When the Sea Turned to Silver

71 pages • 2 hours read

When the Sea Turned to Silver

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2016

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-13

Chapters 14-25

Chapters 26-41

Chapters 42- 59

Chapters 60-76

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Chapters 14-25Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 14 Summary

The Tiger Emperor imprisons Amah, where she meets another prisoner, a stonecutter. The Tiger Emperor jails the stonecutter after he smashes off the figure of the Tiger Emperor from a statue he was commissioned to create. Initially sentenced to death, the Tiger Emperor spared him, thinking he might still be of use.

While in prison, Amah shares The Story of the Stone Fish with the stonecutter:

A beautiful white stone washes ashore, catching the attention of the fierce Magistrate Tiger. He orders a village stonecutter to carve it into a dragon. However, when the stonecutter brings the stone home, it begins to burble at him. Despite intending to carve a dragon, he realizes the stone wants to be a fish and carves it accordingly. The fish, appearing almost alive, enrages the magistrate, who orders the stonecutter’s execution.

That night, haunted by the burbling sound of fish, the magistrate commands the stonecutter’s son to bring him the fish carving. As the son enters, he weeps, and when his tears touch the statue, it miraculously transforms into a living fish. The fish brings joy to everyone and even captures the Magistrate Tiger’s interest. But when the Magistrate Tiger tries to move the fish from a humble wooden tub to a more elaborate vessel, it jumps from his servant’s hands, turns back to stone, and shatters. Realizing the stonecutter has been executed and cannot fix the fish, the Magistrate Tiger despairs.

The imprisoned stonecutter recognizes Amah as the Storyteller. He reveals that the stonecutter in the story escaped execution and was his ancestor.

Chapter 15 Summary

Despite their poverty, Suya, Old Sai, and Sifen generously provide Pinmei and Yishan with food, bedrolls, and blankets for their journey. Though Pinmei promises to return these items, the family asks for nothing except a story when they return.

As they travel, Pinmei notices a red butterfly fluttering through the snow. Soon after, they hear a rider approaching. A beautiful white horse carrying a blue-clad rider swiftly passes by, but the rider is thrown to the ground moments later.

Chapter 16 Summary

Pinmei and Yishan rush to help the fallen rider, discovering she is a noblewoman named Lady Meng. Shocked that her usually gentle horse, BaiMa, threw her, Lady Meng checks her bag, relieved that her embroidered picture of a mansion and garden is undamaged. The embroidery reminds Pinmei of a story, The Story of the Widow’s Embroidery, which she begins to tell:

A widow known for her embroidery buys a picture of an estate and recreates it over eight years. A gust of wind blows the embroidery away, leading her son on a quest to retrieve it. He meets a boy with a red hat by the sea, who helps him reach the Sea King’s palace where the embroidery is held. The Sea King’s daughter secretly embroiders herself into the piece, impressed by the widow’s work. The son retrieves the embroidery, and when he returns home, it comes to life, transforming their home into the mansion. In the garden is the Sea King’s daughter, who falls in love with the widow’s son. The son marries the Sea King’s daughter, and the widow lives happily.

Lady Meng, moved by the tale, asks about the Sea King’s daughter. Pinmei assumes she found happiness. A red butterfly lands on Lady Meng’s lap and melts into the embroidery, causing her to burst into tears.

Chapter 17 Summary

Lady Meng explains that her husband, Wan, has died. The King of Bright Moonlight sent him on a year-long business journey, and Lady Meng set out to find him. She had embroidered a dragon into her husband’s shirt, hoping it would protect him, but it was not enough.

Realizing they share the same destination, Lady Meng tells Pinmei and Yishan that if they seek the dragon’s pearl, they must meet King KaeJae of Bright Moonlight. She also intends to see the king to learn the truth about her husband’s death.

Pinmei asks if they can travel together, and Lady Meng agrees, calling BaiMa to carry them.

Chapter 18 Summary

They travel together until they reach the Jade River, where the road splits in several directions. Searching the snow, they find the road marker shattered on the ground.

Lady Meng calls Yishan over and leads him to the river’s edge. She asks him to break the ice at a particular spot. Once the ice is broken, Lady Meng dips a set of golden chopsticks into the water and pulls out a mussel. She asks the mussel for the way to Bright Moonlight, but it remains motionless. Frustrated, Lady Meng throws the mussel into the air and it turns into a swallow.

Chapter 19 Summary

The stonecutter tells Amah that he’s heard many stories about her, including one where she was invited to live in the Imperial Palace but chose to reside on the Never-Ending Mountain instead. Amah argues she does not live alone and then shares The Story of the Painted Lion Eyes:

A girl is best friends with a dragon. Before helping the Blue Dragon bring spring, the dragon reads her future in the Book of Fortune. He reveals that on the day of her greatest joy and sorrow, she must watch the stone lions of her city. If their eyes turn red, she must retrieve the iron rod from a nearby island, hold it during the city’s destruction, and throw it into the sea afterward. The dragon assures her the rod will change size as needed.

