Disparity in Death San chieh and Er chieh, two sisters famous for their beauty, both commit suicide in the famous Chinese literary work Dream of the Red Chamber. San chieh kills herself after being rejected by the only man she wishes to marry, while Er chieh, a concubine, due to abuse by her husband's wife, Phoenix, and Phoenix's family's servants. They both look unhappy. However, their suicides are based more on honor than misery, and that honor, rather than misery, is worth dying for. Although both intend to die with honor, their methods differ: San chieh slits his throat and Er chieh swallows the gold. Despite the superficial similarity of their circumstances, San Chieh's suicide can be seen to become more honorable than his sister's because of the way he kills himself and because he does so publicly. Before we can understand the differences in their suicides, we must understand the difference in their personalities. The author describes Er chieh as “flexible and compliant” and San chieh is “stubborn and strong-willed” (238). “Flexible” means “easily influenced, yielding,” while “compliant” shows an inclination to please and an obligatory nature. In contrast, San Chieh is “strong-willed.” She refuses to marry anyone except the man of her choice, Hsiang-lien. San Chieh is not willing to change her opinion or be managed by others. Despite their shared beauty, the girls have very different personalities. Er Chieh's death is a quiet and private affair, and stems from an extremely difficult and dishonorable situation. His method of suicide is “swallowing gold,” a passive act. (260). This represents the lack of free will he has in his situation; although he chooses to swallow the gold, it is the object, not his own hand, at......the center of the card...that passes. There are no ties between her and the immortals, nor is she honored by the obligations given to her by the goddess. Therefore it is evident that Saint Chieh's death is significantly more important to the story than that of his sister. San Chieh's public and passionate suicide represents what most women who have little power in their lives wish to accomplish. His death causes her to win the love and favor of her ex-boyfriend, as well as the affection of the immortals. We have seen many women kill themselves rather than face a misfortune or an unpleasant situation; it is the redemptive refuge of those who are weak and have little ability to control their lives. When the situation becomes more than they can bear, this becomes their last effort of personal will, in the hope that they will be mourned in death because they were not loved in life and appreciated by the immortals..