They communicate in a secret written language, and together they endure the agony of footbinding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood until a misunderstanding arises and threatens to tear. Daughter of snow flowers mother and snow flowers father, wife of the butcher, and laotong to lily. Jul 20, 2011 the chinese, who have been innovators in so many areas, are now revealed to have formalized the bff relationship as long ago as 1839. I read snow flower and the secret fan about 4 or 5 years ago and loved the book. In her introduction to the novel, see writes that lily, the narrator, was born on june 5, 1824the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year of the daoguang emperors. Snow flower and the secret fan by hannah james on prezi.
The fan says that snow flower has found other women who love her, and lily wont have to listen to snow flower s laments anymore. Read a character analysis of ralph, plot summary, and important quotes. Lily is the main character and firstperson narrator of her life story. With the detail and emotional resonance of memoirs of a geisha, snow flower and the secret fan delves into one of the most mysterious and treasured relationships of all timefemale friendship. May 07, 2007 the author sees snow flower and the secret fan as a novel about love and regret, but do you think theres also an element of atonement in it as well 9. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. Snow flower and the secret fan lisa see random house, inc. Lilys husband returns with salt, and he and lily become the new master and lady lu. For your reference, we provided these snow flower and the secret fan quotes with page numbers using the following version of the book. Snow flower and the secret fan is a 2005 novel by lisa see set in nineteenthcentury china. Lisa see had written about the girls life in china when girls were having their feet bound and then they used to spend the rest of their lives in isolation with only one window through which they can see. In nineteenthcentury china, in a remote hunan county, a girl named lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, old same, in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. Categories i am no one you know stories post navigation. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see plot summary litcharts.
Snow flower and the secret fan summary and study guide. Lily lily is the narrator and main character of snow flower and the secret fan. Directed by wayne wang, the film stars gianna jun, li bingbing, archie kao, vivian wu, and hugh jackman. The novel greatly influenced writers of horror and postapocalyptic fiction. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see overdrive. The novel snow flower and the secret fan is written by lisa see which had taken place in china in 1800s. Instant downloads of all 1297 litchart pdfs including snow flower and the secret fan. In nineteenthcentury china, when wives and daughters were footbound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote hunan county developed their own secret code for communication. Snow flower and the secret fan, random house llc, 2005 258 pages. Snow flower and the secret fan novel gobblers book club.
In hunan, when two women were best friends forever, they were laotong. Daughter of snow flower s mother and snow flower s father, wife of the butcher, and laotong to lily. Jul 01, 2005 accordingly, lily became laotong with snow flower, a charming girl from an upperclass household. The snow flower and the secret fan community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The author sees snow flower and the secret fan as a novel about love and regret, but do you think theres also an element of atonement in it as well 9. Snow flower and the secret fan is a 2011 historical drama film based on the novel of the same name written by lisa see. With the period detail and deep resonance of memoirs of a geisha, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel delves into one of the most mysterious of human relationships. The book reimagines jane austens pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants at the bennet family estate. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see librarything. I had a greater and deeper love for her than i could ever feel for a person who was my husband. This study guide consists of approximately 47 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of snow flower and the secret fan. Snow flower and the secret fan quotes showing of 69 read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study.
With the eye of a historian and the vibrancy of a true storyteller, lisa see has written a mesmerising novel filled with colour, fascinating detail and heartfelt drama. Book club questions for snow flower and the secret fan. The fan says that snow flower has found other women who love her, and lily wont have to listen to snow flowers laments anymore. Summary lisa sees novel snow flower and the secret fan takes place in china during the 1800s. Snow flower and the secret fan by anna weber on prezi.
When she is in her 30s, she and her husband become master and lady lu, heads of. They have known each other for almost their whole life and have a deep love for each other. In rural hunan province called puwei nicknamed the common beauty village, a county in china, lily is. Jan 02, 2007 snow flower and the secret fan, by lisa see, was set in nineteenth century china, amongst ageold traditions. Book club questions for snow flower and the secret fan lisa. Snow flower secret fan by lisa see, first edition abebooks. Snow flower and the secret fan 2011 rotten tomatoes. As the narrator, she becomes the filter through which we must read all other characters in the novel, including lily herself. Themes themes there are two repeated themes in snow flower and the secret fan the second theme is one of gender equality, which can be seen not only in this novel, but in most asian cultures of this times period, and even though lily lived to a very old age, she still felt very. The movie added a modern story with the same basic plot ruined the film not enough detail in either story made it hard to connect to the characters recommendations i recommend the book to anyone interested in the ancient chinese culture and to all girls young and old i do.
If lily is writing her story to snow flower in the afterworld, what do you think snow flowers response would or should be. Snow flower and the secret fan is a lovely, delicate story of two women in nineteenthcentury china, who pledge themselves to be soulmates for life at the young age of seven. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see book club. An analysis of three girls literature essay samples. Lily endures excruciating pain in order to have her feet bound. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. Snow flower introduces herself by sending lily a silk fan, on which she has written a poem in nu shu a language created by chinese women to communicate in secret and that the most educated of them used to teach to their daughters.
