IndexThe Hundred Secret SensesIntroduction:Plot summary:Setting Analysis:Explain the main characters:Thesis:Conclusion:The Hundred Secret SensesIntroduction: The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan is a modern novel that delves into the search for identity and the tumultuous life that family can bring. Throughout the novel, Olivia Yee Bishop recounts her life with her half-sister Kwan and the stories she tells. Kwan, believing he has yin eyes and can see ghosts, often tells Olivia stories of a past life that both women were a part of. While Olivia believes Kwan's stories are completely false, time and difficult circumstances begin to change her mind. Tan once again creates a brilliant story, showing Olivia's self-exploration and how in her heart she finds accepting her sister as she is. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Plot Summary: The novel begins with Olivia Yee Bishop explaining how her relationship with her half-sister Kwan began. Olivia lives in California with her parents and siblings. As his father is dying, he asks his mother for a promise. It's about finding his daughter, Kwan, in China and bringing her home. No one in the family knew that he had another daughter, so this is a total shock to them. Out of grief, Olivia's mother earnestly promises to find Kwan. After a long search, they manage to find her and take her to California. Olivia, only five years old, is afraid that Kwan will take all of her mother's attention and doesn't want him to live with them. Kwan, on the other hand, is a very open and naive seventeen-year-old. Olivia, whom Kwan calls Libby-ah, finds her older sister strange and annoying. An obstacle in their relationship is the fact that Kwan believes she has what she calls yin eyes, which means she can see and talk to ghosts. Immediately alarmed, Olivia tells the adults the ghost stories, despite Kwan's trust that she would keep the secret. Kwan is soon locked up in a psychiatric facility and forced to undergo electroshock therapy. After this, she is released and does not talk about ghosts, except to Olivia. The latter is overwhelmed by guilt and this time he doesn't tell anyone. Kwan, despite his time at the facility, doesn't blame Olivia. In fact her love continues to grow and she sees them as a real family. She often cares for Olivia as a mother would her daughter. As time passes, Kwan continues to tell stories of a so-called past life. She says that it all begins in 1864 and that she is a young one-eyed girl called Nunumu. The village he lives in somehow becomes overrun by American foreigners, including General Cape, Yiban, and Miss Banner. Throughout the novel, obvious connections between Miss Banner and Olivia are revealed, as are connections between Yiban and Simon. In Kwan's stories, Miss Banner and Yiban fall in love and are constantly torn apart, but ultimately their relationship endures. Olivia initially thinks that Kwan is just trying to convince her to stay with Simon, but she slowly begins to believe the stories. In a way, he thinks he's going crazy but he feels like he remembers what Kwan is talking about. When Kwan is in her forties, she once again tells Olivia how much she misses China. Olivia, feeling guilty for being a bad sister, decides the two should take a trip there. Wanting to play matchmaker, Kwan arranges for Simon to join them too. She hopes this trip will smooth things over and maybe save the marriage. The three travel to China and end up in Changmian, the village where Kwan grew up. This village appears to bethe setting of the stories Kwan tells Olivia. The premise of the trip is an article that Simon and Olivia have asked to write, Olivia is the photographer and Simon takes notes along the way. The trip is interrupted when Kwan's aunt, Big Ma, is killed in a bus accident. Before the funeral takes place, Simon and Olivia decide to go for a walk in the caves. They wander and wander, and eventually Simon goes off on his own. Olivia waits for him for the ten minutes she promised he would leave and then goes to look for him. He disappeared all night and later Kwan insists on going alone to look for him in the caves. A few hours later, Simon returns from the opposite direction Kwan left and Olivia is frantic. She, realizing that she is still in love with him, runs to him in a hurry. The story jumps to two months later. Kwan has not yet been found and has been declared dead by authorities. A search party had been called, but instead of finding Kwan, they found an "intricate labyrinth of caves" (351). Kwan's research had been almost forgotten in the frenzy created by the new discovery. After Gran Ma's funeral, Simon and Olivia return to California and try to put the past behind them. Nearly two years later, the final chapter begins. Simon and Olivia have a fourteen-month-old daughter. Her name is Samantha Li, the Kwan surname that both Olivia and her daughter took. They don't