So, it was a Wednesday morning during winter vacation when Nicole decided that it was time to once and for all try and get this book over with. =)
Chapters 21-25
After Xing Xing comes home from writing her ci she, Wei Ping, and Stepmother are seated around the kang eating dinner. It's a soup that has many ingredients including millet, mallow, reeds, and bamboo, "and fish, of course" (135). The next day Xing Xing goes down to the fresh water stream and calls for the fish, however no matter how much she calls for the fish it doesn't come. The fish in the soup is Xing Xing's mother fish. The fact that Stepmother would kill the girl's only friend and then feed it to her emphasizes that she is evil and even though she is being nice to Xing Xing by giving her the dress and "[delivering] fish to most of the families on [their] side of the hill" (133) she is still the Stepmother and because of that she is always up to no good. She most likely gave Xing Xing the job of writing the family ci for the festival as a way to get her out of the house so she could capture the fish and the fish she delivered to all the neighbors was probably part of the huge magic carp.
Also, throughout these chapters Xing Xing's ears keep buzzing and ringing. It happens whenever something unfortunate or terrible take place. It seems as though it is her mother and father trying to guide her from the dead. Like it's their spirits trying to help her along with life.
At the end of chapter 24 Xing Xing goes into the storeroom to hide the magic carp's bones that she had found outside in the back, while in there she came across a loose stone in the floor and took it out. Inside of the floor was a letter along with pearls, shoes, and a dress. The letter was addressed to Xing Xing from her mother telling her, "Ornament yourself, if that makes sense. Sell these things, if that makes sense." (149) and so Xing Xing puts on these items and makes her way down to the festival. Wow, talk about Cinderella in the making. So let's rewind. Xing Xing was originally going into the storeroom to put the magic carp bones, so in a sense even after a second death Xing Xing's mother was leading her and helping her. The fish is like the bird that guides Cinderella to the ball. So, Xing Xing is on her way to her ball, let's see if she finds prince charming.
Nicole
Chapters 21-25
After Xing Xing comes home from writing her ci she, Wei Ping, and Stepmother are seated around the kang eating dinner. It's a soup that has many ingredients including millet, mallow, reeds, and bamboo, "and fish, of course" (135). The next day Xing Xing goes down to the fresh water stream and calls for the fish, however no matter how much she calls for the fish it doesn't come. The fish in the soup is Xing Xing's mother fish. The fact that Stepmother would kill the girl's only friend and then feed it to her emphasizes that she is evil and even though she is being nice to Xing Xing by giving her the dress and "[delivering] fish to most of the families on [their] side of the hill" (133) she is still the Stepmother and because of that she is always up to no good. She most likely gave Xing Xing the job of writing the family ci for the festival as a way to get her out of the house so she could capture the fish and the fish she delivered to all the neighbors was probably part of the huge magic carp.
Also, throughout these chapters Xing Xing's ears keep buzzing and ringing. It happens whenever something unfortunate or terrible take place. It seems as though it is her mother and father trying to guide her from the dead. Like it's their spirits trying to help her along with life.
At the end of chapter 24 Xing Xing goes into the storeroom to hide the magic carp's bones that she had found outside in the back, while in there she came across a loose stone in the floor and took it out. Inside of the floor was a letter along with pearls, shoes, and a dress. The letter was addressed to Xing Xing from her mother telling her, "Ornament yourself, if that makes sense. Sell these things, if that makes sense." (149) and so Xing Xing puts on these items and makes her way down to the festival. Wow, talk about Cinderella in the making. So let's rewind. Xing Xing was originally going into the storeroom to put the magic carp bones, so in a sense even after a second death Xing Xing's mother was leading her and helping her. The fish is like the bird that guides Cinderella to the ball. So, Xing Xing is on her way to her ball, let's see if she finds prince charming.
Nicole
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