(While reading Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, I really liked the character of Duff and wished they would have gone more into detail about if and when she ever got to meet her real birth mother. Since that did not happen in the story, I decided to write a scene where Duff meets her birth mother and the connection they form through their meeting and conversation.)
It was 2:30 P.M. on a cool November afternoon in Baden, Elsa County, Iowa. Duff, now eighteen years old was sitting on a brown park bench, wearing a white pearl necklace, white long sleeved button up blouse, black knee length skirt, black stockings and black Mary Jane style heels with her pale hair styled up in a tight bun. She looked up at the clouds in the sky as she waited for someone to show up that she was expecting to meet up with. She wanted to look nice so she could make a good impression. As she listened to the birds chirping in the trees nearby, an older woman began to approach her.
The older woman looked very similar to Duff. She had the same pale skin, pale eyes and pale hair. The older woman was wearing a light blue knee length dress, light blue peep toe pumps, a light blue sweater and a light blue headband. As she finally reached Duff, she asked in a calm, soft spoken voice “Excuse me, is your name Duff, by any chance?”
Duff looked at the woman with a warm smile and said “Yes, that is my name. Are you Elizabeth, my birth mother?”
The woman smiled back and said “Yes, I am.”
Duff was excited to finally meet her birth mother. It had been two years since Taylor first told her she was adopted. As a child Duff was always gentle, kind, loving and generous and those qualities stayed with her as she grew older. Although Duff did consider Taylor, Jase and Wylie to always be her family, she wanted to let Elizabeth, her birth mother know that she was never bitter at her for giving her up when she was a baby and was actually thankful that Elizabeth gave her a chance at life instead of just having an abortion like many women have done. As they continued to have their conversation, they got to know each other better and informed the other about how their lives turned out.
“Well, I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Accounting. I married a man who attended college with me. His name was Frank. He graduated the same year as I with a degree in Mathematics. He died a year ago. He had Leukemia Cancer.” Elizabeth replied.
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Duff replied sympathetically.
Elizabeth looked at her daughter and smiled a genuinely sweet smile. After a brief pause of silence, Elizabeth asked “So, how is everything going for you?”
Duff happily replied “Well, I am planning to attend UCLA in hopes of getting a degree in Nursing. I knew ever since I was a little girl that I wanted to help others when I grew up and being a nurse, I know I could accomplish that. I also am engaged to a young man named Benjamin. He is also going to UCLA. He is planning to major in Psychology.”
“Congratulations on your engagement! I hope you have a blessed, happy marriage. I’m sure you and your fiancé will both do very well at UCLA.” Elizabeth stated.
“Thank you.” Duff said cheerfully.
“You’re welcome.” Elizabeth replied as they both smiled at each other.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
A Good Daughter
While reading “Beccah”, I really sympathized with Beccah. She was always so concerned for her mother and wanted the best for her mother. Beccah feared that her mother had been taking a turn for the worse when she confessed to killing Beccah’s father.
I think Beccah immediately assumed at that moment that her mother had literally and physically murdered her father. However, that was not the case as Beccah later came to find out that Beccah’s mother did not mean that she physically killed him. She had meant that she mentally killed him by wishing and praying for death upon him. Beccah had strong feelings that spirits would constantly take control over her mother and because of this, Beccah would often pray that her mother would get better and that the spirits would leave her mother alone so both Beccah and her mother could live their lives as peacefully and normally as they possibly could.
Beccah tried her best to help take care of her mother in any way, even by offering her half of her pig in a blanket and peanut butter cookie. She tried very hard to not eat it so she could save it for her mother but while waiting for her mother to stop dancing, Beccah eventually became hungry and to save the food from going to waste, she decided to finish the food of hers that she had been saving for her mother. Although her mother never got to eat that food, I still think Beccah had her heart in the right place by offering it to her mother.
By immediately offering the food to her mother before thinking of her own needs, it shows she was thinking of her mother’s best interests and it shows she did have good intentions by offering it to her mother in the first place. It showed she truly did care for her mother and I respect the character of Beccah for wanting to help her mother out in any way that she could. I think she was a really good daughter for being like that.
I think Beccah’s mother may have possibly suffered from some sort of depression or mental problem. Beccah pointed out that a lot of times her mother didn’t seem to be in her right state of mind. If Beccah’s mother did have some sort of depression or mental problem, perhaps the cause was from something that happened in her past that may have psychologically scarred her for life. I would have liked to known more detail on her mother’s past including her past relationship with her husband before he passed away. I think it would explain a lot about why she acts the way that she does.