Years later, the girl, now a woman, experiences both joy and sorrow when her daughter dies in childbirth. She warns the villagers about the lions’ eyes, but no one believes her warnings about the city’s destruction. A man even splashes red paint on the lions’ eyes in mockery. The woman begs her son-in-law to come with her, but he insults her and bans both the woman and the baby from his house. The woman takes the baby to the island. She retrieves the rod and holds it as the sea engulfs the city. After the destruction, she throws the now-needle-sized rod into the sea.

Haunted by grief, she returns to the ruins, where survivors treat her as a sage. Concerned only with protecting her granddaughter, she builds a home on a tall mountain to shield her from future dangers.

The stonecutter asks if the woman succeeded. Amah, worried, replies that stories cannot answer everything, but the stonecutter disagrees.

Chapter 20 Summary

The Black Tortoise of Winter seethes with fury, trapped and helpless. He strains against the force holding him captive, vowing revenge on the human who put him in this predicament.

Chapter 21 Summary

Lady Meng, Pinmei, and Yishan arrive at the City of Bright Moonlight and approach the palace walls. The guards inform them that the king is not seeing any visitors. Suddenly, the mussel, now transformed into a swallow, attacks the guards. While they are distracted, BaiMa swiftly carries everyone through the gates.

Chapter 22 Summary

The swallow leads them to King KaeJae. As they enter, they see servants escorting a weeping queen from the chamber. The king greets Lady Meng and explains that the Tiger Emperor conscripted men from a northern village, which deeply upsets the queen. He then insists that Lady Meng leave immediately.

Lady Meng asks how her husband, Wan, died, shocking KaeJae. He thought the Tiger Emperor sent Wan to work on the Vast Wall. KaeJae explains that Wan had warned him not to attend the emperor’s meeting of kings and had gone in KaeJae’s place. The meeting was a trap—the emperor killed all the kings. When he reached Wan, rather than kill him, the emperor tore off part of his shirt and sent him to work on the wall. Since then, the Tiger Emperor has been nearly invincible.

Determined, Lady Meng resolves to go to the Vast Wall to find her husband. As KaeJae urges them to leave again, a servant announces the Tiger Emperor’s arrival.

Chapter 23 Summary

King KaeJae orders his servant, Yanna, to escort Lady Meng, Pinmei, and Yishan to another hall, warning them to stay hidden from the emperor and his men. Yanna leads them to the palace garden’s “long walkway” and cautions them to use only the eastern side, as the emperor has reserved the western side exclusively for himself.

Chapter 24 Summary

As they walk, Pinmei notices that the ceiling of the corridor is painted with scenes from hundreds of stories. Yanna explains that every important legend is depicted there, and a new painting appears just before a new legend is told. She adds that no one can prove this because no one knows all the stories. Yishan asks if Pinmei knows them, and Pinmei admits she knows all of them. Yanna points to a painting and asks if Pinmei knows that story. When Pinmei confirms, Yanna asks her to tell it.

Pinmei shares The Story of How a Girl Brought Joy to the Heart of a King:

The City of Bright Moonlight villagers had no faith in their new king after the old one had treated them so poorly. Upon hearing of his arrival, they hide their most valuable possessions. One girl, however, possesses a beautiful, lively fish that brings joy to everyone who sees it. She claims to have found the fish in the trash and had mended it, though no one believes her. The villagers urge her to hide it, but the girl refuses, saying she will gift the fish to the king.

The villagers’ cold reception saddens the king. He receives their gifts, knowing they are insincere. Then, the girl arrives with her parents and offers the fish. The fish splashes the king, making him laugh. Grateful, the king declines to take the fish, but when the girl insists, he proposes a compromise: releasing the fish into the village lake, allowing it to bring joy to everyone. The girl asks about the king’s happiness, and he tells her that the fish has already brought joy to his heart.

The villagers warm to the king, and instead of returning to his palace, he tours all the villages in his domain.

Chapter 25 Summary

They reach the hall, where Yanna shares her story. She came from a seaside village on a white horse, but the Tiger Emperor claimed the horse and all the Bright Moonlight men, making it easier for her to find work.

Yanna reveals that the remaining guards at the castle are spies for the emperor. The emperor visits once a month during the full moon, and when he does, he and the king meet alone in the garden. She also admits that the king is forbidden from leaving the palace, and no one is allowed to visit him.

Chapters 14-25 Analysis

A crucial aspect of The Power of Stories lies in their capacity to convey underlying truths, regardless of their fictional nature. In When the Sea Turned Silver, Lin further complicates this concept by the revelation that the stories are factually true in the world of the novel. In the book’s first section, Amah and Pinmei initially recount various tales that establish the world’s mythology. As the narrative progresses, these stories intricately interweave, growing in complexity and progressively disclosing the truths behind them. This evolution from a mere mythological setup to an intricate web of interconnected truths highlights the novel’s profound relationship between narrative and reality in its utilization of a frame narrative. As these stories are revealed to be true, they reinforce the blurred lines between myth and history, demonstrating that stories, while fictional, are essential tools for uncovering deeper truths about the world and its people.

