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
because when she was born, her father wanted a son, but she did not have the heart to leave her father in the condition like that.
Commonly, a person who lives in wealth will use his power to do his favor, being spoiled, not independent, selfish and arrogant. Although O
rchid’s father is a governor, he cannot hire coolies to fan her and her siblings. They have
to deal with the temperature all day long and Orchid never complained. It can be seen that, although she was born in a wealth family she has different life. She
already has a tough life to live. “During the summer months the temperature stayed above one hundred
degrees, day and night. Other governors hired coolies to fan their children, but my parents couldn’t afford one. Each morning my sheet would be
soaked with sweat “You wet the bed” my brother would tease.” p.7
The other proof that Orchid was a tough girl is when her mother arranged the engagement of Orchid and her cousin, Bottle. After she buried her father,
Orchid and her family stayed in Peking in her uncle’s rented house. Since the
death of her father, she lives in poverty. Besides her uncle wanted the rooms back, her mother had to pay off all the debts. Her mom runs out of money because of
paying the footmen to carry his father coffin and the health treatments bills of her father. Incidentally, her uncle offered some taels to pay off the debts if Orchid
wanted to marry Bottle. Because of the economic insistence, her mother arranged an engagement of Orchid and Bottle without the consent of Orchid. Orchid knew
the engagement a week later and could not do anything to refuse it. It does not make her feel so hopeless, she still find another way to avoid the matchmaking.
“Orchid will make a good wife for Bottle,” Uncle said to my mother, pushing Bottle toward me. “How about I give you enough taels to help pay
off your debts ?” p.20
“I ran from the house into the snow. Soon both of my shoes were soaked and I could no longer feel that I had toes.
A week later Mother told me th at I was engaged to Bottle.” p.20
“Uncle wants his rooms back,” Kuei Hsiang said. “Someone offered him more rent. Marry Bottle, Orchid, so Uncle won’t kick us out.
I wish that I had the courage to say no to Mother. I did not have any choice. Rong
and Kuei Hsiang were too young to help support the family.” p.21
Being engaged to someone that she did not love made her had to keep moving on how to avoid the engagement. Furthermore, bottle was a hidden son
between her uncle and a local prostitute. His characteristics were not her type even her sister said that this engagement was not fair for Orchid. Bottle was a
slope-shouldered fellow “Cousin Bottle was a slope-shouldered fellow. The shape of his face
matched his name. He looked sixty years old, although he was only twenty-
two. Besides being “slow,” he was an opium addict.” p.20 Knowing that her fiancé looks like not a good person for her, she tries to join the
selection of Imperial consort. She believes that she can pass the exam, but Big Sister Fann discourages her. Orchid does not care about the Big Sister Fann said
and she keeps going on to the local courthouse in the next morning. She proves to Big Sister Fann that she is qualified.
2. Smart
As we know that China was one of several countries which implemented the patriarchal culture. Montagu said that woman was a creature with smaller
brains than men, had less of intelligence, emotional and unstable, even weak and
