Themes/Emotions

Throughout of the novel I've noticed three themes that appeared freuently: Family, sacrfice/obedience, and "love".
Family- From beginning to the end, Lily had suffered with her family, whether it was neglect or abandonment. She began her long life with a poor, unloving family. They like every other family in China were greatly unhappy with a baby girl. They did not love as they should and did not treat her well. They only thing they did for her was bind her feet perfectly. This threw her into the high ranking Lu family, where they gladly took her and her gorgeous Lily feet for their First Son (the most important child of the household). When she bore sons and a daughter, they were thrilled and this gave the utmost joy to Lily. She finally had a loving family and also she loved her children and were so proud of them. But unfortunately all of this family has deceased before she, making her life sad and depressing at the ultimate end.
Sacrifice/Obedience- For all struggling girls in China this is a relevant theme. Not only are they unwanted but they are forced to do things that no girl should ever have to do. Such as foot binding and arranged marriages. Not only that but they pressured heavily to have sons and if they dont, they are scorned and disliked in the family. All of which is extremely relevant in Lily's life. She went through the torment of all Chinese women except she reaped the rewards. She was quite lucky with her life, a loving husband, healthy kids, and a genuine love laotong. But she was obedient which is why she got to the top. She obeyed her inlaws and husband, as well as doing everything correctly in footbinding, which led to fabulous lifestyle she was throughly blessed with.
"Love"- Love or lack of was the basic theme of Lily's life. It not only guided her but also pushed her to do things she wouldnt normally do. She felt extreme love for her husband, who gave her sons and a daughter and also compassion. Her kids were her pride and joy, giving her days light and worth. But most of all she felt the true, genuine, deep love for her laotong, Snow Flower. Snow Flower was the greatest thing that ever happened to Lily, it gave her a reason to live, a reason to perservere. They were together in good and bad times and agreed to be there for each other for their whole lives. They shared everything.

These themes justified the novel's overall purpose and created the real plot. It drove the characters and also explained why they were the way they were.

Sitting Quietly

For eight whole years Lily went without speaking to Snow Flower. Lady Lu was the greatest woman in the country, her life being spread into pages of men's writing and her every move being watched. But when Snow Flower's daughter came begging for help, it changed everything she had previously believed. When Lady Lu heard Snow Flower was deathly ill, she rushed to her laotong's side, giving her treatment and love she deserved. Lily had been naive for years now, soon realizing Snow Flower had never wanted to lose her or replace her and that Lily (in Lady Lu's personality) abandoned her and left her to die. These startling thoughts haunted Lady Lu for the rest of her surprisingly long life. I believe that it is karma that she had lived for eighty long years. She had time to think about her actions and reflect upon them, begging for forgiveness and dying slowly on the inside to retrieve the love she needed to survive upon. Her character had developed greatly throughout of the course of the novel. Beginning as a poor rural, unloved child, to the greatest woman in China, filthy rich and high status family. In the end she lost all the loves she had ever obtains, symbolizing her mistakes throughout her life. As hard as it was for her to watch loved ones go, it taught her valuable lessons on how life truly is and how it treats its victims.

Heart Break

Lily was so gloriously happy when she was reunited with her children. But her newest devastation came in the form of a letter. It was from Snow Flower. The message stated: I have too many troubles. I cannot be what you wish. You won't have to listen to my complaints anymore. There sworn sisters have promised to love me as I am. Write to me, not to console me as you have been doing, but to remember our happy girl-days together. This message was a dagger to Lily's heart. Never had she been hurt so badly by simply words. She in fact had no feelings for Lily at all, to say that those sisters loved her was proposterous to Lily. Lily had given up so much for Snow Flower and this is what she got in return. A year when by until the two laotongs met again. It was at Snow Flower's cousin's wedding, where Snow Flower sang about a laotong that had abandoned her and how she missed her best friend. This infuriated Lily, seeing that Snow Flower had been the one to initiate the disconnection in the first place. Lily's character has transformed because she had lost the only true love she had ever obtained, and her character now has feelings of frustration and depression that she never thought she would feel against Snow Flower.