Perhaps maybe the way she acted may have originated from a traumatic incident. Perhaps she was abused as a child or maybe her husband abused her which could possibly explain her animosity towards him when she would pray and wish for him to die. I think by knowing the history of Beccah’s mother’s life, the way she acts could be better analyzed.
I think Beccah immediately assumed at that moment that her mother had literally and physically murdered her father. However, that was not the case as Beccah later came to find out that Beccah’s mother did not mean that she physically killed him. She had meant that she mentally killed him by wishing and praying for death upon him. Beccah had strong feelings that spirits would constantly take control over her mother and because of this, Beccah would often pray that her mother would get better and that the spirits would leave her mother alone so both Beccah and her mother could live their lives as peacefully and normally as they possibly could.
Beccah tried her best to help take care of her mother in any way, even by offering her half of her pig in a blanket and peanut butter cookie. She tried very hard to not eat it so she could save it for her mother but while waiting for her mother to stop dancing, Beccah eventually became hungry and to save the food from going to waste, she decided to finish the food of hers that she had been saving for her mother. Although her mother never got to eat that food, I still think Beccah had her heart in the right place by offering it to her mother.
By immediately offering the food to her mother before thinking of her own needs, it shows she was thinking of her mother’s best interests and it shows she did have good intentions by offering it to her mother in the first place. It showed she truly did care for her mother and I respect the character of Beccah for wanting to help her mother out in any way that she could. I think she was a really good daughter for being like that.
I think Beccah’s mother may have possibly suffered from some sort of depression or mental problem. Beccah pointed out that a lot of times her mother didn’t seem to be in her right state of mind. If Beccah’s mother did have some sort of depression or mental problem, perhaps the cause was from something that happened in her past that may have psychologically scarred her for life. I would have liked to known more detail on her mother’s past including her past relationship with her husband before he passed away. I think it would explain a lot about why she acts the way that she does.
Perhaps maybe the way she acted may have originated from a traumatic incident. Perhaps she was abused as a child or maybe her husband abused her which could possibly explain her animosity towards him when she would pray and wish for him to die. I think by knowing the history of Beccah’s mother’s life, the way she acts could be better analyzed.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
A Letter From Inside The Camp
(I wanted to write something a little bit more creative this time so I decided to write a diary entry through the eyes of an adult inside one of the Japanese Internment Camps using the knowledge and information I received from this week's readings as well as the knowledge and information gained about Japanese Interment Camps from researching it for my Power Point presentation.)
Dear Diary,
“This was not imprisonment. This was relocation.” It has been months since I first heard those words spoken to me when I first arrived at this camp in Heart Mountain, Wyoming. I remember the day I first came here with my husband and children.
I can remember how naïve I was of how life would be in this camp. Still I smiled with a glimmer of hope and optimism on that day as the photojournalist took a photograph of me and my family as we first boarded the bus, carrying our bags before we embarked on the ride to Heart Mountain. Now, many months down the road, that smile I once had has turned into a frown.
Feeling like a prisoner, trapped inside these walls that surround me, I miss my freedom. I miss my life outside these walls. Now, it feels as if I have almost forgotten what freedom was like but still have the memories of my life before the camp to remind me of the freedom I once had. I long for that freedom once more, even if is only for one day.
I have seen some of the most terrible things inside the walls of this camp. I have seen people tortured and killed for trying to escape. I have seen families become broken so quickly. The teenagers do not want to eat with their families in the mess halls and opt to eat with their friends instead, causing the relationships of families to shatter to the point of non existence. My heart is breaking to see families becoming separated this way and I hope my children continue to eat with the family for I do not want to see my family become broken and separated as well.
Life is so hard here. Wages are very low for those of us who are working. Many of us have been forced to dip into our personal savings just for our families to live a little bit more comfortably. I myself have been forced to do this as well in order to better provide for my family. If my family must continue to stay here against their will, then I want them to at least live as comfortably as possible and I will do whatever it takes to help them live as comfortably as they can possibly live.
It has also become saddening to see other families loved ones die from not having the proper medical care needed to help them. A few weeks ago, I was worried about losing my youngest daughter, Sakura to pneumonia. I am relieved to say that she has had a full recovery. Still, I long for the day when my family and I will be free to step outside these walls once again.
Sincerely,
Momoko Yamamoto
Dear Diary,
“This was not imprisonment. This was relocation.” It has been months since I first heard those words spoken to me when I first arrived at this camp in Heart Mountain, Wyoming. I remember the day I first came here with my husband and children.
