both family and society.

Context: Time, Place, Circumstances

eisanking10 — 2025-09-04 01:26:13 UTC

At the time set in the memoir, society placed low value on girls, especially in wealthy families where sons were expected to carry the family legacy. Adeline’s experience as an “unwanted daughter” is a direct demonstration of misogynistic norms. Her lack of inheritance, exclusion from family decisions, and constant emotional abuse are not just personal, but rooted in historical gender inequality.