1. How does the text relate to the theme of a journey?
[The text elaborates about the life of a Chinese girl named Adeline Yen Mah. A rundown of the text would reveal that it is a lifelong journey for her trying to achieve success in order to attain her parents’ love and recognition. Ever since Adeline’s father remarried, she suffered abuse, lack of care and ignorance by her parents, especially by her stepmother Jeanne Prosperi. As a whole, Adeline went through a great deal of misery and anguish. She was even sent to orphanages and boarding schools and was left to fend for herself. To make matters worse, her siblings bullied, manipulated and exploited her right until the very end. However, with the help of Aunt Baba and her grandfather Ye Ye, she managed to cope and furthered her studies. She was admitted in the University College in Bloomsbury as a medical student at the age of 17. In time, she passed her studies with flying colors and worked in many places such as Hong Kong and New York. Eventually her financial status would pose her no problems, attributable to her diligent attitude. Her journey into parenting was also a tough one, when her first marriage ended up as a failure.]

2. What is the main issue in the text?
[The foremost issue in this novel would be family problems, as faced by Adeline in her life. She was mistreated by Jeanne Prosperi, nickname ‘Niang’, the second wife of Joseph Yen. Niang had somehow brainwashed Adeline’s father and all he cared for was earning more money. Adeline and her other siblings were considered second-class by Niang and Joseph. She was ever jealous of Adeline’s exceptional academic performance. A good example: When she sensed that Aunt Baba had a positive influence on Adeline and that Adeline constantly seek comfort from Aunt Baba, she forbid them both from being together. Therefore she always conspired against the first four children of Joseph and caused disruption. Thus, there was continuous disarray among the Yen household. Furthermore, being materialistic is also another topic of concern. Adeline’s father practically worship and treasure money more than his children. Niang, on the other hand, was more than willing to inherit all of Joseph’s assets when he died by changing his will. Lydia, the eldest daughter and sister to Adeline, plotted against Adeline by poisoning Niang with fraudulent thoughts. This resulted in Adeline being excluded from Niang’s will and so her portion would be distributed among the rest.]

3. What quality do you admire or dislike in a character?
[Although Adeline is the main character in the book, I am instead obliged to bestow my admiration to her aunty, Aunt Baba. First and foremost, I would like to salute her for her willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the family. She decided to give up any hope of marriage with the aim of taking care of her brother Joseph’s children. In the end, she became a spinster. She even resigned from her job at the Women’s Bank even though she was in a good position and received a steady pay. At a time, she had to rely on Joseph for financial support. Besides that, Adeline respected Aunt Baba deeply, as she was more like a mother to Adeline. This, in turn, displayed Aunt Baba’s caring and loving personality. She supported Adeline with all her heart; cheered Adeline up during hard times and praised her for brilliant academic results. Under the tyranny of Niang, Aunt Baba provided morale support to Adeline. She was also a pleasant companion to Ye Ye, keeping him company during lonely times. What's more, she had an iron resolve when it came to hard work. She strived for success under Grand Aunt and was promoted. She readily accepted life’s strains and labors, notably at the closing stages of the book, where Aunt Baba lived a harsh impoverished life though she was contented with it. Her final wish from Adeline was a humble one: she longed to move back into their old house at No.15 and spent her last days there. Adeline did fulfill that wish and she lived there till she died.]

4. How does the text develop your understanding of the world?
[As the main issue of the text is about family problems, it makes me understand that life isn’t just all sweet and smooth; there are people out there who are cruel and heartless. Niang is a perfect example of nastiness as described by Adeline. Niang had bullied Adeline and tarnished her image among family members with any available option. Niang, as a stepmother, obviously despised the first four children of Joseph and cared only for her own son Franklin. Besides Niang, Lydia, Gregory, Edgar and James all took turns picking on Adeline, as she was the youngest and the best achiever of the family. Lydia even went to the extent of imposing a sort of excommunication on Adeline for the sake of money, even when Adeline helped her son. This implies that in certain situations, greed for money is able to overcome family unity and values. Besides that, the text confirms that sexism and racism are topics subjected to immense criticism around the world. Adeline was lowly treated in England when working there due to her gender, whereas Joseph felt inferior to Niang by reason of her French blood. Undoubtedly, the sense of superiority among Europeans still exists, though this should be eradicated as everyone is equal in the eyes of God.]