To manipulate someone is to influence or control them shrewdly or deviously, in a way that benefits the manipulator. In an excerpt from The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan called "Fireflies", the narrator is easily manipulated by a fellow student named Simon. The excerpt begins with Simon letting the narrator know that he has these feelings for her, as does she for him. Simon, with his sneaky manly ways, decides the easiest way to get the narrator to go to bed with him was to tell her his sad story that dealt with the death of his ex girlfriend. This story has a big impact; it is what manipulates the narrator into doing the things she does throughout the rest of the excerpt.
The first side effect of Simon's manipulation was that he slept with the narrator. Although the narrator had feelings for Simon before the story he told, she did not enjoy the intimacy. Simon, on the other hand
loved it and he even wanted to go at it again. This is one of the signs that Simon perhaps didn't really care much about what he was saying and just said it to manipulate the narrator into doing something that benefits him and gives him pleasure. After this act of passion, Simon and the narrator became somewhat of a couple.
In my opinion, the theme that Amy Tan in implying is that young ladies should wake up and not let themselves be manipulated. In a way I think this is already happening, back in old days, women were always being manipulated and never said anything about it, they just kept their mouths shut and took it. But nowadays women are learning from each others mistakes and when they realize, like the narrator in the excerpt "Fireflies" that they are being or have been manipulated; they break it off and move on. Women are getting stronger everyday and I believe that Amy Tan is pushing thi
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