Blog #4

 

 The contrast between Adeline’s home life with her father and Niang and the life she had with the Schillings is stark. With her own family, Adeline had little agency and was constantly made to feel undervalued. This is clearly seen when Adeline is elected class president. Adeline is humiliated and punished in front of her classmates when they arrive by surprise to celebrate Adeline’s election. The moment is a tense one as Adeline’s classmates are made to witness Adeline’s treatment at home, and Wu Chun-Mei is quick to declare Niang’s actions unfair and cruel. It is likely that Adeline’s other classmates held similar attitudes; at the very least, they did not expect such a harsh, hurtful reaction from Adeline’s family. Interestingly, that harsh treatment is nowhere to be seen during the time Adeline spent with the Schillings. When staying with them, Adeline is treated with fairness and equality, as if she is a member of the family. This is especially seen in the way that Adeline is given equal opportunity for access to a bed when it is decided with a drawing rather than by immediately assigning Adeline to take the floor. On top of that, she receives support and encouragement from the Schillings the likes of which she did not experience with her own family and Niang.