Call Me Lau A-yin:A Journey of Self Discovery in Patricia Powell’s The Pagoda “I think Lowe’s journey was about authenticity, how to get to someplace in himself that was truer than what he’d been living. I think he was tired of pretending. I think, at a certain point, he had lost himself in the many stories he was living—his father’s story, Cecil’s story, Miss Sylvie’s story, the villagers’ stories.” Patricia Powell Patricia powell tells the compelling story about a woman Lau A-yin referred to as Lowe who embarks upon a lifetime journey in discovering who she is and identifying herself. Upon this journey she attempts to change her identity when escaping a pedophilic marriage, and later to satisfy the people around her for her own survival. …show more content…
This was the catalyst in the events that occurred after in Lowe’s life. It forced her to let go of all that was safe (the shop, the constant control of Cecil) and take risks that she was never before forced to take(following his dreams, and controlling his own life).The burning of the shop for Lowe was similar to that of a phoenix. Like the phoenix bird who is reborn from the ashes from which it is burned, Lowe himself was reborn from the ashes of the shop burning. The shop burning allowed Lowe to finally start looking into herself a she searched for her next step in life. She could have rebuild the shop and just continue life as it was but instead decided she wanted to build the Pagoda. For the first time in her life she had a dream that was her own. A person’s dreams and aspirations often times is a reflection of that person’s values, and characteristics. An individual’s values and personality are key factors in self discovery and identification because it is ultimately what frames the individual. For Lowe to formulate a dream of her own at this point reveals that she has an identity outside of hat was build for her. She has her own values and her own thoughts and ideas that now when given the opportunity and freedom is planning to exercise them. Despite the years of suppressing herself and trying to completely wrap herself in her new identity Lowe still doesn’t lose the characteristics of her true
Heritage is one of the most important factors that represents where a person came from. In “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, this short story characterizes not only the symbolism of heritage, but also separates the difference between what heritage really means and what it may be portrayed as. Throughout the story, it reveals an African-American family living in small home and struggling financially. Dee is a well-educated woman who struggles to understand her family's heritage because she is embarrassed of her mother and sister, Mama and Maggie. Unlike Dee, Mama and Maggie do not have an education, but they understand and appreciate their family's background. In “Everyday Use,” the quilts, handicrafts, and Dee’s transformation helps the reader interpret that Walker exposed symbolism of heritage in two distinctive point of views.
The book is narrated by a little girl named Jook-Liang (or just Liang). You are introduced to her and her family who live in Vancouver B.C. during the Great Depression. She lives in a rundown house with her father; her real mom (who she's made to call Stepmother); the "old one", the children's grandmother-- Poh-Poh; and 3 brothers. The oldest Kiam; second oldest-- an orphan the family adopted Jung-Sum; and then would be Liang; and then the youngest child Sek-Lung (or Sekky).
“And maybe, if I had been destined to it or called to it strongly enough, it might have been for me.” Jayber was hoping that aunt Cordie and uncle Othy did not die during the winter season but there was nothing he could do when they got but take care of them both. “ By “bachelor” I mean, as was generally meant, a man old enough to be married who was not married and who had no visible chance to get married.” He wanted to marry Mattie Chatham, but she was married to Troy, and she thought Troy was the one that made her dreams come true. “ Maybe they had taken notice of my habit of keeping the shop open at night as long as people was there.” As long as people stayed at the shop after closing, hoping Jayber wanted them to stay for company. When everybody left Jayber, he was hoping for an impel and to start his own family. Jayber was looking to start a fresh new way, but he could not because he want to live the rest of his life with her. He moved along the riverside bank to be to himself, in a house that a friend had gave him with no rent. Being left alone, with nowhere to call home was the saddest thing could happen to anyone. “ By then I had no living relative, or none who was known of me.” In Port William, Jayber did not have a family because they all had died during the winter season. Jayber had taught himself how to do everything he needs to know to survive, therefore he taught himself how to be a
People don’t always deal with the same issues in the same way. In the novel, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, author Michael Dorris explores the perspectives of three women whose stories are tangled together through a history of secrets and lies. Rayona, Christine, and Ida all deal with their own share of hardships throughout the course of the novel. As each new perspective is revealed, it becomes clear that our three protagonists face issues with self discovery, a desire to fit in, and personal growth. Despite that though, each one deals with those problems in different ways. Apologetic, aggressive, and distant--Dorris’s effective use of word choice enables the reader to tap into the mindsets of each of these characters, allowing us to see
Children these days have a variety of needs, often being surrounded by the ideas of freedom and security. While some people seek complete freedom from society’s rules, others seek the comforts of security that a normal life provides. Children’s preferences on freedom and security are reflected from their Mom and Dad’s parenting style. In The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, the characters Brian, Lori, and Jeannette show that while growing they would rather have security over freedom because they repeatedly find themselves in a state of danger due to their parent’s lack of security. For example, if Jeannette’s parents were accountable while Jeanette was in proximity to fire she would not have been traumatized and severely burnt. Another reason the children want security is Rex is an excessive alcoholic who is very dangerous to be around while he is under the influence of hard liquor, they would rather a father that responsibly handled alcohol. Rex’s surplus of expenses on booze led the family into poverty because instead of using the family’s rare profit to pay off bills Rex uses it to buy alcohol and items that were not a necessity to their survival. Therefore, their parents struggled to give even the simplest things for them such as food and clothes.
