From The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan emerges two dynamic characters who are
sisters. Olivia was born in San Francisco to a Caucasian mother and a Chinese father.
Upon his death, her mother promises to bring his daughter Kwan to the United Sates from
China. Kwan was the result of his previous marriage whose existence had not been shared
with his new family until this moment. It would be nine more months until Olivia’s new
sister arrived. Although she was lonely she would have preferred a turtle or a doll, not
someone who would compete for her mother’s already divided attention (Tan 7). Instead,
Kwan who was 12 years older, was handed down the responsibility of taking care of
Olivia. When an event occurred that would call for a mother’s attention, Kwan was there
for Olivia. Olivia resented her for taking the place of her neglectful mother (11).
For the next decade, Olivia would unwillingly be tied to Kwan’s skirt. Consequently she
learned a bit of Mandarin and Chinese culture. She also learned about the Yin world. Kwan
claimed to have Yin eyes that give her the ability to see people who have passed away (yin
people). Like a good westerner, Olivia was skeptical but played along for her sister’s sake.
The events that develop throughout the book parallel what Kwan describes are her
previous life. She was once a one eyed girl named Nunumu from Thistle Mountain, south
of Changmian (China) who loyally saved the life of Ms. Banner, an American woman she
