Snow flower and the secret fan, random house llc, 2005 258 pages. 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. 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. Snow flower and the secret fan signed a novel of friendship between two girls in 19th century china is presented in this bestseller. 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 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. Amy tan, author of the joy luck club and the opposite of fate. Snow flower and the secret fan 2011 plot summary imdb. Summary lily is haunted by memoriesof who she once was, and of a person, long gone, who defined her existence. Directed by wayne wang, the film stars gianna jun, li bingbing, archie kao, vivian wu, and hugh jackman. 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, lisa see snow flower and the secret fan is a 2005 novel by lisa see set in nineteenthcentury china. Snow flower and the secret fan 2011 pg drama, history.
Discussion questions snow flower and the secret fan. 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. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. In a time when beauty was judged by tiny feet, the two girls endured the grotesque practice of footbinding. Snow flower and the secret fan lisa sees official website.
Snow flower and the secret fan 2011 rotten tomatoes. She is one of five children, born the second daughter, a status considered to be low in the family. Snow flower and the secret fan summary from litcharts. Jan 02, 2007 snow flower and the secret fan, by lisa see, was set in nineteenth century china, amongst ageold traditions. 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 chinese, who have been innovators in so many areas, are now revealed to have formalized the bff relationship as long ago as 1839. Snow flower secret fan by lisa see, first edition abebooks. Snow flower and the secret fan original score rachel. As the narrator, she becomes the filter through which we must read all other characters in the novel, including lily herself.
This plot, with two women at its center, encompasses the hurt, pain, anguish, and. 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. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see. 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. Lily lily is the narrator and main character of snow flower and the secret fan. Snow flower and the secret fan a story set in 19th century china and centered on the lifelong friendship between two girls who develop their own secret code as a way to contend with the rigid cultural norms imposed on women. Snow flower and the secret fan novel gobblers book club. 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. Snow flower and the secret fan is a triumph on every level, a beautiful, heartbreaking story washington post you can relish sees extraordinary novel as a meticulously researched account of womens lives in nineteenthcentury china. This was the beautiful narrative of two friends, lily and snow flower. Joy and sorrow by cheyenne biel and nivie oron thank you.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Top 8 quotes from snow flower and the secret fan free. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see book club. They have known each other for almost their whole life and have a deep love for each other. Snow flower and the secret fan guide novel gobblers book club. 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. 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.
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. First off there is these two girls, one of wealth and one of poverty, these girls are snow flower, who is of wealth, and lily, who is of poverty. Snow flower and the secret fan, directed by wayne wang and takes place in the 19th century, has parallel time periods and there is around four or so time periods. Its a gripping, period story taking place in the later 1820s in china. Did you recognize any aspects of your own friendships in the bond between lily and snow flower. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. But apart from who i was with snow flower, i was resolved to be an honorable wife, a praiseworthy daughterinlaw, and a scrupulous mother. With bingbing li, jihyun jun, vivian wu, russell wong. Snow flower and the secret fan from book to film featurette.
I had a greater and deeper love for her than i could ever feel for a person who was my husband. Snow flower and the secret fan random house readers. I felt so much joy, yet i didnt stop to consider that by ignoring the rules governing the match of two girls, we were breaking a taboo 171. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see goodreads. She has nothing but time now, as she recounts the tale of snow flower, and asks the gods for forgiveness. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see librarything. Book club questions for snow flower and the secret fan lisa. Summary lisa sees novel snow flower and the secret fan takes place in china during the 1800s. Snow flower and the secret fan summary and study guide. In nineteenthcentury china, sevenyearold lily is paired with a laotong, old same, in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. Snow flower, an opium addicts daughter, whose father can not support his family anymore, marries down, and lives a hard life as the wife of a country butcher.
Portmans effortless blend of traditional chinese folk music and modern classical is both stately and unassuming, resulting in. Lily endures excruciating pain in order to have her feet bound. Love can be expressed in the most indirect, but effective ways. The story focuses on the rigorous lady lessons endured by laotongs sworn sisters lily and snow flower. 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 undying compassion two women felt for each other. Snow flower and the secret fan by anna weber on prezi.
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. Praise for snow flower and the secret fan a subtly stirring novel. 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. 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. In hunan, when two women were best friends forever, they were laotong. We felt that snow flower and the secret fan was a book that truly transcended time and culture. The novel begins in 1903, when lily is 80 years old. This novel is a perfect example that everybody needs love in their life. 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 is achingly beautiful, a marvel of imagination of a real and secret world that has only recently disappeared. Although the truth is stretched to accommodate the relationship, the laotongs are supposed to have eight characters that. Lily is the main character and firstperson narrator of her life story. But you can also savour sees marvellous narrative as a timeless portrait of a contentious, fullblooded female.
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. A story set in nineteenthcentury china and focusing on the lifelong friendship between two girls who develop their own secret code as a way to contend with the rigid social norms imposed on women. Snow flower and the secret fan is a 2005 novel by lisa see set in nineteenthcentury china. 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. There is also random house readers circle bonus content, sure to inspire discussion at book clubs everywhere. 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. It is a story so mesmerizing the pages float away and the story remains clearly before us from beginning to end.
When we were done, we sat together, cradling our daughters. Accordingly, lily became laotong with snow flower, a charming girl from an upperclass household. Vogue its hard to imagine that someone could write a better novel. 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. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see overdrive. 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 2011 historical drama film based on the novel of the same name written by lisa see.
Instant downloads of all 1296 litchart pdfs including snow flower and the secret fan. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. Love is one of many themes in snow flower and the secret fan. The laotong, snow flower, introduces herself by sending lily.
The novel snow flower and the secret fan is written by lisa see which had taken place in china in 1800s. Jul 01, 2005 accordingly, lily became laotong with snow flower, a charming girl from an upperclass household. I read snow flower and the secret fan about 4 or 5 years ago and loved the book. Snow flower and the secret fan english flashcards quizlet. Freebooknotes found 8 important quotes from 6 key chapters of snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see. Snow flower and the secret fan lisa see, 2005 random house 288 pp. Snow flower and the secret fan book summary and study guide. 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. Bingbing li, gianna jun, vivian wu, russell wong kinostart deutschland. Snow flower and the secret fan random house readers circle. Book club questions for 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. For your reference, we provided these snow flower and the secret fan quotes with page numbers using the following version of the book. 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. A story set in 19th century china and centered on the lifelong friendship between two girls who develop their own secret code as a way to contend with the rigid cultural norms imposed on women. Snow flower and the secret fan major character analysis. 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. Snow flower and the secret fan summary from litcharts the. Composer rachel portman brought the same level of grace and gentle melancholy to her score for the 19th century chinese drama snow flower and the secret fan as she did on previous, similarly themed efforts like never let me go, grey gardens, and the cider house rules. Top 8 quotes from snow flower and the secret fan free book.