The novel begins in 1903, when lily is 80 years old. A brilliantly realistic journey back to an era of chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful, this lyrical and emotionally charged. Snow flower and the secret fan english flashcards quizlet. But apart from who i was with snow flower, i was resolved to be an honorable wife, a praiseworthy daughterinlaw, and a scrupulous mother. Its often difficult adapting a novel, especially a literary one like lisa sees snow flower and the secret fan, into a movie. Snow flower and the secret fan signed a novel of friendship between two girls in 19th century china is presented in this bestseller. Snow flower and the secret fan random house readers circle. Its a gripping, period story taking place in the later 1820s in china. Love is one of many themes in snow flower and the secret fan. Snow flower and the secret fan, by lisa see, was set in nineteenth century china, amongst ageold traditions. Snow flower and the secret fan study guide litcharts.
Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. This was the beautiful narrative of two friends, lily and snow flower. The wellproduced snow flower and the secret fan has certain things also going for it in its rare thoughtful exploration of the friendship between two women, coupled with how china has a. That fall, lily travels to jintian to visit with snow flower. Snow flower and the secret fan is achingly beautiful, a marvel of imagination of a real and secret world that has only recently disappeared. Snow flower and the secret fan random house readers. Freebooknotes found 8 important quotes from 6 key chapters of snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see. When madame wang arrives several weeks later to arrange the laotong match between jade and spring moon, lily refuses to accept the match. The author sees snow flower and the secret fan as a novel about love and regret, but do you think theres also an element of atonement in it as well. The chinese, who have been innovators in so many areas, are now revealed to have formalized the bff relationship as long ago as 1839.
In her introduction to the novel, see writes that lily, the narrator, was born on june 5, 1824the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year of the daoguang emperors reign. Discussion questions snow flower and the secret fan. Praise for snow flower and the secret fan a subtly stirring novel. Snow flower and the secret fan is a story of two extraordinary women surviving in a time of strict rules and ancient customs. Bingbing li, gianna jun, vivian wu, russell wong kinostart deutschland. Snow flower and the secret fan in my opinion i think of lily as being a tragic heroine. In rural hunan province, a county in china, lily and her friend snow flower are a laotong pair whose sisterly relationship is far stronger and closer than a husband and wifes. Love can be expressed in the most indirect, but effective ways. Learn snow flower and the secret fan with free interactive flashcards. This 39page guide for snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 17 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Although the truth is stretched to accommodate the relationship, the laotongs are supposed to have eight characters that. The snow flower and the secret fan community note includes chapterby chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical.
For the film, see snow flower and the secret fan film. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see. In the story, we are told again and again that women are weak and worthless. This plot, with two women at its center, encompasses the hurt, pain, anguish, and. Choose from 129 different sets of snow flower and the secret fan flashcards on quizlet. Lily is the main character and firstperson narrator of her life. Snow flower and the secret fan major character analysis. Lily lily is one of the pair of characters central to snow flower and the secret fan, and she is also the narrator of the entire story. Focus features has hired angela workman snow flower and the secret fan, the zookeepers wife to pen the script for a period film adaptation of jo bakers upcoming novel longbourn for focus features. Snow flower and the secret fan is a brilliantly realistic journey back to an era of chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. With the arrival of a silk fan on which snow flower has composed for lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become old sames at the tender age of seven.
In a time when beauty was judged by tiny feet, the two girls endured the grotesque practice of footbinding. The laotong, snow flower, introduces herself by sending lily a silk fan on which she has written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. She is one of five children, born the second daughter, a status considered to be low in the family. In nineteenthcentury china, sevenyearold lily is paired with a laotong, old same, in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. As the years pass, lily and snow flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of. Snow flower and the secret fan lisa sees official website. Snow flower is very sophisticated as a child and is obsessed with birds, flying away, and breaking rules, in part because she was born in the year of the horse and has a free spirit. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. We felt that snow flower and the secret fan was a book that truly transcended time and culture. Snow flower and the secret fan, lisa see snow flower and the secret fan is a 2005 novel by lisa see set in nineteenthcentury china. Its clear that the people who made the bigscreen version of snow flower and the secret fan encountered many challenges. Need help with sitting quietly in lisa sees snow flower and the secret fan.
Throughout her laotong match with lily, she encourages lily to push boundaries and defy conventions. This was a relationship that could begin with the agreement of their parents before birth, and persist independent of marriage, children or the changing fortunes of life. The story focuses on the rigorous lady lessons endured by laotongs sworn sisters lily and snow flower. Snow flower and the secret fan from book to film featurette. Amy tan, author of the joy luck club and the opposite of fate. Top 8 quotes from snow flower and the secret fan free. The laotong, snow flower, introduces herself by sending lily. It is a story so mesmerizing the pages float away and the story remains clearly before us from beginning to end. Lord of the flies, nobel prizewinner william goldings 1954 dystopian novel, allegorizes the story of schoolboys marooned on an island to investigate mankinds inherent savagery. Snow flower and the secret fan was a wonderful, loving, and tragic story of friendship and betrayal that teaches the reader much about compassion and forgiveness. Together, the two begin a friendship and intimate nu shu correspondence that develops with them through years of house training, marriages, childbirths and changes in social status. In her introduction to the novel, see writes that lily, the narrator, was born on june 5, 1824the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year of the daoguang emperor s reign. This plot, with two women at its center, encompasses the hurt, pain, anguish, and undying compassion two women felt for each other.