I can remember how naïve I was of how life would be in this camp. Still I smiled with a glimmer of hope and optimism on that day as the photojournalist took a photograph of me and my family as we first boarded the bus, carrying our bags before we embarked on the ride to Heart Mountain. Now, many months down the road, that smile I once had has turned into a frown.
Feeling like a prisoner, trapped inside these walls that surround me, I miss my freedom. I miss my life outside these walls. Now, it feels as if I have almost forgotten what freedom was like but still have the memories of my life before the camp to remind me of the freedom I once had. I long for that freedom once more, even if is only for one day.
I have seen some of the most terrible things inside the walls of this camp. I have seen people tortured and killed for trying to escape. I have seen families become broken so quickly. The teenagers do not want to eat with their families in the mess halls and opt to eat with their friends instead, causing the relationships of families to shatter to the point of non existence. My heart is breaking to see families becoming separated this way and I hope my children continue to eat with the family for I do not want to see my family become broken and separated as well.
Life is so hard here. Wages are very low for those of us who are working. Many of us have been forced to dip into our personal savings just for our families to live a little bit more comfortably. I myself have been forced to do this as well in order to better provide for my family. If my family must continue to stay here against their will, then I want them to at least live as comfortably as possible and I will do whatever it takes to help them live as comfortably as they can possibly live.
It has also become saddening to see other families loved ones die from not having the proper medical care needed to help them. A few weeks ago, I was worried about losing my youngest daughter, Sakura to pneumonia. I am relieved to say that she has had a full recovery. Still, I long for the day when my family and I will be free to step outside these walls once again.
Sincerely,
Momoko Yamamoto
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Degrading To Women?
(Disclaimer: I apologize in advance if anyone is offended by my blog or the videos in my blog as it does contain profanity, sexual reference and other offensive material. What I wrote is just my opinion on the subject I am writing about and I am just using the videos and the excerpts from the reading to prove my point. I personally don’t like rap music that much and the videos I used are of songs that I absolutely despise.)
“Rico” by Peter Bacho
“Rico”, a story written by Peter Bacho is centered on a young, athletic man named Rico. Throughout the story, we see how the successful boxer lives his life and how he views the rest of the world. The one thing that really struck my attention was his view on women, including blondes with long legs, ratted bouffant styled hair and heavy makeup (Bacho, 18).
I personally feel that Rico ‘s view on white females was perceived as degrading. He thought of them as easier to get than other women (Bacho, 18). He didn’t think highly of women, in general and just saw them as nothing but sex objects. Being a woman, the disrespect towards females in this story did upset me.
I feel as if Rico did not have respect for white girls. This could be seen when he gives his friend his little black address book titled as “Ho’s I Know” filled with white girl’s names, mostly of blondes claiming that he will not need it anymore as he is going to change his taste in women to Vietnamese girls stating he was expanding his horizons “to find new pussy”(Bacho, 24-25). His statement towards Vietnamese girls led me to believe that he saw every woman he pursued as nothing but an object of sex and that he had little respect for women as a whole. There is even a point in the story where he refers to the white girls, specifically the blonde, tall, long legged girls as “Devil Bitches” that most bloods don’t mess with (Bacho, 23).
Although Rico and his friend were wrongly judged and stereotyped because of their ethnicity, I feel Rico was just as guilty of stereotyping and judging by the way he referred to women, whether they were blondes or Vietnamese or white girls in general. The disrespect shown towards women reminded me of rap music that portrays women in their songs as nothing but objects of sexual desire just to toy around with. Included in my blog are three videos of songs that show degradation to women.
The first video contains the song “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent. Some lyrics that can be seen as degrading to women in this song include the lines “I’ll let you lick the lollipop”, “Keep going till you hit the spot”, “Got the magic stick” and “I’m the love doctor”. The second video is of the song “Gold Digger” by Kanye West. A few lyrics that can be seen as degrading to girls in this song include lines such as “She’s a gold digger way over town”, “My psychic told me she got an ass like Serena” and “But when you get on, he leave your ass for a white girl”.
Finally, the third video includes the song “Get Low” by Lil Jon & The Eastside Boys featuring Ying Yang Twins. A couple of lyrics that are seen as degrading to females include “Move it to you suck it to me one more time”, “Can she fuck? That question been harassing me”, “In the mind, this bitch is fine”, “Now can I play with your panty line?” and “We all like to see ass and titties. Now bring your ass over here, hoe". I personally think that rap music like this is influencing people to really think of women as only sexual playthings and nothing more. In my opinion, I think this is a negative influence that is causing people to lose respect for women.
