“The Jade Peony” is a lovely short story about traditions, written in first person narrative by Wayson Choy. Every life has its profound moments that touch us deeply and become embedded in our very DNA. Choy artfully details the plot of the story which revolves around finding, gathering, and preparation of various pieces of objects that will become his Grandmama’s gift to the family upon her death. Typical of writings in Asian culture, the defining moment is described first off and then, the story begins leading the reader back to the initial opening of the story. In this case, Grandmama died, and the family needed a sign from her – “final proof that her present life had ended well” (Wiggins et al., p. 203). The conflict seems to be one of tradition versus learning to live life by the ways of the new country the family had moved to several years earlier. The Grandmama did not care about the concerns or questionings of her son and two of the three grandchildren. She found solace in the youngest grandchild, Sek-Lung, who reveled in the musings of his Grandmama. His relationship with her is keenly felt in how she included him in her search for the perfect pieces that would be her final gift to the family after her death. …show more content…
Because of its coloring, it symbolized the beginning of the end for Grandmama. While the author does mention she went go outside to chase away the cat, forgetting to put on her sweater, this detail does not seem as relevant to the story as much as the symbolism of the cat itself representing the image of her long-lost lover and signaling her soon departure from this earth. The reader would have understood that it the weather was not necessarily the cause of the flu symptoms as much as the suggestion or “curse” caused by the advent of the white cat with pink
Love, partnership and commitment have been the subjects of a multitude of novels, plays poems, movies and great works of art. Throughout these works, the image of love and commitment in love have taken many different forms. Today, we easily recognize symbols of commitment in love to be items such as hearts, wedding bands, roses, etc. However, in literature, especially, more abstract and creative symbols of commitment to a loved one are often present. Additionally, the symbols of devotion that exist in literature do not always involve romantic love as opposed to many movies, painting and sculptures. For example, in the short story, “Saving Sourdi” by May-Lee Chai, symbols of loyalty to a loved one manifest between two sisters. In opposition to symbols of loyalty existing in a platonic manner as it does in “Saving Sourdi,” Peter Meinke’s “The Cranes,” provides symbols of commitment in an amorous relationship.
In many scenarios, it is the younger generations who represent new times and challenge old tradition to be left in the past. Considering the reading of “Hangzhou” by Chang, Shitai, the fortune teller exhorts Chanyi, the illustrator grandma, to adapt to the modern generation where their “own ideas of love and power” (Chang 103) will decide the faith of their future. Taken by surprise, Chanyi disagrees, rationalizing and remaining silent on the topic. In similarity, Alice Walker relates to this reaction by echoing the illustrator of “Everyday Use” as she is informed of her daughter’s name change from Dee to Wangero. Asserted by Dee, it was a burden to be named after the people who oppress her” (Walker 318). This proves to the reader that in both families an adaptation is required by the mother. Therefore, both families have been driven to the similar situations regardless of their origin or ethnicity. Modern times request for new changes, a difficulty that families must
The Peony Pavilion told the love story of Bridal Du and Liu Mengmei. On a Spring morning, Bridal visited the garden and saw lots of beautiful views. Bridal’s mother and father never told her about the exquisite spot in their garden. After Bridal
Some were as young as fourteen while some were mothers who were forced to leave their child behind in Japan, but for these women the sacrifice will be worth it once they get to San Francisco. Yet, the women desired a better life separate from their past, but brought things that represent their culture desiring to continue the Buddha traditions in America; such as, their kimonos, calligraphy brushes, rice paper, tiny brass Buddha, fox god, dolls from their childhood, paper fans, and etc. (Otsuka, 2011, p. 9) A part of them wanted a better life full of respect, not only toward males but also toward them, and away from the fields, but wanted to continue the old traditions from their home land. These hopes of a grand new life was shattered when the boat arrived to America for none of the husbands were recognizable to any of the women. The pictures were false personas of a life that didn’t really exist for these men, and the men were twenty years older than their picture. All their hopes were destroyed that some wanted to go home even before getting off the boat, while others kept their chins up holding onto their hope that maybe something good will come from this marriage and walked off the boat (Otsuka, 2011, p.
She honored her parents as she should, but longed for them to pass. In the beginning of the story she said "I had never expected my parents to take so long to die.” She had taken care of them all of her life she was in her fifty’s and her parents in their ninety’s. She was ready to live and break free of all the rules and duties put upon her, they were like chains binding her and holding her down. She was ready to explore to go on journeys and adventures she was already aging all she wanted was to be free. Her parents’ death let her run free, she left Hong Kong to start over and maybe find love, in any way possible, maybe even through food or luxuries. She wanted to be rebellious of her parents I’m sure she knew they wouldn’t approve but she didn’t care she wanted change. All her life she had followed so many rules, she had to fight to teach, to learn, to be with friends, her fight was finally over. She now had no one to rebel against, she now had the freedom to
Immigration is always challenging: for the host country and for the new arrivals. There are tensions, obstacles, and expectations on both sides. These issues arise when the new country expects conformity and the immigrants anticipate preserving their cultures and traditions. They want to maintain their language, their religion, and their social practices. Dealing with these matters - positively or negatively - leaves a lasting impression on everyone. Wayson Choy considers this in The Jade Peony. It follows the lives of three Chinese immigrants to Canada in the 1930s: Jook-Liang a ten-year-old girl; Sek-Leung, an eight-year-old boy; and Meiying a teenage girl. Each wants to fit into Canadian society and adopt its nuances, but they face internal
Family became an important aspect in Mah’s life. In the Chinese culture family is typically a vital part of the way of life. Mah may have been ashamed the way her first marriage ended and did not want the same with this man she met named Leon. Leon is a Chinese immigrant and family is his priority. Mah and Leon marry and have two girls, Ona and Nina. They form a family like connection more than ever before. Leon was a fairly stable man and loved his family. Mah and Leon were b...
