Character Analysis
Luling
childish: She was easily entertained and she took interest in hearing stories that Precious Auntie made up. 'I [luling] laughed and clapped my [her] hands, liking this made-up story best.'
Loving: She loved Precious Auntie and accepted her for who she was even though the others in her family did not. The people around her said 'Ai-ya, seeing her, even a demon would leap out of his skin' but this did not stop Luling from loving Precious Auntie. She even liked to 'trace my [her] fingers around Precious Auntie's mouth'
spoilt:When Luling was young, Precious Auntie scrubbed her face for her, and 'parted and combed my [her] bangs'.
obedient: When Luling told Precious Auntie she wanted to listen to more make believe stories, Precious Auntie told her 'no more stories''we must pray while we're still hungry' and Luling did not persue the matter anymore.she obeyed Precious Auntie and followed her to pray.
Also, when Precious Auntie told Luling to take off her shoes, despite the icy cold floor, Luling listened to her and took them off. Then when Luling was cold and she whined, Precious Auntie asked her to stop that [whining] and she listened and Precious Auntie then 'kneaded my[her] feet fast' to ease the cold.
Sentimental: She kept all the things that people gave her like, the jacket Gaoling gave her, the dress her second husband gave her that made her look like a movie star and the first baby dress Ruth outgrew. Luling kept them all in her 'trunk of best things' because she loved them 'with a special ache'.
Perceptive: When Luling was growing up, the languages she
had were 'soundless and strong' She grew up with 'hand-talk, face-talk, chalk-talk' because Precious Auntie could not speak and yet, Luling also understood what Precious Auntie was saying when 'no one else understood Precious Auntie's kind of talk'
Precious Auntie:
responsible: She took very good care of Luling and made sure Luling was always well-taken care of and always neatly attired. 'she 'scrubbed my [luling's] face and made sure her hair was neat. she even 'wet down any strands that stuck out like spider legs'.
not superficial: Precious Auntie's face was damaged in the fire and her face was half-burnt and she could 'not taste the pleasures of life:salty and bitter, sour and sharp,spicy,sweet and fat' but yet, she was not wallowing in self-pity but she carried on her life, making the most out of the time she had with Luling. Also, she never let her physical disabilities hinder her from communicating with Luling. She used hand-talk, chalk-talk and face-talk to communicate with Luling.
brave: despite the family members disliking her and poking fun at her appearance, she still had the courage to face them everyday and not hide away in self-pity.
religious: she prayed to the gods before she ate and she lighted joss sticks and gave offerings.
imaginative: Precious Auntie always managed to think of stories to explain how her face got burnt and why she became Luling;s nursemaid. The stories she told often fascinated Luling.
strict: Precious Auntie did not allow Luling to cry when she was cold and she did not want Luling to whine so she strictly told her not to cry yet, she softened and kneaded Luling's feet to ease the cold.
Most Memorable Moment
Most memorable moment in this chapter is the last 3 paragraphs. Where Luling says 'Why can't i see it now? ......I hid those things for so long i almost forgot i had them' and 'Precious Auntie, what is our name?....I am Luling, your daughter'. These were memorable to me because they showed Luling's way of doing things. The way she kept all the things that meant alot to her in her trunk. It shows how Luling keeps all these memories bottled inside of her, hidden in her heart.
Also, why did Luling ask Precious Auntie 'Are you still mad at me?'
Questions
1) What does Luling mean by 'now all that mattered in my life has disappeared'?
2) Why didn't Luling question why Gaoling spent more time with Mother and even shared the same room while she had Precious Auntie instead?
Themes
1) Memory Loss
In this novel, Luling battles Dementia and from Truth, you can clearly see signs of her memory loss already. From her forgetting her family name and forgetting about the things 'she loved with special ache'.
2) Mother-Daughter relationship
In the beginning of the chapter Truth, Precious Auntie is introduced as Luling's nursemaid. However, at the end, based on the sentence 'I am Luling, Your daughter', you can tell that Precious Auntie's true identity is Luling's mother. Throughout the chapter, you can see how Luling respects Precious Auntie and how Luling obeys Precious Auntie. This relationship they both have is as close as a mothey-daughter reationship. Also, Precious Auntie was always by Luling's side as she grew up and she played an important role in shaping Luling. Precious Auntie also cares for Luling from making sure she's well dressed to disciplining her, Precious Auntie's influence on Luling is very great.
There is also the mother daughter relationship between Mother and Gaoling. Both of them share a bed similarly, Luling and Precious Auntie share a bed. What does this symbolize?
Also, the mother daughter relationship of Luling and Mother. Even though Luling regards Mother as her natural birth mother, she seems closer to Precious Auntie than she does with Mother. Precious Auntie and Luling both share secrets. Evidence can be found from the sentence: i had to say aloud what she meant. Not everything though, not our secret stories
