https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq Analyzing the characterization of the short story en-us 2018-09-24 11:56:54 UTC 2025-04-25 02:06:03 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Babyhead.png 19mottolaa https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284960010 The protagonist of the story is Yilan and she is a round character. She had an epiphany when, at the end of the story, Fusang suddenly began to threaten the babies' lives. The event did not completely change Yilan, but it did flip her personality and thoughts. Before, she just had her worries about her babies and her relationship with her husband, but quickly she flips and has the feeling like she was imprisoned.]]> 2018-09-24 12:07:24 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284960010 19robertsonn https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284960645 2018-09-24 12:08:47 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284960645 19robertsonn https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284961214 Luo influences almost all of Yilan's actions, despite her morals. She is unable to stand up to him and is quick to doubt herself after he corrects her. The moral stature of Yilan is altered by her desire to please her husband and provide him with a child.]]> 2018-09-24 12:10:08 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284961214 19robertsonn https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284963571 The dominant traits of Yilan would mainly be her trust in people and her submissive behavior. Yilan shows submissive traits because of her culture and the way women are expected to act towards their husbands. She also displays ample trust and compassion for people because of the loss of her own daughter. We believe these traits oppose one another because her husband does not like how she easily trusts people and tries to sway her to think otherwise.]]> 2018-09-24 12:14:46 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284963571 19robertsonn https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284963752 The author focuses on the changes in the relationship between Yilan and Fusang and wants us to sympathize with the two. Before, the two were  complete strangers and Fusang acted more like a little kid than a surrogate mom, portraying Yilan as having this somewhat harsh personality. However, as they connect over a loss of a child, they open up to one another, showing a new side to Yilan. She feels sadness over her loss of Jade and the author wants us to connect with her. Yilan is influenced by Luo towards the beginning seeming cold and then changes to seem more welcoming when connecting and being around Fusang
 ]]> 2018-09-24 12:15:09 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284963752 19bukowk https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284964319 2018-09-24 12:16:21 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284964319 19robertsonn https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284964445 Yes, the author forms Yilan's character and makes her predictable. She reacts to situations the way the reader would expect a woman in her situation to react. She does everything in an effort to keep her babies healthy and safe. Yilan's character makes sense to the story of a desperate mother who is trying to protect her children and get back her happiness. ]]> 2018-09-24 12:16:41 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/284964445 19robertsonn https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285439799 "Wouldn't a frightened mother send some toxic signals to our baby?" Yilan said, and then regretted her sarcastic tone. "Sorry," she said. "I don't mean to be so cross with you" (Li 117). ]]> 2018-09-25 11:59:55 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285439799 19bukowk https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285441739 "We're buying a service" (Li 107)
            VS.     
"It was the first time Fusang had talked about her previous life, full of mysteries and tragedies that Yilan had once wanted to know but that had been unimportant by the baby's existence" (Li 119)]]> 2018-09-25 12:03:58 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285441739 19robertsonn https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285441878 Yilan is unable to stand up for herself when moral stature is apparent. Yilan is overwhelmed by her emotions and is unable to do what she needs to in a situation due to what she believes is ethically right. This is shown when she is living with Fusang. Fusang is not obeying the rules Luo has, Yilan is unable to stand up to either of them. She does not want to fight Luo and make him upset, or upset Fusang by forcing her to eat and act differently. ]]> 2018-09-25 12:04:24 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285441878 19prattc2 https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285443902 Luo is a flat character - Luo is flat because his mind is set on the safety and protection of his new babies. He is barely around Yilan, and he has no dramatic events happen to him.
Fusang is a round character - Fusang is round because she comes into Yilan and Luo's lives unknown, secretive, and young. Later in the story, she opens up, connects with Luo, but ultimately threatens the babies' lives in the end.
These two characters are made the way they are to help shape Yilan and play a role in her life. ]]> 2018-09-25 12:09:48 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285443902 19mottolaa https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285444476 "This was the price they paid for being mothers, Yilan thought, that the love of one's own child made everyone else in the world a potential enemy" (Li 130).]]> 2018-09-25 12:11:22 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285444476 19prattc2 https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285449618 --"Yilan found it hard to argue against the plan, because she had never disagreed with Luo in their marriage" (Li 105)
--"Yilan could not help but think that Fusang's body, without any affection for the baby, was suffering intentionally" (Li 117)
                          VS.
--"Yilan knew that the world of trust and love they had built together was crushed, and they would remain each other's prisoners for as long as they stayed under the same roof" (Li 130)]]> 2018-09-25 12:22:04 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285449618 19bukowk https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285450738 2018-09-25 12:24:28 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285450738 19prattc2 https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285786751 2018-09-25 21:05:14 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285786751 https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285788310 Instinctively and emotionally,
Yilan uses her instincts when deciding what would be best for herself, her husband and her children. She chooses Fusang as a surrogate using her motherly instincts. Later on, Yilan begins to respond emotionally as she deals with the struggle of her relationship with her husband as well as the struggle of keeping Fusang and her babies safe.

]]> 2018-09-25 21:11:37 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285788310 19prattc2 https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285789496 Yilan takes hold of situations inadequately. First, Yilan's relationship with her husband is poor, and they do not get along well most of the time. She does not stand up for herself, and she never says no to him. She depends on her husband for situations and does not take action into her own hands. This leads to the event that happened at the end of the story, when Fusang threatens to hurt the twins. Yilan does not know how to handle the situation, she feels scared and fearful. She can not make decisions on her own. ]]> 2018-09-25 21:16:19 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285789496 19robertsonn https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285798442 "Shocked by his stern tone, Yilan thought of pointing out that she could not possibly imprison Fusang for the whole pregnancy, but they did not need an argument as a farewell. She agreed to be careful" (Li 114). ]]> 2018-09-25 22:01:53 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285798442 19mottolaa https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285827810 2018-09-26 01:41:46 UTC https://padlet.com/19bukowk/r8p8n8y9jshq/wish/285827810