Works Cited:
Bacho, Peter. Rico.
“Rico” by Peter Bacho
“Rico”, a story written by Peter Bacho is centered on a young, athletic man named Rico. Throughout the story, we see how the successful boxer lives his life and how he views the rest of the world. The one thing that really struck my attention was his view on women, including blondes with long legs, ratted bouffant styled hair and heavy makeup (Bacho, 18).
I personally feel that Rico ‘s view on white females was perceived as degrading. He thought of them as easier to get than other women (Bacho, 18). He didn’t think highly of women, in general and just saw them as nothing but sex objects. Being a woman, the disrespect towards females in this story did upset me.
I feel as if Rico did not have respect for white girls. This could be seen when he gives his friend his little black address book titled as “Ho’s I Know” filled with white girl’s names, mostly of blondes claiming that he will not need it anymore as he is going to change his taste in women to Vietnamese girls stating he was expanding his horizons “to find new pussy”(Bacho, 24-25). His statement towards Vietnamese girls led me to believe that he saw every woman he pursued as nothing but an object of sex and that he had little respect for women as a whole. There is even a point in the story where he refers to the white girls, specifically the blonde, tall, long legged girls as “Devil Bitches” that most bloods don’t mess with (Bacho, 23).
Although Rico and his friend were wrongly judged and stereotyped because of their ethnicity, I feel Rico was just as guilty of stereotyping and judging by the way he referred to women, whether they were blondes or Vietnamese or white girls in general. The disrespect shown towards women reminded me of rap music that portrays women in their songs as nothing but objects of sexual desire just to toy around with. Included in my blog are three videos of songs that show degradation to women.
The first video contains the song “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent. Some lyrics that can be seen as degrading to women in this song include the lines “I’ll let you lick the lollipop”, “Keep going till you hit the spot”, “Got the magic stick” and “I’m the love doctor”. The second video is of the song “Gold Digger” by Kanye West. A few lyrics that can be seen as degrading to girls in this song include lines such as “She’s a gold digger way over town”, “My psychic told me she got an ass like Serena” and “But when you get on, he leave your ass for a white girl”.
Finally, the third video includes the song “Get Low” by Lil Jon & The Eastside Boys featuring Ying Yang Twins. A couple of lyrics that are seen as degrading to females include “Move it to you suck it to me one more time”, “Can she fuck? That question been harassing me”, “In the mind, this bitch is fine”, “Now can I play with your panty line?” and “We all like to see ass and titties. Now bring your ass over here, hoe". I personally think that rap music like this is influencing people to really think of women as only sexual playthings and nothing more. In my opinion, I think this is a negative influence that is causing people to lose respect for women.
Works Cited:
Bacho, Peter. Rico.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Be Your Own Superhero
"Homebase" by Shawn Wong
While reading the novel “Homebase” by Shawn Wong, I noticed one word that numerously came up in the story. That word was “hero”. The main character, Rainsford had always admired superheroes from comic books and movies (Wong, 37) and even had a “Superman” shirt (Wong, 13). He even aspired to be more like a hero himself and considered his father a hero in his eyes.
But did Rainsford ever conquer his dream of being more like a hero? What defines a hero? After his father’s death, Rainsford knew he had to be strong not only for himself but for his mother. He wanted to show his mother that he accepted his father’s death (Wong, 34). To Rainsford, he felt a child coping with death was different compared to how adults cope with it which is true, being as every person copes with a loved one’s death in different ways.
Rainsford felt he should cope with his father’s death the way he envisioned a superhero would cope with it, without fear and without showing any signs of weakness. Therefore, Rainsford strived to inherit strength, arrogance and independence to prove he was fine with his father’s passing (Wong, 34). To him, these qualities defined a superhero. After his mother died, Rainsford had to use these qualities again to cope with her passing as well.
However, before his mother passed, she could see Rainsford was becoming more like his father although he had not realized yet how much he was like the hero he had looked up to. Rainsford’s mother could see similar qualities both Rainsford and his father had. From sensibility to athleticism to a conspicuous romantic past, Rainford’s mother saw all these qualities in her son that his father once had. Knowing that he had become “her husband’s son”, she knew she could die peacefully despite being in the middle of a perfect recovery from illness (Wong, 37).
