Tough The Characteristics of Orchid
creative is one characteristics of smart person. While the other wealthy children got their coolies man to fan them, Orchid’s creativity to cool down the
temperature was out of the box idea than the other children who just sit and get fan by the coolies men.
In the afternoon, when the heat became unbearable, I would organize the children to help cool the house. My sister and brother would fill the
buckets, and I would pull them up to the roof where I poured the water over the tiles. We would go back to the water afterward. p.8
Moreover, Orchid is a fast learner too. When Orchid supports her family financially by work in a shoes shop, her boss, Big Sister Fann always tell
everything about Forbidden City and her life. She likes to work there, besides she also enjoys Big Sister Fann’s wisdom about life. For a while, she learns about the
place where she will live for the rest of her life, the gossips inside the Forbidden City, and the story of the previous Emperor and its family. There are so much
evidence in the novel said that she learned many things by hearing Big Sister Fann story in once. Besides the example above, she also learned about the place where
she lived, the story about the young Emperor, Imperial household, tradition, moreover the process of the imperial consorts selection, the true concept of
beauty, how to dress, the eunuch’s life which were important for her in the future life as a concubine. There are a lot of benefits that she gets from her fast learner
characteristics. Orchid says It was from Big Sister Fann that I learned about the place where I would
soon live for the rest of my life. She told me that the hall’s ceiling alone housed 2,604 dragons, and each had a different meaning and significance.
p.14
As a woman in patriarchal culture, a woman who could read and write was a special achievement. Moreover, Orchid was very helpful in government stuff.
She was trusted to help Emperor Hsieng Feng take care the documents, proposals and decisions when he was sick while the others concubines were busy take care
their beauty. “I suggested that His majesty squeeze the money out of corrupt
bureaucrats. I proposed that he order government officials nationwide to report their incomes. In the meantime His Majesty should send inspector
to audit their books to see if the reports matched what had really been earned.
“That might provoke resentment,” His Majesty said. “Not if we add a clause to the decree stating that no one would be charged
with embezzlement if the guilty individuals donated their improper money to the victim of the flood disaster.
The decree worked beautifully.” p.249
The statements above show that she was quite smart to manage the state finances. As what Murphy said about characteristics. The characteristics of a
character can be seen from herhis speech, thoughts and reaction. In the recessive situation, she could give the suggestion to the emperor and
it was accepted. It worked beautifully. From the beginning she stepped her feet in Forbidden City, she had the willingness to compete with other concubines. She
attracted the Emperor not only by her beauty but also by her intelligence which other concubine did not have.