Conformity Versus Rebellion In Who Will Light Ince When Mother's Gone?

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Who Will Light Incense When Mother’s Gone? “Who Will Light Incense When Mother’s Gone?” by Andrew, is a true story about Lam’s mother and the traditions that she participated in. There are many themes that can be seen in this story, including, filial love, the quest for identity/coming of age, conformity versus rebellion, and the American dream/nightmare. Although all of these themes can be seen in this story, I have decided to write mainly about conformity versus rebellion and the quest for identity/coming of age. The conformity versus rebellion theme is easily seen in this story. Lam’s family came to the United States from Vietnam. While his mom still participates in all of the traditional Vietnamese rituals her son decides not to. Lam …show more content…

He wants to please his mother but at the same time being in America has given him more opportunities. He did well and studied hard in school when they moved to America; however, his mother was not happy that he studied so hard and spent a majority of his time reading. She believed that his American education was distancing him from his cultural identity. In America many people define others by what they do and who they associate with. If you are a doctor or associate yourself with a doctor then you are better off than someone who is a construction worker. In Vietnam part of what defines identity is participating in the traditional rituals of their culture. Also in Vietnam people tend to be more humane and unselfish; they would help others at the drop of a hat. I believe that Americans need to be more like the Vietnamese in some ways. People in America need to start caring about others and not just themselves or the people they know. If they did our country would be a better place. In this story you can tell how much Lam and his mother care about each other and love each other. They might have differing ideas about what Lam should be doing in his life but they still love each other. Most people go through a phase

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