Character Relationship Map: China Doll

Characters

• Shu-Jen (played by Li Li-Hua) — supporting

  The daughter of a destitute Chinese farmer, Shu-Jen is sent to Brandon after her father accepts money to support his family. Brandon first tries to send her away, but she remains as his housekeeper an...

• Father Cairns (played by Ward Bond) — supporting

  A longtime missionary resident in China, Father Cairns objects to Brandon's treatment of Shu-Jen and intervenes after Ellington takes her away. He explains her father's desperate circumstances and per...

• Ellington (played by Danny Chang) — supporting

  A young Chinese boy who speaks English, Ellington is hired by Brandon as a live-in interpreter and is initially assigned to get rid of Shu-Jen. He attempts to sell her into prostitution, but Father Ca...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Ellington → Shu-Jen (Conflict Exploiter) — Ellington initially treats Shu-Jen as a commodity rather than as a person.

  The pilot assigns Ellington to get rid of Shu-Jen, and Ellington tries to sell her into prostitution.

• Father Cairns → Ellington (Conflict Intervening Authority) — Cairns directly opposes Ellington's attempted exploitation of Shu-Jen.

  Ellington attempts to sell Shu-Jen into prostitution, but Father Cairns intervenes and takes Shu-Jen back.

• Father Cairns → Shu-Jen (Alliance Protector) — Father Cairns acts as Shu-Jen's advocate and protector during her vulnerable circumstances.

  Father Cairns discovers that Shu-Jen's father sold her services to support the family. He prevents her from being sent away and takes her back to the...

Story Analysis

A wartime arrangement grows into love and family before sacrifice preserves a child's connection to her father.

Plot Progression

1. A Bargain in Kunming — The pilot's wartime routine leads to an unwanted arrangement with Shu-Jen. Father Cairns and Ellington become involved when the pilot tries to remove her.
2. A Moral Intervention — Ellington's attempt to sell Shu-Jen into prostitution is stopped by Father Cairns. Cairns reveals the economic desperation behind Shu-Jen's situation.
3. Love Against Circumstance — Shu-Jen remains in the household, where affection gradually replaces hostility. Pregnancy and a traditional Chinese marriage transform the arrangement into a family.
4. War Reclaims the Family — After the birth and reunion, an enemy attack threatens the family. The pilot disobeys orders to return to the endangered airfield.
5. The Dog Tag Legacy — The pilot finds Shu-Jen and Ellington dead, protects his surviving daughter, and dies defending the airfield. Years later, Father Cairns helps bring the child from Hong Kong to the United States.