Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Lisa See's Novel Examines Women's Relationship in 19th Century China
With the exquisite detail and emotional resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha, Snow Flower explores a friendship between to laotong, or "old sames".
At eighty years old, Lily is looking back on her life. A widow now, she has spent her lifetime learning about love – mother love, love for one’s parents, love for one’s husband, and love for one’s laotong, or old same.
Looking Back
Lily has experienced a number of loves in her life, but none as strong as the love of her laotong. She was paired with Snow Flower through a marriage broker at the tender age of seven, when the girls were just preparing to begin the foot binding process. Snow Flower’s introduction came by way of a silk fan, on which she had written a message to Lily in shu, the ancient secret language of Chinese women.
Snow Flower’s calligraphy was exquisite, as was her upbringing. She was born the daughter of a family with much higher status than Lily’s, but, when the foot binding process is complete, Lily’s “golden lilies” are so beautifully formed that her status in society is guaranteed to improve. It does; she is soon engaged and married to the eldest son of the highest-ranking family in the county.
Isolation
When Lily and Snow Flower each move into their husband’s homes, their isolation from society becomes even more intense. Snow Flower’s rank has decreased, and she is forced to marry a butcher, a very unlucky profession and one that garners little respect. Lily, as the daughter in law to the headman of the village, is not allowed to publicly visit or communicate with Snow Flower, and must visit her in secret.
Both women, as are most females in society at the time, live secluded lives. The men in the house rule over them, where physical and mental abuse are not unheard of. The women spend their days cleaning, cooking, and taking care of household chores, as well as in the "women's chamber," where they embroider and do other activities. They rarely see sunlight from the chamber, except through a small window.
The Meaning of Friendship
Lily and Snow Flower learn the meaning of friendship together. At the heart of this is the secret fan, in which they communicate in shu their secret hopes, dreams and desires to each other over the years. They see each other occasionally, but society and their own familial obligations does not allow the two to spend much time together.
About the Author
Lisa See has always been intrigued by stories that have been lost, forgotten, or intentionally covered up, whether in the past or currently happening in the world today. For Snow Flower, she traveled to a remote area of China – an area she was told that she was only the second foreigner to ever visit – to research nu shu, the secret writing invented, used, and kept secret by women for over a thousand years. Foreign-language rights for Snow Flower have been sold to 36 countries. The novel also became a New York Times bestseller and a Booksense Number One Pick, and has won numerous domestic and international awards.
See, Lisa
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
New York, Random House, June 28, 2005
