Object of the Study

A moment later he turned to me. I expected him to speak but he didn’t. “You are not Chinese, are you?” he finally asked. His eyes were on my unbound feet. “No, sir,” I replied. “I am Manchu.” “How old are you? Fifteen?” “Seventeen.” He nodded. His eyes continued to travel up and down, examining me. “The road is filled with bandits,” he said. “A pretty girl like you should not be walking.” p.11 From the statement, it could be seen that the beauty of Orchid was mesmerized the people around even her appearance looked like a beggar. Her beauty makes her pass the selection to be the candidates of consort. When she worked for Big Sister Fann, she discouraged Orchid when Orchid wanted to join the decree but it did not stop her. The next morning she went to the local courthouse and the guard said that Orchid was qualified to be the candidates. I went up to the man and got down on my knees. I stated my name and age. I said that my father was from Yehonala clan and was the late taotai of Wuhu. “No, sir,” I replied. “I am not allowed to let anyone enter the palace looking like a beggar.” “Well, may I have your permission to ask whether I am qualified for the entrance? If I can get a yes from you, sir, I shall find a way to prepare my appearance.” “Do you think I’d bother to waste my breath if I didn’t find you qualified?” p.24 The statement of the guard implied that the beauty of Orchid was qualified. Unfortunately, she does not have proper clothes to enter the palace. Then she tells Big Sister Fann that she passed the entrance exam and she just admitted her beauty after study Orchid’s features. From then, Big Sister Fann helps her and transforms her into a princess. To explore more about characteristics of Orchid, the theory of characterization by Murphy is needed. There are nine ways of characterization but the writer uses only seven ways to help the readers understand the characteristics of the main characters. Those seven ways are personal descriptions, character as seen by another, speech, past life of the character, thoughts, reactions, and mannerisms. From those seven ways, the writer concludes that Orchid has four characteristics. Those characteristics are

1. Tough

According to Murphy 1972: 171, the reader can analyze the character through the character’s thought. Orchid was seventeen years old when her father was died. Her father was died because of the broke down of his health after being dismissed. The condition of her family was terrible. Her mother sold all of the family wealth even her wedding souvenir to clear the debts but it was not enough. They had no money to bury her father in his hometown, Peking. Her mother only had some money to pay the footmen. Orchid was a tough person; it can be seen from her thoughts: “A rotten smell that came from my father’s coffin—he had been dead for two months and we were still carrying him, trying to reach Peking, his birthplace, for burial. I witnessed my father’s struggles and sufferings at a young age”. p.5 “We walked in silence and listened to the sound of our broken shoes tapping the dirt. Swarms of flies chased the coffin. Each time the footmen paused for a break the flies covered the lid like blanket”. p.6 “We had been traveling north along the Grand Canal on foot because we had no money to hire a boat. My feet were covered with blisters.” p.6 As a child, she saw her parents suffers and struggles. She never yelled to her mother about the condition at that time. She was not her father ’s favorite