Reunion

With Snow Flower pregnant once again up on the mountain side, all of the ladies were tense with excitement. But one day, the beloved second son never woke up from his nap, his face icy blue, body limp. The butcher was furious and overwhelmingly depressed for days on end, taking out his ferocious anger on Snow Flower. These beatings caused a miscarriage (sacrifice!). It was terrible for Lady Lu to sit back and watch these crimes but what was she to do? She was a woman, she had no authority or power in this situation. But once the butcher calmed down, he proved to be a loving husband, one Snow Flower could live with. Witnessing these beatings truly opened Lily's eyes to Snow Flower's dismal life. As Lily's life grows and blooms, Snow Flower's seemes to get trampled upon and killed. But finally the good news came up on the mountain, it was safe to retreate once again. But unfortunatly it was not the end to anyone's suffering, carcasses were discovered left and right, the scream of recognition were heard all throughout the mountain. But also helpless, lily footed women fell to their deaths with their decents. But it was all worth it when Lily and her husband were once again reunited. Locked in an embrace, they cried and consoled once another, simply happy to be in one another's arms again. This truly proved both of their personalities because they had never felt a love like this from each other before.

Taipings Attack

Lily arrives to Snow Flower's new home in shock and dismay. She knew that Snow Flower was married to a butcher but she never dreamed the smell would linger everywhere in the household and the odor dominated the house. Each meal had some sort of pig body part in it. Another shock for Lily was that Snow Flower and her husband truly enjoyed bed business (Lily never understood that). All of Snow Flower's children were deeply loved except for First Son who was scrawny and "no good." But one peaceful day in Jinitan war broke out. Screams were heard everywhere, fires ablaze, and citizens running for their lives. Lily wanted to wait for her family to pick her up but the butcher would not let her wait and they ran to the safety of the mountains. All of the women in China had never been in such pain as they had those next weeks. Their bound feet shot pains up their legs, rebroken bones, and obscene bleeding. Sacrifice is definitely relevant here because Lily, Snow Flower, and the butcher had to carry the butcher's mother up the mountain. They had never been in such agony but they had to continue. They lived on little food and warmth for weeks in the mountains, while Lily struggled with the fact that she may never see her family again.

Lady Lu

When the fever sweeps through China, attacking any family that stands in its way, not caring if you were a peasant or a high ranking family. The Lus are running low on money so Lily's husband, being the intelligent man that he is, goes across China to buy salt and bring it back to Tongou to sell. While he is away the fever hits the Lu household, devastingly killing Third Brother and his whole family, Lady Lu (Lily's mother-in-law), and eventually Master Lu. This makes Lily and her husband the new Master and Lady Lu. With Lily's mother-in-law gone, she has the authority in the household and can do whatever she pleases. Now her laotong and her can finally meet again without having to worry about the in-laws. But Lily frets until her husband returns home with the salt and bundles of money. They are wealthy once again which brings relief to the household. Lily's character has developed over time because she is now stronger, a better mother, and still is a good to friend to Snow Flower. Lily will do anything for Snow Flower because she is her one true love. The theme of sacrifice returns again when Lily bribes her husband into letting her see Snow Flower, she does everything and anything she can to convince her husband until he finally lets her go.

Truth

The ultimate truth comes out to Lily when she recieves an informal letter from Snow Flower, declaring that she is very unhappy in her new home. Her butcher husband is absolutely barbaric and forced her to watch the slaying of a pig. Lily's mother in law wants Lily to stop speaking to Snow Flower because she is of a much lower status and she brings embarrassment to the high ranking Lu family. Lily will obviosuly not stand for this, but she she needs to do her fighting secretly and she keeps in touch with Snow Flower without her new family realizing. Lily's mother in law states that they are not old sames anywhere, they are in fact very different and should not associate with each other for any longer. This contradicts the theme of sacrifice because Lily is disobeying her new family and doing what she desires. She is not sacrificing the one true love she has found, she will never let her go because she has never had a love like the one she has with Snow Flower before.

Pregnant

Snow Flower soon after her marriage becomes pregnant. Lily is slightly jealous of her laotong getting pregnant before her even though she got married first. This makes Lily get herself pregnant as soon as she could. But since both become pregnant, they get to meet up with each other at the temple, and so they could pray for a baby boy and his health. It was so relieving to see each other again, and funny because they were both so round and filled out. This proves again the theme of sacrifice in the book because of how Lily had to make herself get pregnant. But this pregnancy brings excitement and happiness to the Lu family. They are very proud and joyous to see their first daughter in law getting pregnant. It ends up that Lily and Snow Flower both had baby boys, bringing the ultimate joys to their new families and their natal families.