Later on, Rainsford has a conversation with an Indian man during the Christmas of 1969. This conversation as well as his time on the islands eventually helped him to realize that he was more like his father than he had thought and that he did have the qualities that he defined as a hero. He also realized he was more like his grandfather as well, another man he admired. He realized he was his grandfather coming back to America after having been raised in China (Wong, 87).
I personally believe everyone has their own definition of a hero. Many children see heroes or heroines as someone like the Power Rangers, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman or Spiderman or even their favorite athletes. My cousins love the Power Rangers and I admit the Pink Power Ranger was my favorite when I was a kid and a few kids in my third grade class even called me the Pink Power Ranger just because I had a Power Rangers folder! I did dress up as her for Halloween once too.
For me, I personally always liked Sailor Moon as a child. She was my favorite super heroine and I looked up to her as a kid, like many kids looked up to their favorite superheroes and super heroines as a child. I even dressed up as her twice for Halloween when my mother made the costume for me since we couldn’t find it at any store.
When it comes to adults, however, I believe their definition of a hero is different than of a child’s. An adult is more likely to view their local firefighters, police officers, Army, Navy, National Guard, Air Force and Marines as heroes or heroines. However, I do think in one similarity that children and adults are alike when it comes to defining a hero. Most adults and children also view their parents or another relative as a hero to them and aspire to be more like them too just as I now look up to some of my family as heroes in my life. I also believe anyone who goes for their dreams or goals in life should be considered a hero because they are doing not only what makes them happy but also have the courage to go for what they set out to achieve. In the end, I believe Rainsford did conquer his goal of being more like the heroes he had always admired because he did become more like his father and grandfather who were the true heroes in his life.
Works Cited:
Wong, Shawn. Homebase. 1979.
My childhood heroine, Sailor Moon!
One of Rainsford's childhood heroes, Superman!
While reading the novel “Homebase” by Shawn Wong, I noticed one word that numerously came up in the story. That word was “hero”. The main character, Rainsford had always admired superheroes from comic books and movies (Wong, 37) and even had a “Superman” shirt (Wong, 13). He even aspired to be more like a hero himself and considered his father a hero in his eyes.
But did Rainsford ever conquer his dream of being more like a hero? What defines a hero? After his father’s death, Rainsford knew he had to be strong not only for himself but for his mother. He wanted to show his mother that he accepted his father’s death (Wong, 34). To Rainsford, he felt a child coping with death was different compared to how adults cope with it which is true, being as every person copes with a loved one’s death in different ways.
Rainsford felt he should cope with his father’s death the way he envisioned a superhero would cope with it, without fear and without showing any signs of weakness. Therefore, Rainsford strived to inherit strength, arrogance and independence to prove he was fine with his father’s passing (Wong, 34). To him, these qualities defined a superhero. After his mother died, Rainsford had to use these qualities again to cope with her passing as well.
However, before his mother passed, she could see Rainsford was becoming more like his father although he had not realized yet how much he was like the hero he had looked up to. Rainsford’s mother could see similar qualities both Rainsford and his father had. From sensibility to athleticism to a conspicuous romantic past, Rainford’s mother saw all these qualities in her son that his father once had. Knowing that he had become “her husband’s son”, she knew she could die peacefully despite being in the middle of a perfect recovery from illness (Wong, 37).
Later on, Rainsford has a conversation with an Indian man during the Christmas of 1969. This conversation as well as his time on the islands eventually helped him to realize that he was more like his father than he had thought and that he did have the qualities that he defined as a hero. He also realized he was more like his grandfather as well, another man he admired. He realized he was his grandfather coming back to America after having been raised in China (Wong, 87).
I personally believe everyone has their own definition of a hero. Many children see heroes or heroines as someone like the Power Rangers, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman or Spiderman or even their favorite athletes. My cousins love the Power Rangers and I admit the Pink Power Ranger was my favorite when I was a kid and a few kids in my third grade class even called me the Pink Power Ranger just because I had a Power Rangers folder! I did dress up as her for Halloween once too.
For me, I personally always liked Sailor Moon as a child. She was my favorite super heroine and I looked up to her as a kid, like many kids looked up to their favorite superheroes and super heroines as a child. I even dressed up as her twice for Halloween when my mother made the costume for me since we couldn’t find it at any store.
