Lily is the main character and firstperson narrator of her life story. I had a greater and deeper love for her than i could ever feel for a person who was my husband. Love is one of many themes in snow flower and the secret fan. Lily endures excruciating pain in order to have her feet bound. Snow flower and the secret fan study guide from litcharts. Snow flower and the secret fan is achingly beautiful, a marvel of imagination of a real and secret world that has only recently disappeared. In a time when beauty was judged by tiny feet, the two girls endured the grotesque practice of footbinding.
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. Book club discussion guide caledon public library home. Find books like snow flower and the secret fan from the worlds largest community of readers. Directed by wayne wang, the film stars gianna jun, li bingbing, archie kao, vivian wu, and hugh jackman.
Inspired by the bestselling novel snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see, the film is a timeless portrait of female friendship. Snow flower and the secret fan, a movie based on the lisa see book, explores foot binding and the relationships of two pairs of women during two periods of history. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. 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. They have known each other for almost their whole life and have a deep love for each other.
With bingbing li, jihyun jun, vivian wu, russell wong. Lily prepares to leave her village, her family and snow flower, for her arranged marriage. As movies about female bonding go, snow flower and the secret fan is thin tea. Snow flower and the secret fan, by lisa see, was set in nineteenth century china, amongst ageold traditions. Revisiting the bonds of friendship in lisa sees snow flower and. I read snow flower and the secret fan about 4 or 5 years ago and loved the book.
Book club questions for snow flower and the secret fan. Lily has beautiful feet, once theyre broken and bound, which should attract her a desirable husband. In her fourth book, see has triumphed, writing an achingly beautiful, understated and absorbing story of lovesnow flower and the secret fan is so rich in. The warring matchmakers are marvelous characters, and the story made me recall the girl closest to my own laotong. The story focuses on the rigorous lady lessons endured by laotongs sworn sisters lily and snow flower. Snow flower and the secret fan is so rich in psychology, feminine high stakes and marital intrigue that it evokes the work of jane austen.
She was taught to honor duty and ones place in society even when events challenged that sense of duty and place i. 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 secret fan by lisa see, first edition abebooks. In what ways did lily and snow flower show their strength and value. But before her departure, snow flower gives her a secret gift.
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 is a brilliantly realistic journey back to an era of chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. The exotica, fetishism and soap opera in lisa sees novel of 19thcentury china, snow flower and the secret fan, make. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. Snow flower and the secret fan is a 2005 novel by lisa see set in nineteenthcentury china. Snow flower and the secret fan quotes showing of 69 read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river. Men in china feel about womens feet as men in west do about a womans legs. 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. Goodreads members who liked snow flower and the secret fan. In 19thcentury china, sevenyearold girls snow flower and lily. Snow flower and the secret fan summary from litcharts the. For the film, see snow flower and the secret fan film. 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.
Love can be expressed in the most indirect, but effective ways. Snow flower and the secret fan is a 2011 historical drama film based on the novel of the same name written by lisa see. Snow flower and the secret fan is achingly beautiful, a marvel of imagination of a real and secret world that has only. But a bitter reversal of fortune is about to change everything. In nineteenthcentury china, where a womans eligibility is judged by the shape and size of her feet, this is extraordinary good luck. 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. Snow flower and the secret fan is a wonderful story about the friendship between two women, laotongs, who endure a lifetime of trials and tribulations enduring the pressures of their culture and traditions in 1800s china. 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. Jul 01, 2005 using nu shu, a secret script designed and kept by women, lily spends her final years recounting her training as a woman, her longing for love and the central friendship of her life.
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. Items below should reflect chinas village life in the nineteenth century. The novel begins in 1903, when lily is 80 years old. 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 by lisa see, paperback. The snow flower and the secret fan quotes below are all either spoken by lily or refer to lily.
The book describes a very intense friendship between two women. In nineteenth century china, two girls named snow flower gianna jun and lily li bing bing are forever bonded. Snow flower and the secret fan summary and study guide. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see book club. 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 novel is a perfect example that everybody needs love in their life. Reading guide for snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see discussion guide for book clubs. Reading guide for snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see. In nineteenthcentury china, sevenyearold lily is paired with a laotong, old same, in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. Buy snow flower and the secret fan reprint by see, lisa isbn.
Snow flower and the secret fan in my opinion i think of lily as being a tragic heroine. Not only does snow flower and the secret fan extensively cover the womans place and life in premodern china, but its also a tale about sisterhood, trust and empathy, as well as just being a good human being, no matter what your circumstances are or failing to be one. Born, in 1823, into an ordinary farming family, lily might not have ended up as a wealthy matriarch. 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. Praised by amy tan, maxine hong kingston, and arthur golden, snow flower and the secret fan is lisa sees fourth novel and was published in 2005. Snow flower and the secret fan 2011 rotten tomatoes. Jan 02, 2007 snow flower and the secret fan, by lisa see, was set in nineteenth century china, amongst ageold traditions. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. This was the beautiful narrative of two friends, lily and snow flower. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see 258 pages.
I put the book down, got distracted by another book, and never returned, but i always wanted to. 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. That was snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see random house, 2006 for me. Snow flower and the secret fan 2011 pg drama, history. Snow flower and the secret fan is an honor book of the adult literature of the asianamerican award for literature. Although the truth is stretched to accommodate the relationship, the laotongs are supposed to have eight characters that. I cant remember if a friend gave me her copy or if i got it from the library, but i got to the parts about the process of foot binding and needed some time.
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. But apart from who i was with snow flower, i was resolved to be an honorable wife, a praiseworthy daughterinlaw, and a scrupulous mother. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Amy tan, author of the joy luck club and the opposite of fate. In groups, you will research one of the following items. Snow flower and the secret fan lisa sees official website. Lisa sees 2005 novel snow flower and the secret fan presents a bond. Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see goodreads. The story opens in modern shanghai, where we meet lily, an upwardbound executive, and sophia, who has. Snow flower and the secret fan summary from litcharts.
Snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see overdrive. Its a gripping, period story taking place in the later 1820s in china. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on. 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 english flashcards quizlet. 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. Jul 25, 2011 lily prepares to leave her village, her family and snow flower, for her arranged marriage. Discussion questions snow flower and the secret fan. As the years pass, lily and snow flower send messages on. Born, in 1823, into an ordinary farming family, lily. 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. We live at the whim and pleasure of others, which is why what snow flower and her mother had done. More of fried green tomatoes would have been preferable. Summary lisa sees novel snow flower and the secret fan takes place in china during the 1800s. Book club questions for snow flower and the secret fan lisa. Lily is the main character and firstperson narrator of. 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.
In the story, we are told again and again that women are weak and worthless. Aug 15, 2005 snow flower and the secret fan by lisa see 258 pages. Snow flower and the secret fan inside snow flower and the secret fan. Snow flower and the secret fan official trailer youtube. In a time when beauty was judged by tiny feet, the two girls endured the. 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. It is a story so mesmerizing the pages float away and the story remains clearly before us from beginning to end. Soppy and sentimental, it evokes divine secrets of the yaya sisterhood without improving on it. To prepare for her new life, she must undergo the agonies of footbinding, learn nu shu, the famed secret womens writing, and make a very special friend, snow flower. Jul 20, 2011 as movies about female bonding go, snow flower and the secret fan is thin tea. Using nu shu, a secret script designed and kept by women, lily spends her final years recounting her training as a woman, her longing for love and the central friendship of her life.