At the beginning of the story, Lam tells the reader about a conversation he heard between his aunt and his mother. His mother asked his aunt, “Who will light incense to the dead when I’m gone?, to which his aunt responded, “Honestly, I don’t know. None of my children will do it, and we can forget the grandchildren. They don’t even understand what we are doing when we pray to the dead. I guess when we’re gone, the ritual end”(Lam 1). At first, the reader may be confused as to what the mother is talking about, but as they read on it becomes increasingly the clear that the lighting of the incense refers to a very traditional practice in which the Vietnamese pray to their deceased ancestors. More importantly, the lighting of the incense represents lam’s mother's extreme devotion to their culture and
Elizabeth Bishop’s Sestina is a short poem composed in 1965 centered on a grandmother and her young grandchild. Bishop’s poem relates to feelings of fate, detriment, and faith that linger around each scene in this poem. There are three views in which we are being narrated in this story; outside of the house, inside of the house, and within the picture the grandchild draws. The progression of the grandmother’s emotions of sadness and despair seen in stanza one to a new sense of hope in stanza six are what brings this complex poem to life. Bishop’s strong use of personification, use of tone, and choice of poetic writing all are crucial in relaying the overall message. When poetry is named after its form, it emphasizes what the reader should recognize
By any measure, The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong, known as Hanjungnok (Records written in silence), is a remarkable piece of Korean literature and an invaluable historical document, in which a Korean woman narrated an event that can be described as the ultimate male power rivalry surrounding a father-son conflict that culminates in her husband’s death. However, the Memoirs were much more than a political and historical murder mystery; writing this memoir was her way of seeking forgiveness. As Haboush pointed out in her informative Introduction, Lady Hyegyong experienced a conflict herself between the demands imposed by the roles that came with her marriage, each of which included both public and private aspects. We see that Lady Hyegyong justified her decision to live as choosing the most public of her duties, and she decided that for her and other members of her family must to be judged fairly, which required an accurate understanding of the her husband’s death. It was also important to understand that Lady Hyegyong had to endure the
...Also an important quote is when she says, "But today I realize I've never really known what it means to be Chinese. I am thirty-six years old" (857). Even though she was in her 30's and still had that identity crisis, it was uplifting knowing that all it took for her to resolve that conflict was one meeting with her sisters.
“Whenever she had to warn us about life, my mother told stories that ran like this one, a story to grow up on. She tested our strengths to establish realities”(5). In the book “The Woman Warrior,” Maxine Kingston is most interested in finding out about Chinese culture and history and relating them to her emerging American sense of self. One of the main ways she does so is listening to her mother’s talk-stories about the family’s Chinese past and applying them to her life.
Some people say that the love between a mother and her daughter is forever; but what about the understanding? In the case of Waverly Jong and her mother in the story “Rules of the Game,” by Amy Tan, there is much miscommunication and misunderstanding. The story is set in mid-1950’s Chinatown and as the story opens, it is Christmas time. “Rules of the Game” is the telling of how a little girl learns to be more independent but falls into conflict with her mother along the way and becomes a type of trophy. Amy Tan uses elements such as character, symbolism, and setting to portray the themes of struggle between two cultures and independence perfectly in “Rules of the Game.”
symbolizing the concepts. Wayson Choy takes his readers on a journey of the love and magic of
Throughout this part we jump from memory to memory. In the beginning of the story we are briefly introduced to the mother, and also a rather interesting trait that she is influenced by through the story. The mother is a devout Buddhist. She practices traditional Chines culture and she seems to live her life off of decision based on her religious values and Chinese culture. “...I think, and then, ashamed, immediately touch my forehead to the ground before the triple Buddhas”. Early on the reader realizes that the story revolves around her reminiscing several important and highly influential points in their lives in America. The first point is the mother and father arriving and America with their five-year-old daughter, Pearl. Pearl’s mother and father had to work at a factory all day in order to provide for themselves as well as Pearl. “Her father and I spent our waking hours at the factory in Chinatown” (l.8) In the first period of time, Pearl attends school while her parents work, and afterwards she stays at home alone, waiting for them to return. One evening the mother realizes that this abandonment perhaps could be the reason for