When it comes to adults, however, I believe their definition of a hero is different than of a child’s. An adult is more likely to view their local firefighters, police officers, Army, Navy, National Guard, Air Force and Marines as heroes or heroines. However, I do think in one similarity that children and adults are alike when it comes to defining a hero. Most adults and children also view their parents or another relative as a hero to them and aspire to be more like them too just as I now look up to some of my family as heroes in my life. I also believe anyone who goes for their dreams or goals in life should be considered a hero because they are doing not only what makes them happy but also have the courage to go for what they set out to achieve. In the end, I believe Rainsford did conquer his goal of being more like the heroes he had always admired because he did become more like his father and grandfather who were the true heroes in his life.
Works Cited:
Wong, Shawn. Homebase. 1979.
My childhood heroine, Sailor Moon!
One of Rainsford's childhood heroes, Superman!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Won't The Real Sophie's Mother Please Stand Up?
Who's Irish by Gish Jen:
While reading Who's Irish? by Gish Jen, I really became interested in the relationships that the young girl, Sophie had with others. She seemed to be influenced by the people surrounding her. For example, her friend
Sinbad telling her to kick people because he did it to his mother and thought it was a fun thing to do, even though it was very disrespectful.
Another example was from the boys in the park who wanted her to turn around so they could see her butt while she was undressed, which is the scene I definitely found disturbing considering they were wanting to see a three year old child's buttocks, assuming they are older boys as I perceived them as. Sophie also seemed to be influenced mostly by Amy, her guitar playing babysitter that had very eccentric views about life that Sophie struck more as creative such as "Bare feet is best" and "There are no germs in pee"(Jen, 180). But who was truly more of the motherly figure in Sophie's life? Her grandmother or her actual mother? In my opinion, I believe the grandmother acted more like a mother to Sophie than her own birth mother did.
For one example, Sophie's grandmother would actually discipline Sophie if she did something bad. Whether it was a spanking or not being allowed to eat if she takes off her clothes. Sophie's birth mother, Natalie never showed any signs of disciplining her daughter if she did something wrong and was against her daughter being disciplined by Sophie's grandmother. I honestly thought Natalie would want her mother to discipline Sophie if she did something bad but she was against it. However, by Natalie not disciplining Sophie, it made me think if she never gets disciplined for things she does wrong or gets disciplined for them by her grandmother but not her mother, then she will think she can get away with it, think that she isn't doing anything wrong and later, even think that since she can get away with one thing, she'll be able to get away with everything else she does that's bad and that she can have everything her way.
While some of the discipline Sophie's grandmother had done could be perceived as harsh at times, it was done with good reason. Sophie's grandmother wanted Sophie to learn that the things she was doing were wrong so she could stop doing them. She wanted Sophie to know what she was doing was bad so she would not do them in the future. One example of how the discipline worked well was the fact that Sophie stopped taking off her clothes after getting spanked once and being warned of getting spanked if she did it again. Sophie ended up crying but she did put her clothes back on and stopped taking them off from then on, baffling Sophie's mother about how the grandmother was able to stop Sophie from taking her clothes off.
From my experience as a child, I would get spanked if I did something wrong, which wasn't often because I usually wouldn't do anything bad. If I did do anything bad, it was usually because I didn't know any better at the time but once I got spanked and warned to not do it again, like Sophie, I would stop because I would remember that spanking and knew that I didn't want to get spanked again for it. While Sophie may think of her grandmother as a "Meanie" and say that she hated her(Jen, 184), I could tell she truly did love her grandmother, which was seen when Sophie would give her grandmother kisses on the nose. What Sophie really hated was not her grandmother but being disciplined but in the long run, I think the discipline will teach her right from wrong and I think Sophie would later have much respect and admiration for her grandmother as she gets older, matures and realizes the discipline was because her grandmother loved her and wanted her to be safe and be brought up right, with good morals.
Works Cited:
Jen, Gish. Who's Irish?. 1999.
While reading Who's Irish? by Gish Jen, I really became interested in the relationships that the young girl, Sophie had with others. She seemed to be influenced by the people surrounding her. For example, her friend
Sinbad telling her to kick people because he did it to his mother and thought it was a fun thing to do, even though it was very disrespectful.
Another example was from the boys in the park who wanted her to turn around so they could see her butt while she was undressed, which is the scene I definitely found disturbing considering they were wanting to see a three year old child's buttocks, assuming they are older boys as I perceived them as. Sophie also seemed to be influenced mostly by Amy, her guitar playing babysitter that had very eccentric views about life that Sophie struck more as creative such as "Bare feet is best" and "There are no germs in pee"(Jen, 180). But who was truly more of the motherly figure in Sophie's life? Her grandmother or her actual mother? In my opinion, I believe the grandmother acted more like a mother to Sophie than her own birth mother did.
