SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN: “BORN TO LEAVE”

REACTION PAPER

The clip showed part of the story wherein Lily, one of the main character is preparing to leave her village
as well as her family and especially Snow Flower because of arranged marriage. On this clip we can see
to it that before leaving, Lily was hesitant to leave because it is against her will and she was trying to
persuade her mother and hoping that something might change. But as the story continues, her mother,
with teary eye said these quotations, “We are women. We were born to leave our families”. Then Lily
continued to walk and had talked to Snow Flower and the latter gave Lily a fan and it is where the story
has ended. By reviewing the clip I think that the main topic of argument here lies on the part where
Lily’s mother had spoken the said quotations where it points out that women cannot change their fate
of leaving their families. Even though it is quite despondent to think of it, it is indeed true for almost all
of our women. I cannot disagree more because of the fact that women were born powerless and
doesn’t have the right and authority to decide on their own. We had inherited from our ancestors
customs, beliefs, rituals and traditions that made us become its slaves that no matter how unjustly and
unreasonable it is we just followed it because it is what they had taught us and if we didn’t do as they
say we can be considered as disrespectful, disobedient and ungrateful. But I think that it is time for us to
change our perceptions and beliefs. It is not good for us to act against our will as this will just keep us
from being happy and obtaining happiness that we need. If we are not happy to be with someone we
have the right to leave. If we are not happy to leave someone we have the right to stay. Decisions that
we are making and we had already made mould us into a person that we chose or should I say we are a
product of our own decisions and circumstances. We have the right to choose, we have the right to live
the life we want because we have God-given freedom after all. As long as we are doing the right thing no
one have the right to stop us because it is our life and we are the driver of our own life. So it is just right
to say that “We are women and we are not born to leave our families”. We were born to reunite, and
we are not leaving but we will continue persevering and pursuing dreams we aspire together with them,
with our families.