YEH SHEN: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM CHINA by Ai-Ling Louie


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Louie, Ai-Ling. 1996. YEH-SHEN: A CINDERELLA STORY FROM CHINA. Ill. by Ed Young. New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0698113888

PLOT SUMMARY

After her father’s death, Yeh-Shen is left to live with her stepmother who is jealous of Yeh-Shen’s beauty because her own daughter is not as pretty. Forced to perform the most unpleasant household chores, Yeh-Shen’s only friend is a golden-eyed fish that she feeds from the scraps of food left for her to eat. When the stepmother kills the fish, Yeh-Shen is overcome with grief but an old man appears and tells her that the bones are filled with magic and can grant her heart’s desire.

The bones give Yeh-Shen a beautiful gown and golden slippers so she can attend the festival, but she runs away when she is almost recognized by her stepsister. She loses one of the golden slippers while running home and is grief stricken when the bones no longer talk to her. The slipper is found and given to the king who determines to find the woman who could wear such a tiny and beautiful thing. The King finds Yeh-Shen, marries her and takes her away, but will not let her stepmother and stepsister come to the palace. They remain in their cave home and are eventually killed in a shower of stones.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In this Chinese variant of the Cinderella story, a quote on the dedication page from Iona and Peter Opie’s THE CLASSIC FAIRY TALES dates the story of Yeh-Shen to the T’ang Dynasty of 618-907 AD. The earliest version the European Cinderella story dates to a 1634 Italian tale. This version, however, will be familiar to children as it includes all the elements of the Cinderella story: the beautiful orphan, the wicked stepmother, the festival and magic slippers. One key difference in this version is that the magical benefactor is a fish instead of a fairy godmother.

There are many elements of a traditional folktale present in this version of the Cinderella story. The customary theme of good being rewarded and bad punished is present in the story. The good and kindly Yeh-Shen is rewarded for her suffering by marrying the king and living in a palace, while the wicked stepmother and stepsister are “crushed to death in a shower of flying stones.”

The setting, as well as passing of time, in the story follows the folktale tradition. The tale takes place “in the dim past” of southern China, and the passing of time is indicated with phrases like “time went by” and “so the time passed.” Yeh-Shen growing “to girlhood in her stepmother’s home” and the fish “which grew to enormous size” are also phrases that signify time passing.

Common folktale motifs of magical objects and supernatural helpers are also present in the story. The old sage who told Yeh-Shen “of the wondrous powers” of her fish and then “rose to the sky”, and the magical bones that provided food as well as the clothing to wear to the festival are folktale devices used in this Cinderella story.

The tale incorporates themes such as elders, fish and tiny feet that are important in Chinese culture. The spirit that appears to Yeh-Shen after she discovers her fish had been killed is described as “a very old man” and as “the old sage”. Yeh-Shen also calls him “kind uncle” when speaking to him. The fish in Chinese culture is a symbol of prosperity and can also symbolize harmony, another valued quality. The story also makes repeated reference to Yeh-Shen’s tiny feet, a prized physical attribute in Chinese culture that was often accomplished through the practice of foot binding.

Illustrator, Ed Young, plays on the fish motif throughout the story by including either a whole fish or some part such as a tail, fin or scales in each drawing. Young even depicts the old sage as part man and part fish which plays on the magical qualities of the folktale. Throughout the book, Young’s watercolor illustrations are a subtle complement to this Chinese version of the Cinderella story.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Every library will be enriched by it.”

BOOKLIST: “Has a misty dreamlike air. A worthwhile addition to picture book collections.”

HORN BOOK: “The artist’s work… has been executed with chromatic splendor – a unique combination of brilliance and restraint.”

CONNECTIONS

This book could be used to supplement a lesson plan on different cultures.

Compare and contrast other versions of the Cinderella story such as:
Martin, Rafe. THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. ISBN 0698116267
San Souci, Robert D. CENDRILLON: A CARIBBEAN CINDERELLA. ISBN 0689848889
Steptoe, John. MUFARO'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS : AN AFRICAN TALE. ISBN 0688040454

Explore other Chinese folktales such as:
Hong, Lily Toy. TWO OF EVERYTHING : A CHINESE FOLKTALE. ISBN 0807581577
San Souci, Robert D. FA MULAN : THE STORY OF A WOMAN WARRIOR. ISBN 0786814217
Demi. LIANG AND THE MAGIC PAINTBRUSH. ISBN 0030562899

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