For one example, Sophie's grandmother would actually discipline Sophie if she did something bad. Whether it was a spanking or not being allowed to eat if she takes off her clothes. Sophie's birth mother, Natalie never showed any signs of disciplining her daughter if she did something wrong and was against her daughter being disciplined by Sophie's grandmother. I honestly thought Natalie would want her mother to discipline Sophie if she did something bad but she was against it. However, by Natalie not disciplining Sophie, it made me think if she never gets disciplined for things she does wrong or gets disciplined for them by her grandmother but not her mother, then she will think she can get away with it, think that she isn't doing anything wrong and later, even think that since she can get away with one thing, she'll be able to get away with everything else she does that's bad and that she can have everything her way.
While some of the discipline Sophie's grandmother had done could be perceived as harsh at times, it was done with good reason. Sophie's grandmother wanted Sophie to learn that the things she was doing were wrong so she could stop doing them. She wanted Sophie to know what she was doing was bad so she would not do them in the future. One example of how the discipline worked well was the fact that Sophie stopped taking off her clothes after getting spanked once and being warned of getting spanked if she did it again. Sophie ended up crying but she did put her clothes back on and stopped taking them off from then on, baffling Sophie's mother about how the grandmother was able to stop Sophie from taking her clothes off.
From my experience as a child, I would get spanked if I did something wrong, which wasn't often because I usually wouldn't do anything bad. If I did do anything bad, it was usually because I didn't know any better at the time but once I got spanked and warned to not do it again, like Sophie, I would stop because I would remember that spanking and knew that I didn't want to get spanked again for it. While Sophie may think of her grandmother as a "Meanie" and say that she hated her(Jen, 184), I could tell she truly did love her grandmother, which was seen when Sophie would give her grandmother kisses on the nose. What Sophie really hated was not her grandmother but being disciplined but in the long run, I think the discipline will teach her right from wrong and I think Sophie would later have much respect and admiration for her grandmother as she gets older, matures and realizes the discipline was because her grandmother loved her and wanted her to be safe and be brought up right, with good morals.
Works Cited:
Jen, Gish. Who's Irish?. 1999.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Dare To Be Different
American Born Chinese (2006)
By: Gene Luen Yang.
In American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, the story is viewed through three main character's points of view, Jin Wang, Wei-Chen Sun and The Monkey King. American Born Chinese tells the background story of each of these characters as well as how their relationships collaborate with others. While each character does have their differences, they also have their similarities, as seen through various scenes in the comic.
One similarity is that they were accepted by people who were like them; who had a similar appearance to them, basically people who were the same ethnicity as them. However, they were rejected and discriminated by others who were not of their ethnicity. One example is when The Monkey King was not allowed to attend a dinner party that he was looking forward to. The guard first said he was not allowed in because he had no shoes but later the true reason came out that it wasn't because The Monkey King didn't have shoes. It was because regardless if he was royalty, he was "still a monkey"(Yang, 15).
Jin Wang was also discriminated by the people surrounding him. Although, his family accepted him and their ethnicity, Jin's classmates and teacher discriminated him by spreading rumors about him marrying a fellow Asian student in their class, accusing him of eating dogs and even calling him rude names like "Buck-Tooth" (Yang, 33). His classmates alienated themselves from him including the other Asian student, Suzy Nakamura, assumingly because of the rumor spread about them. One classmate did associate with him, Peter Garbinsky, nicknamed by his peers as "Peter The Eater" (Wang, 34). Peter's relationship with Jin could be seen as abusive, as portrayed in the images when Peter would play games with Jin such as "Crack The Whip" and "Kill The Pill" (Wang, 35).
When Peter left to live with his father, Jin was once again isolated from his fellow schoolmates until Wei-Chen Sun arrived. At first, Jin disliked him, treating him coldly as the same way his classmates treated him. Jin also had the urge to beat Wei-Chen up.
Later, Jin realized that he and Wei-Chen were more alike than he had thought. They both were introduced to their classmates in a similar way but they both also liked robot toys. Because of their common interest, it helped them to bond and form a friendship.
Another character who shared similarities and differences to Jin Wang, Wei-Chen Sun and The Monkey King was Chin-Kee. He was also looked down upon for being different and was even accused of having S.A.R.S., when a man claimed that Chin-Kee's spit got on him, most likely from Chin-Kee's spit flying out of his mouth in a scene where he sings the song She Bang by Ricky Martin loudly at a library (Wang, 203). Even Chin-Kee's cousin, Danny showed hostility towards him and takes it out in a violent way.
