“Strong as Jade”
Lily recalls “My only rebellion came in the form of nu shu, our women’s secret writing. My first break with tradition came when Snow Flower—my laotong, my “old same,” my secret-writing partner—sent me the fan that sits here on my table, and then again after I met her. But apart from who I was with Snow Flower, I was resolved to be an honorable wife, a praiseworthy daughter-in-law, and a scrupulous mother. In bad times my heart was as strong as jade. I had the hidden might to withstand tragedies and sorrows. But here I am—a widow, sitting quietly as tradition dictates—and I understand that I was blind for too many years.” The allegorical jade accentuates Lily’s resilience which endows to weather the encounters in her life, most of which are credited to the cruelty integral in her culture. The blindness is figurative of her unconsciousness towards her peculiar cravings.
“A Soldier in Battle”
Lily explicates, “These last years I have copied down many autobiographies for women who never learned nu shu. I have listened to every sadness and complaint, every injustice and tragedy. I have chronicled the miserable lives of the poorly fated. I have heard it all and written it all down. But if I know much about women’s stories, then I know almost nothing about men’s, except that they usually involve a farmer fighting against the elements, a soldier in battle, or a lone man on an interior quest. Looking at my own life, I see it draws from the stories of women and men. I am a lowly woman with the usual complaints, but inside I also waged something like a man’s battle between my true nature and the person I should have been.” The figurative soldier recapitulates the fights that are archetypal for all genders. Like a soldier, both women and men must antagonize hostilities that are in-built in their genders.
Monkey
Lily reports, “Mama nodded calmly, the monkey in her absorbing all this, but I wanted to fly from my chair, run down to the riverbank, and scream my excitement. I glanced at Aunt. I expected to see that big smiling cave of a mouth, but instead she had clamped it shut as she tried to hide her delight.” The nodding is in rejoinder to Madame Wang’s validation of the resemblances between Lily and Snow Flower. The allegorical monkey designates Lily’s mother’s restraint and mischief which oversee her discernment of Madame Wang’s clarifications.
‘Picture of Stillness’
Lily reports, “Her (Lily’s aunt) whole body was a picture of stillness and well-bred decorum, except for her fingers, which swam nervously among themselves like a bowlful of baby eels. She, more than the rest of us, understood the importance of this meeting. Without being obvious, I sneaked peeks at Beautiful Moon and Elder Sister.” The emblematic ‘ picture of Stillness’ highlights Lily’s aunt’s modesty which does not elude her after perceiving the impressive update regarding Lily’s Laotong.
‘Grape among Sworn sisters’
Lily’s mother asserts, “My daughter is not what she should be…She is stubborn and disobedient. I am not so sure this is a good idea. Better to be one imperfect grape among many sworn sisters than to disappoint one girl of high standing.” The statements are a response to Madame Wang’s opinion concerning the aptness of Lily to be Snow Flower’s Laotong. The symbolic grape highlights the imperfections which are apparent in Lily’s personality; they prohibit her from being Snow Flower’s impeccable mate.
