Imagination In Adeline Yen Mah's Film, Chinese Cinderella

The statement that courage and imagination can be a driving force in helping someone in overcoming hardships, is prevalent in both Adeline Yen Mah’s, ‘Chinese Cinderella’ and Alfonso Cuaron’s film ‘A Little Princess’. Both these texts contain main characters who express their imagination to help them overcome the oppressive situations in which they are placed. In ‘Chinese Cinderella’, Adeline relies on writing to transport her to a place that is unaffected by the hardships she faces in reality. Furthermore, in the film, Sarah depends on imaginative story telling as a driving force to temporarily conquer the hardships she experiences. In addition, the characters in both texts develop attachments to various treasures that give them comfort and to take their minds off of their oppressive lives. For Adeline, she develops a friendship with a duck, whom she named Precious Little Treasure, whilst Sarah has an attachment with the doll her father gave her. Both of these are incapable of returning their affection, however Adeline and Sarah find comfort in imagining that their possessions understand them. Ultimately, the courage shown by both Adeline and Sarah allows them to overcome

Adeline escapes her by writing expressive and emotive stories while Sarah deals with her subjugation by telling stories to Becky and to the other girls in the school. Adeline expresses courage by entering a writing competition when she has been told that she is worthless and her self-esteem is low. Adeline also shows courage when she asks her father if she can go and study in England with her older brothers. Sarah shows courage when she talks back to Miss Minchin and when she crosses the beam to escape the other building and hide from Miss Minchin and the