See’s book, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, depicts the depth and enduring love of two women bound by culture and social circumstances. It’s an emotional account of a relationship that survived marriage, childbirth, and death, infused with the turmoil and tribulations of eighteen century China and the era of foot-binding. It’s based in an historical era where women had to forge a deeper connection with each other as a necessary mechanism to survive.
While See did a superb job of underscoring the poignant nuances of female companionship, it would have been rewarding to contrast it to the relationship between their male counterpart. One can only imagine how men dealt with the stress and hardship of their time, but then again, perhaps See’s purpose is to allow the reader to draw their own conclusion.
Contrasting this to Amy Tan‘s numerous novels on the mother-daughter interconnection, See uses historical China to sequence the growth of female companionship of women in the same age group while only skimming the mother-daughter relationship. Advancing the notion of women solidarity in these relationships, See also delved into the communication method used to connect these women – the secret fan. While foot-binding is also a fascinating topic, it was merely a footnote to illustrate the social history and difficult circumstances women endured to achieve marital status and fulfil familial obligation. The secret fans carried a unique language that women created for women, but were inevitably burned when the women died, thus leaving a critical gap in the artistic phenomenon.
Written in the narrative format, See uses an abundance of historical detail to enlighten her readers that eighteen century China was not all about foot-binding, that something beautiful and artistic were created by ordinary women.