Spring Moon: A Novel of China: Analysis of Major Characters
"Spring Moon: A Novel of China" presents a rich tapestry of characters, each embodying the complexities of cultural and familial expectations in China. The central figure, Spring Moon, navigates her identity between tradition and modernity, influenced by her relationships with key figures such as her husband, Glad Promise, and her uncle, Bold Talent, who serves as both a mentor and a romantic interest. Despite her rebellious youth, Spring Moon ultimately aligns herself with traditional values, albeit in a manner shaped by her personal experiences and the dynamics within her family.
Her daughter, Lustrous Jade, experiences an identity crisis that drives her to extreme ideologies, reflecting a stark contrast to Spring Moon's adaptive nature. Bold Talent, the progressive patriarch, seeks educational and social reform, often challenging traditional norms, which causes friction within the family, particularly with Lustrous Jade. Other characters, such as the orphaned August Winds and the illegitimate Enduring Promise, further enrich the narrative, each contributing to the exploration of societal change and personal ambition in a transforming China. This interplay of characters highlights the struggles and transformations experienced by individuals against the backdrop of their cultural heritage.
Spring Moon: A Novel of China: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Bette Bao Lord
First published: 1981
Genre: Novel
Locale: China
Plot: Historical realism
Time: 1892–1972
Spring Moon, the protagonist and title character. She is the wife of Glad Promise and the niece and mistress of Bold Talent. Under Bold Talent's tutelage, Spring Moon learns to read and write. Though a rebellious youth, she becomes enamored with the idea of marriage and yields unexpectedly and almost enthusiastically to tradition. Only her husband's antipathy for tradition prevents her from becoming a traditional Chinese wife. Throughout her life, Spring Moon adapts to her surroundings, never afraid to change but never eager to abandon the ways of her ancestors. Her pliability represents a sensible mean between the antitraditionalism of Lustrous Jade, her daughter, and the traditionalism of Golden Virtue, Bold Talent's dutiful wife.
Lustrous Jade, the daughter of Spring Moon and Glad Promise. As a child, she is taunted by her peers for having big (or unbound) feet. Her grandmother, Lotus Delight, nicknames her “Worthless Jewel” because she is not a boy. Her grandfather, Fierce Rectitude, refers to her as his “son” on his deathbed, and from that moment on Lustrous Jade is condemned to be her “father's daughter” and her “grandfather's son.” Her identity crisis manifests itself as fanaticism, first for Christianity, then for Communism. As an adult, she is a stubborn zealot, disdainful of tradition and often unbending in her convictions.
Bold Talent, the patriarch of the Chang family. In his seventh year at Yale, he receives word of his father's death and must return to China to assume the role of patriarch. Progressive in his ideas, he commits himself to the modernization of China, focusing his efforts mainly on educational and medical reforms. He becomes Spring Moon's tutor and falls in love with her, later taking her as his mistress. Unlike his forebears, he tolerates dissension from the clan women, particularly Lustrous Jade, who argues openly with him and disregards his wishes.
August Winds, a typical capitalist, an orphaned relative of the Chang family. Adopted by Bold Talent, he grows up in the Chang household. When he comes of age, he disappears for several years and returns as a wealthy man. Determined to make Lustrous Jade his wife, he initiates a whirlwind courtship, but Lustrous Jade rejects his proposals, though she ironically accepts his gifts and favors. As an adult, August Winds is confident, shrewd, good natured, and resilient.
Enduring Promise, the illegitimate son of Spring Moon and Bold Talent. In the late 1940's, he immigrates to the West and becomes a professor of Chinese history. Soon after the opening of Communist China in 1972, he returns to Shoochow to find Spring Moon.
Noble Talent, a professional soldier, Spring Moon's unmarried uncle.
Resolute Spirit, Lustrous Jade's husband, the son of a peasant farmer.