Jail without bars Raise The Red Lantern

Some people are trapped in the prison of their own lives. The bars can consist of many things that hold these people from their full potential. Many of these restrictions come from social standards, stereotypes, prejudices, or poverty. It's hard to break away from these cycles, but it is possible. It takes enormous strength and courage which these characters did not have. Even though they did not succeed we can learn from their mistakes. Songlian …

…could not overcome the constant struggles of living on the street. Thebedi was kept on the farm as a slave with little freedom. Even though she had a relationship with Paulus he never admitted it to anyone. In the end he was so ashamed he murdered his own son to cover the evidence. They all were confined in their own way by custom, tradition, prejudice, or poverty. None of them found a way to escape.