Stories form bonds between people, as illustrated in The Story of the Stone Fish. Amah’s recounting of this story to the stonecutter not only forges a connection between them but also emphasizes a crucial aspect of storytelling: “Every time a story is told, it changes” (87). This notion underscores a central theme in the novel: Perception Shapes Reality. As stories evolve with each telling, they reflect the shifting perspectives and experiences of those who share them. This dynamic interplay between narrative and perception reveals how stories influence and reshape one’s understanding of reality, reinforcing the idea that interpretations and experiences continuously mold the world. This concept reinforces stories as tools of growth and transformation, where characters not only evolve personally but also reshape their external worlds based on the shared and changing nature of the stories they tell.

Likewise, part of The Power of Stories lies in their ability to record history. In The Story of the Stone Fish, Amah notes that “the past repeats itself,” drawing a parallel between the imprisoned stonecutter and the stonecutter from the tale (67). This connection is deepened when the imprisoned stonecutter reveals that the stonecutter from the story is his ancestor. This revelation illustrates how stories can serve as a bridge across generations, preserving and reflecting historical experiences, as they do with Amah and Pinmei. By linking the present to the past, stories provide continuity and a sense of collective memory, highlighting their role in shaping and understanding historical and personal identity. As characters navigate the present, these historical ties emphasize the cyclical nature of time, with stories acting as vessels to ensure that personal and cultural histories remain alive and influential.

The Story of the Widow’s Embroidery further illustrates that stories are powerful, highlighting their ability to forge connections between people and assist in Finding and Creating Identity. This story marks the first time Pinmei shifts her perception of herself, “She had thought herself many things before—a scared mouse, a quiet girl, a coward—but never a storyteller” (79). Pinmei’s telling of The Story of the Widow’s Embroidery marks the beginning of a character shift, as she begins to see herself as a storyteller, like Amah. This realization is transformative, as it signals the beginning of Pinmei's empowerment, where storytelling becomes both a personal identity and a tool for asserting control over her world, mirroring her growing courage and agency in the narrative.

The Story of the Widow’s Embroidery first foreshadows that the stories are true in the world of the novel. Lady Meng, who is the reincarnation of the goddess Nuwa, pulls out a piece of embroidery that reminds Pinmei of the story. While this could be a coincidence, the red butterfly appears to vanish into the embroidery, hinting that perhaps this is the embroidery from the story. Embroidery is a multi-faceted symbol in the story, representing the interconnections between fiction and reality, as well as various characters and events. Embroidery also represents transformation, specifically the transformative power of art, a key aspect to The Story of the Widow’s Embroidery. As the characters stitch together the fragments of these stories, they similarly weave connections between their own fragmented pasts, forging a new, united identity through these acts of creative transformation.

The Story of the Widow’s Embroidery marks the beginning of Pinmei’s evolution into a storyteller while highlighting the interconnectedness of characters, events, and histories within the narrative. The reference to the Sea King’s daughter, described as a beautiful woman with a fishtail, echoes the depiction of Nuwa from an earlier section of the book. Similarly, the transformation of the rock into a horse mirrors elements from The Story of the Stone Fish. The horse itself sounds identical to BaiMa. The Ginseng Boy reappears in this story as the guide for the widow’s son, linking back to previous tales. Furthermore, the Magistrate Tiger shares similarities with the Tiger Emperor, reinforcing the recurring motifs and parallel figures throughout the story, which further link the stories embedded within the frame narrative.

The Story of the Painted Lion Eyes illustrates how stories forge connections between individuals and encapsulate shared histories. When the stonecutter inquires about Amah’s background, she employs the narrative to communicate both her personal history and her affection for Pinmei. This story not only serves as a vehicle for revealing Amah’s past but also foreshadows significant developments in the novel: The iron rod’s ability to shrink to the size of a needle, a detail reminiscent of the Sea King’s daughter’s magical abilities, underscores the interconnectedness of the narrative elements. Additionally, the story reinforces pivotal mythological themes: The dragon that ushers in spring remains invisible to mortals, and the rod in the story is a parallel to the Iron Rod, a crucial artifact associated with the Sea King. These thematic and symbolic threads are integral to the unfolding plot, shaping the novel’s exploration of myth and reality and enhancing the emotional and cultural significance of these objects, symbols, and creatures.

The Story of How a Girl Brought Joy to the Heart of a King exemplifies how stories preserve memory and history while highlighting their interconnectedness. The king in this tale, an ancestor of KaeJae, embodies the wisdom and benevolence that KaeJae deeply reveres. This connection emphasizes the continuity of values and historical respect across generations. Moreover, the fish in this story parallels the fish from The Story of the Stone Fish, with the girl discovering and mending the fish from a rubbish bin symbolizing both renewal and hidden worth. The narrative further explores the theme of perception’s effect on reality, illustrating how the townspeople’s belief that the king intends to rob and neglect them leads to their hostile reception. This negative perception influences the king’s attitude and subsequent treatment of the townspeople, demonstrating how perception can profoundly affect interactions and relationships.