The prologue of the novel describes a brief scene with a character we later learn is May and a fabled lotus seed, which May swallows. In what ways did this action symbolically (or, perhaps, biologically) affect the course of action that would follow in May’s life and, by extension, Lily’s and Nick’s? Do you think that if she hadn’t swallowed the seed, the succeeding events would have transpired?
THe Ancient seed was to grant a person’[s greatest wish. May’s wish was to follow her dream of an education and making strides in the knowledge of her love, science. To me, the seed was merely symbolic, and not a true life changer. However, her dream came true when she was able to come to America. Her science affected Lily and Nick when their DNA was tampered with to manipulate Lily and Mathew’s genes. May expected Lily to be a clone of her in regard to being very accomplished. It hurt their relationship because Lily didn’t live up to that expectation. In turn, Nick looked white and lost that visible connection to his ethnicity.
Did the author suggest that May’s wish was for more time? It seems this was a subtle insertion into the plot that the ancient lotus seed did indeed grant a wish. Didn’t all three experience episodes when time slowed; when it stopped? And if so, can we conclude that the lotus seed affected DNA; that is, a trait that was inherited by Lilly and Nick?
Is my memory distorted? Did anyone else pick up on this shared phenomena?
I think May did, indeed, wish for more time - and I think she got it. That ability to stop time around her so she could work more was evidence. And the fact that Lily and Nick were able to do the same thing to me said that yes, the lotus seed did have an impact. But I think May was so determined that her life likely would have turned out the same regardless, and by extension so would Lily’s and Nick’s.
The concept of time stopping or slowing down for the characters seemed out of place to me until we learned of May’s wish when swallowing the lotus seed. It was an interesting tidbit that May, Lily, and Nick all felt the time slow downs. It connected the genetic theme of the story to the Chinese beliefs. If she hadn’t swallowed the seed, Nick would not have inherited the slow down of time and would have failed out of college.
I agree that the seed was symbolic. Lily ended up not being an extension of May, but a very different individual, I think it affected lily’s way to parent.