Eventually, it comes out that Chin-Kee is actually The Monkey King in disguise and Danny is actually Jin Wang. The Monkey King thanks Jin for treating his son, Wei-Chen Sun well while he was on his quest to become an emissary like his father. Later, Jin finds Wei-Chen, tells him about him meeting his father as the story ends with the two rekindling their friendship at a local restaurant.
I feel that readers can relate to the characters in this comic if they have ever been outcasted, criticized or ridiculed for being different than others. Lots of people can relate to the characters if they were ever bullied just because they didn't look, dress or act like everyone else. Many even try to change who they are to try and fit in so they will be accepted like Jin did when he became Danny. They will try to change anything they can to fit in whether it be the clothes they wear or their hairstyle or even pretending to like things they are not truly interested in or pretending to dislike things they actually love. Although people continue to do this nowadays to fit in, I personally believe people should embrace their differences. It is what makes you unique and the people who truly care about you will accept you for it.
Works Cited:
Wang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. 2006.
By: Gene Luen Yang.
In American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, the story is viewed through three main character's points of view, Jin Wang, Wei-Chen Sun and The Monkey King. American Born Chinese tells the background story of each of these characters as well as how their relationships collaborate with others. While each character does have their differences, they also have their similarities, as seen through various scenes in the comic.
One similarity is that they were accepted by people who were like them; who had a similar appearance to them, basically people who were the same ethnicity as them. However, they were rejected and discriminated by others who were not of their ethnicity. One example is when The Monkey King was not allowed to attend a dinner party that he was looking forward to. The guard first said he was not allowed in because he had no shoes but later the true reason came out that it wasn't because The Monkey King didn't have shoes. It was because regardless if he was royalty, he was "still a monkey"(Yang, 15).
Jin Wang was also discriminated by the people surrounding him. Although, his family accepted him and their ethnicity, Jin's classmates and teacher discriminated him by spreading rumors about him marrying a fellow Asian student in their class, accusing him of eating dogs and even calling him rude names like "Buck-Tooth" (Yang, 33). His classmates alienated themselves from him including the other Asian student, Suzy Nakamura, assumingly because of the rumor spread about them. One classmate did associate with him, Peter Garbinsky, nicknamed by his peers as "Peter The Eater" (Wang, 34). Peter's relationship with Jin could be seen as abusive, as portrayed in the images when Peter would play games with Jin such as "Crack The Whip" and "Kill The Pill" (Wang, 35).
When Peter left to live with his father, Jin was once again isolated from his fellow schoolmates until Wei-Chen Sun arrived. At first, Jin disliked him, treating him coldly as the same way his classmates treated him. Jin also had the urge to beat Wei-Chen up.
Later, Jin realized that he and Wei-Chen were more alike than he had thought. They both were introduced to their classmates in a similar way but they both also liked robot toys. Because of their common interest, it helped them to bond and form a friendship.
Another character who shared similarities and differences to Jin Wang, Wei-Chen Sun and The Monkey King was Chin-Kee. He was also looked down upon for being different and was even accused of having S.A.R.S., when a man claimed that Chin-Kee's spit got on him, most likely from Chin-Kee's spit flying out of his mouth in a scene where he sings the song She Bang by Ricky Martin loudly at a library (Wang, 203). Even Chin-Kee's cousin, Danny showed hostility towards him and takes it out in a violent way.
Eventually, it comes out that Chin-Kee is actually The Monkey King in disguise and Danny is actually Jin Wang. The Monkey King thanks Jin for treating his son, Wei-Chen Sun well while he was on his quest to become an emissary like his father. Later, Jin finds Wei-Chen, tells him about him meeting his father as the story ends with the two rekindling their friendship at a local restaurant.
I feel that readers can relate to the characters in this comic if they have ever been outcasted, criticized or ridiculed for being different than others. Lots of people can relate to the characters if they were ever bullied just because they didn't look, dress or act like everyone else. Many even try to change who they are to try and fit in so they will be accepted like Jin did when he became Danny. They will try to change anything they can to fit in whether it be the clothes they wear or their hairstyle or even pretending to like things they are not truly interested in or pretending to dislike things they actually love. Although people continue to do this nowadays to fit in, I personally believe people should embrace their differences. It is what makes you unique and the people who truly care about you will accept you for it.
Works Cited:
Wang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. 2006.
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