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 decided to marry into wealth in "Raise the Red Lantern." She felt that it was worth giving up personal freedoms to live an upper class lifestyle. Songlian was entrapped