Reading Notes: How the River God’s Wedding Was Broken Off (B)

River; Flickr

This was an interesting story. I couldn’t help but think of arranged marriages, or forced marriages when I read this story. However, this story had magic and unrealistic characters and a fairy-tale like vibe. I think there are a lot of different things that I can change up to make this into my story. One aspect I definitely would like to keep is the river. I want the river to have a scary image. It’s hard to believe, but some people are actually scared of water. The thought of a river, ocean, and even a lake can cause fear. It could be the fear of drowning, or the amount of pressure water can have.

The brides in my story are all going to have a different characteristic of their own that attracts the river. I’ll have four different options for the river as brides. The concept of money is also something I want to keep. However, I want to include materialistic things as bribery for a bride. This concept reminds me of dowry, which is unfortunately still part of many cultures. I think this story will allow me to project how this concept still is a huge part of marriages in Asia.

I think this will be a fun story to write. I was particularly interesting in the character of Si-Men Bau. He seems like a very wise, caring governor. I also liked how he asked the girl’s parents to not hurry. He wanted to help, and wanted to end a terrible tradition. The river’s character and Si-Men Bau’s characters is something I want to make even more complex. I’m looking forward to using symbolism to put an unique twist on my story!  

Bibliography: R. Wilhelm's The Chinese Fairy Book: How the River God’s Wedding Was Broken Off