Character The most important character in the story is Adeline Yen Mah. Adeline is an intelligent and determined young girl who constantly is looking for her father’s approval. Her siblings treat her badly as the blame her for the death of her mother. Her stepmother Niang also dislikes her immensely as she tries to stand up for herself. They do all they can to make Adeline feel unwanted, for example making her live on the second floor, killing her pet duckling PLT and sending her away to boarding school.
Adeline is an admirable character as despite the ill treatment from her family she never gives up on her dreams. This is shown by the way she always comes first in her class at school and by how she wins an international writing competition. Adeline fights for the right to go to university even though it is
unlikely she will be allowed to go. At this time it was unusual for women to be sent to university.
Most women were seen only as objects and expected to become a wife and mother. Adeline is allowed to go to university in England after winning the international writing competition
at boarding school. She later becomes a doctor and a successful writer. Importance of Adeline’s Character: Adeline’s character is important as she helps show the main themes. These are to never give up and to fight for your dreams. She also shows the idea of hope and triumph over adversity. Despite the difficulties placed in her path by her family and the period in which she grew up, Adeline never gives up on her dreams and her goal to make her father proud.
“Studying hard and getting perfect report cards…seemed the only way to please my father or get any attention from him whatsoever”
“The girls in my class nicknamed me genius”
“Writing was pure pleasure. It thrilled me to be able to escape the horrors of my daily life...when I wrote I could be anybody I wanted to be”
“You must never forget the dream. You have something precious and unique inside you which must not be wasted”
The library was “my haven, my sanctuary. The place where I belonged”
“More than anything I year to grow up, get out of here and see the world”
The most important character in the story is Adeline Yen Mah. Adeline is an intelligent and determined young girl who constantly is looking for her father’s approval. Her siblings treat her badly as the blame her for the death of her mother. Her stepmother Niang also dislikes her immensely as she tries to stand up for herself. They do all they can to make Adeline feel unwanted, for example making her live on the second floor, killing her pet duckling PLT and sending her away to boarding school.
Adeline is an admirable character as despite the ill treatment from her family she never gives up on her dreams. This is shown by the way she always comes first in her class at school and by how she wins
an international writing competition. Adeline fights for the right to go to university even though it is
unlikely she will be allowed to go. At this time it was unusual for women to be sent to university.
Most women were seen only as objects and expected to become a wife and mother.
Adeline is allowed to go to university in England after winning the international writing competition
at boarding school. She later becomes a doctor and a successful writer.
Importance of Adeline’s Character:
Adeline’s character is important as she helps show the main themes. These are to never give up and to fight for your dreams. She also shows the idea of hope and triumph over adversity. Despite the difficulties placed in her path by her family and the period in which she grew up, Adeline never gives up on her dreams and her goal to make her father proud.