Genre
Young adult fiction
Setting and Context
20th and 11th century China
Narrator and Point of View
Narrator: omniscient
Point of view: third person
Tone and Mood
Tone: speculative
Mood: contemplative, sentimental
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: main part of the novel is concerned with Mei Lan so she is the main protagonist; Antagonist: social constructs of the are antagonizing factors.
Major Conflict
As the novel is mainly about Mei Lan's story, the major conflict in her story is the arrival of the orphan boy Ah Li and the birth of love-connection between the two.
Climax
Mei Lan and Ah Zhao are in the midst of running away when Mei Lan's brother and guards catch up to them to stop them.
Foreshadowing
"But who was Zhang Ze Duan? Where did he come from? And how had she heard of him?"
-All of these questions are going to be answered to CC as the novel progresses.
Understatement
Mei Lan understates her brother's and Ah Zhao's friendship when she believes that he didn't understand the meaning behind the picture Ah Zhao sent to her.
Allusions
CC is short for Chinese Cinderella, which is a re-telling inspired by the writer's own life and allusion to the well-known story.
Imagery
Imagery of the river and surrounding landscape is presented on the painting that sets the entire plot of the novel.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
"Around the entire length of the shore, as far as the eye can see, mile after mile of cultivated fields, hamlets, orchards, markets, roads, bridges, canals and boats..."
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Big Nose-nickname for Ah Zhao because of his different, distinguishable nose.
Personification
"Ah Zhao and I wave to Gege. He leaves his cu ju friends and runs toward us, the personification of life and hope."
