Pei

Pei is the main character in Gail Tsukiyama's novel, Women of the Silk. Pei was raised in rural China. Her parents were farmers and led a life of labor. Pei was their third daughter. She was curious by nature. Her many inquiries were greeted with impatience by her parents. Secretly, they both had a soft spot for Pei, but Chinese culture encourages a quiet woman. To mold their daughter according to custom, they were harsh with her. They silenced her questions and spoke little. Pei was made to feel inadequate. Eventually the lesson took hold, and she stopped asking so many questions. Pei emulated her older sister, Li, who was unassertive and behaved in a more traditional manner. Li was deserving of her parents' praise, but Pei was more likely to receive their scolding.

When Pei was a child, her father took both of his daughters to the...