The Ghost Bride

Clocks (as well as watches and time in general) are a frequent symbol that mark the connection between past and present throughout The Ghost Bride. They also represent order and fate, things over which humans have little or no control.

Clocks are most commonly seen in connection with the Lim family; it is one of the first things that Li Lan notices upon entering their household for the first time. “Such clocks! The walls were covered with dozens of clocks in every style imaginable … Time, it seemed, could scarcely go unmarked in this house” (12). Clocks and watches also become connected to Tian Bai specifically, as Li Lan first meets Tian Bai when he is engaged in repairing a watch. Tian Bai, it seems, is the one tasked with fixing the time pieces and ensuring that time marches predictably forward.

According to Chinese superstition, clocks are very unlucky, especially when given as a gift, as they are thought to symbolize one’s limited time on Earth. As such, clocks in The Ghost Bride symbolize Li Lan’s own life and the limited amount of time she has before she must either pass on or return to her body.