Bone: Lucky or Unlucky

             It seems that throughout the novel, the ideas of superstition, luck, and misfortune are brought up a lot in regards to the family, and Leila. The symbol of the "bones" always refers back to an instance of unluckiness. While "bones" seems to refer to the doves that were cooked in the three sister's childhood, it could also refer to the family's past and the "skeletons in their closet". Bones could also literally represent the dead bodies of her sister Ona, and her sister Nina's child. In the novel it is said that each member of the family carries the responsibilities of the family's past with them. This is a lot to take on as a family member.
          It also seems that when something goes wrong for the family it is blamed on their bad luck or misfortune as well. They also refer to numbers such as 3 as unlucky (as in the three sisters) one killing herself, and the other getting an abortion exemplify that. Also when clinking glasses in New York, they clink them three times. Ona also jumped from the 13th floor of the building to kill herself, which is an American unlucky number. The irony is that it is mentioned that in Chinese dialect thirteen sounds similar to "to live". This compares the cultures and their and beliefs in interesting ways. It is also interesting that Ona killed herself directly before the Chinese New Year, which is another key time in their lives. The guilt that lies in the feelings of of bad luck also takes a toll on the family.
         Leila feels the guilt from her sister's death and moves back home with her mother. There is also a role reversal in the way that Leila takes care of her mother like a mother. She does this because the family blames the sisters' misfortunes on Leila as she is the eldest. There is a lot of superstition involved in the Chinese culture that is slowly revealed as the book carries on.