Yeh-Shen Character Analysis

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Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China Characters: Stepmother of Yeh-Shen Yeh-Shen Stepsister Fish Elderly Man Narrator Act 1 Scene 1 Time: Ancient China (A.D. 618-907). Setting: At the dinner table in a tiny cave home. Stepmother: (wonders) Where did Yeh-Shen go? I’ve fed her enough but she just gets skinnier and skinnier! Where’s all that food going? Stepsister: I’ve seen her feed this fish. It has gotten really big! Stepmother: (in shock) I’ll have to do something about that fish! (Stepmother runs down to pond and looks for fish. Fish does not appear.) Scene 2 Time: A week later. Setting: A small cave home. At Curtain Rise: In the background, as Yeh-Shen sweeps the floor, her stepsister rolls around the places Yeh-Shen sweeped. …show more content…

The neighbors might see you, so leave your muddy coat here! (Yeh-Shen sighs as she does as told) She’s gone! (Stepmother grabs the coat and examines it as she cautiously puts it on as she walks through the door.) (saying to herself) Why does she wear these things---gross. Scene 3 Time: The same day, later. Setting: A pure blue pond surrounded by different plants and insects. At Curtain Rise: Stepmother walks towards the pond in Yeh-Shen’s filthy coat with a dagger in her sleeve. Stepmother: (Stepmother unnaturally showing her coat to the pond) Come out, come out wherever you are! (The fish heaves itself onto the bank, thinking that it will receive food from Yeh-Shen.) (as she stabs the fish) Go away you useless blob of meat! (Stepmother exits with fish wrapped in her garments as Yeh-Shen walks towards the pond, not seeing each other.) Yeh-Shen: (sweetly and thoughtfully) Come out! I have food for you! (realizing the fish is gone, Yeh-Shen sobs on the bank as elderly man appears in coarse clothes with hair that flows down over his shoulders) Elderly Man: (delicately) What is wrong poor child? Yeh-Shen: (as she stops crying, confuzed) Who may you be? Elderly Man: (kindly and softly) That does not matter, for I have been sent to tell you the mystical, magical powers of your …show more content…

She managed to live because of the food from the fish, but Yeh-Shen always knew that if her stepmother figured out about the spirits, she would take that away from Yeh-Shen too. Then came spring time, which meant festivals. Yeh-Shen had no time to rest because it was one of the busiest times and Yeh-Shen was forced to do all the work. Yeh-Shen: (to herself) I wish I could go to the festival. Stepmother: Yeh-Shen! You are not going to the festival! Just stay home and sweep the floor until it is shiny! Narrator: Yeh-Shenś stepmother wanted to find a husband for her own daughter and did not want any man to see the beautiful Yeh-Shen, but as soon as her stepmother and sister left the house, Yeh-Shen begged the bones to give her clothes fit to wear to the feast. After a glimmer of light, Yeh-Shen was dressed in a gown of azure blue and a cloak of kingfisher feathers. To finish it off, there were golden slippers that were woven of sparkly golden threads that fit her tiny feet. Fish: (the spirits whisper) Make sure you do not lose your golden

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