Falling+Leaves

__Falling Leaves__ A deline Yen Mah  //This Wikispace showcases artwork, poems and songs that relate to __Falling Leaves__ by Adeline Yen Mah. __Falling Leaves__ is a memoir about Adeline's experiences growing up in China. Adeline's life is a story of triumph despite her surroundings, because she was not accepted in her family. //





The title of __Falling Leaves__ is derived from an old Chinese Proverb 'luo ye gui gen'. The English translation of the this proverb states that falling leaves return to their roots. Once a leaf falls from the tree it eventually is nourished back into another tree; the cycle of life repeats itself over and over. The tree is symbolic to your family and how everyone starts out with their family. Evenutally the leaf begins to fall off the tree; Adeline starts out with her family but then goes out on her own. At the end of the novel she ends up back with her family.



Ria Hills' //An Egg// relates //to// __Falling Leaves__ because while Adeline is at boarding school all the other pupils receive eggs. During her stay Adeline is not given a single egg. All of the boarders who have a family are given eggs as a sign of their families' affections. Though Adeline does have a wealthy family she feels like one of the orphans because she is never given gifts or visited by her family.







Beautiful by Bethany Dillon is a song about a girl who is aching for acceptance.This directly correlates to the plot of __Falling Leaves__ because during the entire span of the novel Adeline is trying to earn the acceptance of her family. The final stanza of the song is about the subject finally feeling accepted just as Adeline does after she is happily married to her second husband, Bob, who truly loves her.



 This picture of Cinderella depicts the way Adeline is viewed by her father, step-mother, brothers and sisters. Adeline is the forgotten and abused step-child, just like Cinderella. Throughout the novel, Adeline is treated as if she is invisible and does not exist. They do not treat her with the respect she deserves and they do not believe she deserves the respect.





This picture of Cinderella shows the way Adeline’s second husband Bob, Aunt Baba and YeYe view her throughout the novel. Adeline’s father also secretly sees her this way, but he can not say that he does. They view her as a real person. They treat Adeline as if she were a princess and deserves nothing but the best. They believe in her and love her, and they show that they do.





<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; msoansilanguage: ENmsoAnsiLanguage;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The baby chicks represent the chicks the children received from a family friend. Adeline loved her chick and named it PLT. Adeline loved PLT, he was her only companion. She was extreamly happy to take care of him until one day when the family dog Jackie attacked him, damaging his wing badly. PLT died the next morning after refusing to eat or drink.

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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">This poem fits __Falling Leaves__ perfectly. All through out the book Adeline feels she is not good enough and she is always trying to fit into her family. Through out the novel Adeline excels in school to try to win the affection she longs for. Adeline does not feel comfortable with herself but how can she when Niang makes her critique her every flaw as she looks in the mirror one day. Adeline needs to feel acceptance, it’s all she’s ever wanted.



<span style="display: block; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: right;">Adeline has a family but she feels like an orphan. Throughout the novel she feels more pushed away from her family. Towards the end she feels "nourished" back into her own family again where she feels loved. Adeline never knew who her mother was. She always had to listen to her step-mother who treated her wrongly. Adeline always wished that she knew her mother.

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<span style="display: block; font-size: 80%; color: #800000; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: center;">//*If you click on the artwork (poem and song included) you can access the website where the art was originally found*//