Jeannette Walls, the author of the memoir, The Glass Castle, was raised by parents whose relentless nonconformity and radical ideals were both positive and negative aspects to their wellbeing. Their names were Rex and Rosemary Walls, and they were the parents of four children. While the kids were still young, the family moved from town to town, camping in the wilderness and sleeping in the car, and sometimes even had a small place to stay. Rose Mary, who was both an artist and an author, identified herself as an “excitement addict”. As a mother who despised the responsibility of caring for her family, Rose Mary preferred making a painting that will last forever over making meals for her hungry children. Rex was an alcoholic who, when sober, was a charming and intelligent man that educated his children through geology, physics, mathematics, and how to live life fearlessly.
Kingston, Maxine Hong. "No Name Woman." 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. 4th Edition. Ed. Samuel Cohen. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 227-39. Print.
Throughout life many are faced with obstacles that are difficult to overcome. These obstacles can change a person and their life as shown in The Samurai’s Garden, by Gail Tsukiyama. In the novel Matsu and Sachi go through life on a difficult path before finding happiness. When looking at Matsu’s and Sachi’s gardens, one can see that they are a representation of their lives, which is important because the gardens represent their personalities and struggles in their lives.
‘The woman’ of the poem has no specific identity and this helps us even further see the situation in which the woman is experiencing, the lost of one’s identity. Questions start to be raised and we wonder if Harwood uses this character to portray her views of every woman which goes into the stage of motherhood, where much sacrifice is needed one being the identity that was present in society prior to children.
Like walking through a barren street in a crumbling ghost town, isolation can feel melancholy and hopeless. Yet, all it takes is something like one flower bud to show life really can exist anywhere. This is similar to Stephen’s journey in The Samurai’s Garden. This novel is about an ailing Chinese boy named Stephen who goes moves to a Japanese village during a time of war between Japan and China to recover from his disease. By forming bonds with several locals and listening to their stories, he quickly matures into a young adult. Throughout the novel, Gail Tsukiyama shows how disease forces Stephen into isolation; however, his relationship with Sachi and his time spent in Matsu’s garden lead him out of solitude.
The discovery of self-identity is a reoccuring theme in a multitude of Chicano and Race and Ethnicity literature. Gloria Anzaldúa’s compilation of essays and poetry, Borderlands La Frontera, best exemplifies this example as the author gives her story to finding herself in as a lesbian chicana in a predominantly white and straight society. Anzaldúa drags the reader through this by not limiting the problems she faces, but problems that everyone could face. She addresses the importance of overcoming conflicts with not only oneself, but society as well. Though these messages she portrays in her writing are not just hers, other popular authors such as August Wilson and Thomas King epitomize them in their writings as well. August Wilson’s African
influence all her life and struggles to accept her true identity. Through the story you can
"What is Called Heaven": Identity in Sandra Cisneros's "Woman Hollering Creek". Studies in Short Fiction, 31:3 (1994:Summer), p.415.
... not as they conceptualized. As adulthood is commonly linked with age, the shift from adolescence to maturity arises with experience. In Joyce’s “Araby”, the emotional journey for the narrator, begins with the infatuation with his best friend’s sister, and ends with his disillusionment for love. In Mansfield’s “The Garden-Party”, Laura acts as a tie between the brightness and wealth of the Sheridan’s contrasted with the darkness and sorrow of the Scotts. While struggling with inner confusion, she attempts to build a unique identity for herself. Her emotional journey culminates with the viewing of the deceased man, and her powerful realization of life, where her life is put into perspective of life on a universal level. Both main characters experience major changes in their personality, as well as their psychology, and these insights change both of them incredibly.
The novel follows the protagonist, Celie, as she experiences such hardships as racism and abuse, all the while attempting to discover her own sense of self-worth. Celie expresses herself through a series of private letters that are initially addressed to God, then later to her sister Nettie. As Celie develops from an adolescent into an adult, her letters possess m... ... middle of paper ... ... bservations of her situation and form an analysis of her own feelings.