always live with Simon, but they are trying to work things out. He comes on weekends and they are trying to learn how to be a family. Olivia remembers Kwan and thinks of her often. She says that Kwan "meant to show her that the world is not a place but the vastness of the soul" (358). Kwan and Olivia, despite their obvious differences, influenced each other during their time together. Setting Analysis: The Hundred Secret Senses move between California and China throughout the story. The modern part, with the Bishops and Kwan, is set in California where the three live. The story Kwan tells, however, takes place in China in the mid-1800s. This is during the final years of the Taiping Rebellion. During this period, Americans visited Changmian and established their lives there. Nunumu, otherwise known as Kwan in a past life, and the Hakka people were approached by these missionaries. The missionaries claimed to be worshipers of God and wanted to live there. General Cape, the leader, also called the people living in Changmian Worshipers of God. He urged them to join him as soldiers and brought gifts for the villagers, promising "Great Peace" (34). The Hakka people listened intently, believing that this peace was just around the corner. Ultimately, he betrayed them, and the people who remained in Changmian after the soldiers left were left stranded with almost nothing and very poor lives. Without the Taiping Rebellion period, this would not have been possible. The villagers would not have been so desperate as to believe the empty promises of some stranger, and Nunumu would not have been forced to try to save Miss Banner and Yiban. While they were foreigners, Nunumu could see that they were unfamiliar with what General Cape had created. They were simply two people in love who wanted a better life for themselves. The setting of Changmian is also important. It's a small remote village that hasn't seen much action. They are, in fact, a quiet town that functions normally. The arrival of these foreigners proves to be their downfall. This setting is an essential part of the story as a whole. Looking at modern Changmian, this setting is equally important. It's still the same village, but it's also where Kwan grew up. The city, although essentially destroyed by foreigners during the Taiping Rebellion, has proven tohave recovered. Once again it is silent and somewhat unremarkable. This location is a crucial part because of the caves. That's where Simon initially gets lost and where Kwan disappears. This is where search parties discover caves from which the Hakka may have escaped in the mid-to-late 1800s. The setting of Changmian, both in flashbacks and in modern times, had a great impact on the story . It made Kwan's stories possible, with Nunumu having to help Miss Banner and Yiban try to escape from the traitorous strangers. This place is also what brought Simon and Olivia together and what ultimately led to Kwan's disappearance. While a different setting may not have completely altered the story, Changmian is what made The Hundred Secret Senses as touching a novel as it is. Explain the main characters: The main characters of The Hundred Secret Senses include Olivia, Kwan, and Simon. Olivia is the narrator who is going through a difficult time in her life. Kwan, her older half-sister, is the one who tries to change Olivia's life, believing that fate will fix things. Simon, Olivia's estranged husband, plays a key role in her journey of self-discovery. These three individuals have an intertwined plot that develops over the course of the novel. During the journey from California to China, all three undergo specific changes that affect themselves and others. There is a conflict between the main characters, namely Olivia and Simon. The two, once married and in love, separate and the divorce is underway. Olivia senses that Simon is still pining for his late girlfriend, Elza. Although he's been open about his past relationship, Olivia can't help but feel that Elza is everywhere in their life. This might have something to do with Kwan and his ghost stories. Simon, not realizing how unhappy Olivia is, continues with life as usual. One day, she tells him how depressed she feels about the direction their life is taking and he replies that she's just depressed. Throughout the novel, the two are at odds as they attempt to resolve their differences. This conflict, in fact, is on track to be resolved eventually. The two have a daughter and are trying to make things work. Although they do not live together, the events that happen in the novel make their relationship stronger. There are many love relationships in this story. There are, of course, Simon and Olivia, as well as Kwan and her husband George. In flashbacks, or in stories told by Kwan, there are further love relationships, including Miss Banner and Yiban. This is a tumultuous relationship and parallels that of Olivia and Simon. Throughout