Themes Flashcards
‘I took my duckling to my heart……it comforted me to know I was needed’
Loneliness & abandonment
No one has ever appreciated and needed her before so it’s like her ‘bad luck’ is going away
‘There is a god after all’
Self-esteem
She thinks there is faith and hope
‘I was such a no-body that he didn’t remember my name’
Self-esteem
She’s putting herself down
‘They made me feel like I was their child’
Self-Esteem
The we’re accepting her
‘I felt I was part of the Schilling family and no longer the unwanted daughter who always came last’
Family
She felt accepted by another family.
‘No way I’ll I ever allow myself to be the object of anyone’s charity or pity’
Loneliness
She doesn’t want to be left out or just thrown around by other people
‘I was looking uglier and uglier as I grew taller and taller’
Self-esteem
This shows that all the negativity shown by her family is now creeping into Adeline’s head and showing that she is weakening and believing what they say is true
‘I was overjoyed! Not only has Niang finally acknowledged me, she had given me a task to perform’
Family
Niang finally payed attention to her and her needs.
‘I wondered why he was being so nice’
Loneliness
Showing that Adeline had been hurt so much that she didn’t even trust her own siblings.
‘For once, he was proud of me…..My whole being vibrates with all the joy in the world’
Self-esteem
She had been pushed to the side so many times, that when her dad was finally acknowledged her she felt so proud of herself.
‘The thought of being separated from my aunt filled me with dread’
Loneliness
She’s the one person that she loves, cares for, looks up to and respects. She would get insanely weaker if that was taken away.
‘If you had not been born, mama would still be alive. She died because of you. You are bad luck.’
Self-esteem
She feels like her mother, the only one she wants to meet, was taken away from her. We as readers know that Adeline didn’t kill her mother but at such a young age it would be hard for Adeline to realise that.
‘Continue studying hard and bringing honour to the yen family name so we can be proud of you’
Family
She was told that the only way to stand out in her family was by doing well in school and succeeding
‘To her we are not separate people. Over here, we have become one single unit known as you all.’
Family
Niang doesn’t care about anyone but herself and her kids and is showing this when she says that quote.
‘They didn’t know that, in front of them, I was desperate to keep up the pretence that I came from a normal loving family’
Family
Because she hides her family life because she think her friends are going to think that she is weird and different.
