My Favorite Character from "The Hundred Secret Senses"

I'm not sure if it is already apparent in my other writing pieces about the book, but my favorite character in "The Hundred Secret Senses" is definitely Kwan, Olivia's sister.

When choosing my favorite character in a book, I always look for two key things: how relatable and realistic they are. Since writing is a form of expression of ideas and feelings, I want a character that I can relate to and help me connect to the story. If a character isn't relatable, they do nothing to help bond the important connection between the reader and the novel. I also want a character that is realistic, which means that I don't want a flawless super hero; I love reading about characters with apparent flaws because that makes them more relatable and also more interesting. When a character has no flaws, they become boring and lack distinctiveness.

Kwan met both of my requirements for a relatable, realistic character.

First, I personally found her desire to love someone and be loved extremely relatable. I think that everyone has experienced the need to be loved by someone else, but also the desire to love someone in turn. Even when Olivia shuns, teases, and hurts Kwan, Kwan still gives the same amount of devotion and love to Olivia. When Kwan tells Olivia about the three wishes she made when she was a young girl in China, she says, "My first wish: to have a sister I could love with all my heart, only that, and I would ask for nothing more from her." (Tan 195). This quote also shows another trait I love about Kwan: her simplicity. The fact that Kwan does not wish for her sister to love her back shows her selflessness and her simple desires. She wants to be able to give someone love and devotion, and yet asks for nothing in return from them; what could be less selfish?

Another thing that I loved about Kwan was that she was always energetic and in a good mood. Olivia constantly mentions how Kwan was always talking to her, even when Olivia was pretending to be sleeping. Even when she is in a bad situation, Kwan keeps her hopes up and looks to the future (and the past). For example, (MINI SPOILER ALERT aka first chapter) after Olivia gets Kwan sent to the insane asylum where Kwan is given shock therapy, Kwan does not change at all. When Kwan returns from the insane asylum, she continues to eagerly tell her stories to Olivia, and loves Olivia just as much as before she went to the insane asylum. This leads me to another thing I admired in Kwan--she never blamed other people for things that happened. Referring to getting Kwan sent to the insane asylum, Olivia says, "To this day, I don't know why Kwan never blamed me for what happened. I'm sure she knew I was the one who got her in trouble…Not once did she ever say, 'Libby-ah, why did you tell my secret?'" (Tan 16-17). Kwan never points a finger at anyone, never holds a grudge, and never ceases to be passionate about everything in her life and others' lives.

In terms of being a realistic character, I think that Kwan has natural desires concerning love, and that her innocence and possible craziness are her faults. Just like any other person, Kwan has her own wishes and goals in life. Even if her goals are more centered around other people, they are still goals. In terms of her faults, I think that her innocence is both an admirable trait and a fault. On the one hand, her avoidance of holding grudges is good because it allows her to be a happy person. On the other hand, it also opens her up to being hurt on countless occasions. Even though she forgives Olivia for getting her sent to the insane asylum, Olivia continues to say mean things to her. After Kwan's return from the asylum, Olivia admits that she, "…often refused to play with her. Over the years, I yelled at her, told her she embarrassed me," and yet Kwan never ceased to devote herself to Olivia (Tan 23). Another thing that keeps Kwan from being a perfect character is her "yin-eyes". Kwan claims to be able to see and talk to ghosts as well as remember her past-life. Whether she actually has yin-eyes or not, this makes her vulnerable to people who don't believe her and think she's crazy. This is the reason she got sent to the insane asylum, and one of the reasons that Olivia avoids Kwan.

Overall, Kwan was my favorite character because she was relatable, lovable, and realistic.