the novel there is also some antagonism between the characters. The first of these is between Olivia and Kwan, completely one-sided, of course. It all started when the two first met and Olivia didn't like Kwan. This strange relationship continued until the trip to China, where Olivia learned to truly appreciate her sister. Eventually the existing antagonism was resolved, but the beginning of their life as sisters was filled with that one-sided antipathy. These three main characters have very different personalities. Olivia is a very cynical woman who has become disillusioned with the direction her life is taking. She feels stuck in a way and wishes she had something more exciting to look forward to. Simon, her husband, is a somewhat oblivious man who pretends that everything is fine. He, obviously, doesn't see the real problems but is aware that their relationship isn't perfect. Finally, Kwan is the most unique of all. She, although sometimes naive, is very optimistic and believes in the power of destiny. His belief is that Simon and Olivia will end up together and that everything will end well. Shows a lot of personalitydistinct from the other two main characters. Olivia, Simon and Kwan are three very peculiar personalities that complement and change each other. They challenge and console each other. Their relationships, both with each other and with the other characters in the novel, add to the plot and make the novel what it is. Olivia slowly discovers herself on a journey that Kwan made possible, helping to save her marriage to Simon and their ultimate happiness. These characters in The Hundred Secret Senses are diverse and complex characters who enrich the story. Thesis Essay: The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan is a thought-provoking novel that explores the journey of love and acceptance. This begins with the relationship between Kwan and Olivia when they first meet. Kwan, a naive and optimistic girl, is deaf to Olivia's sarcasm and embarrassment. He continues to tell her about the ghosts he sees and talks to. The dislike for this sisterhood is completely one-sided, with Kwan's obvious love for Olivia right from the start. She takes on the role of her mother, as Olivia's real mother isn't always there for her. Although he treated Olivia with nothing but love, what she received was the opposite. Olivia was mean to her and often ignored her. When she didn't know what a word was, Olivia would tell her the wrong one. For example, Kwan once wanted to know the word for pear, not knowing how to say it. Her sister told her the right word was barf. This was just the beginning, as the two had just met shortly before. Olivia was still a child at school and was often embarrassed by Kwan. When the two are adults, their relationship hasn't changed much. Olivia talked to Kwan on the phone off duty and attended parties as if they were obligatory. When talking about her sister, she says, “I'm not saying I don't love Kwan…. But I often feel bad because I don't want to be close to her” (21). She obviously wants to be closer to her sister but can't find it in her heart. Olivia thinks of her relationship with Kwan as a simple requirement, but things begin to change after she and Simon break up. When she thinks of Kwan and their past together, she says: I think of Kwan, of how out of place his love for me is. I never go out of my way to do anything for her unless motivated by emotional coercion on her part and guilt on my part... I never take any pleasure in simply being nice to her... I'm no better of my mother! - careless of love. I can't believe how oblivious I have been to my own cruelty. (154) This is where Olivia begins to realize that she hasn't treated Kwan as kindly as she should have. Kwan was nothing but kind to her and loved her like a sister. Shortly after this revelation, she talks to Kwan on the phone, which sparks the idea of ​​a trip to China. During their journey, Olivia begins to truly appreciate Kwan for everything he is and does. He sees that she has been unfair throughout their time together. Even though he didn't always believe ghost stories, and usually thought Kwan was crazy, he's starting to believe them. Olivia remembers dreams about what Kwan is talking about, but now she can't remember if they are dreams. When Kwan talks about Miss Banner and Nunumu and their friendship, Olivia feels like she's been through the same thing. The stories begin to mean more to her and she realizes that even if they aren't true, the parallels to their sisterhood are still there. Throughout their journey and the novel as a whole, Olivia learns to appreciate and accept Kwan. The theme of love and acceptance is also shown through the relationship between Olivia and Simon. At first he accepted his past with his girlfriend Elza. He realized that they had to move forward for things to work. Of course, the flaws in their marriage show through their arguments.