Examples of Inferiority in Chinese Cinderella

Ye Ye best expresses the importance of self-worth in one of his last messages to Adeline, telling her that she can "vanquish the demons only when you yourself are convinced of your own worth." A large part of Adeline's insecurity stems from her belief that the only road towards belonging is the approval of her father and mother. The novel presents her growth as a person as a concurrent development towards self-reliance, ending with Adeline gaining a measure of self-worth. At the end of the day, the opinion of her insensitive father is not what sparks her glee; it is the bright future that she can now create.