preview

Analysis Of A Measure Of Freedom By Jade Snow Wong

Decent Essays

In the autobiographical short story “A Measure of Freedom” by Jade Snow Wong, Jade experiences many conflicts. But, there are two conflicts regarding her Chinese culture and the American culture and her teacher and herself that are very significant in the story. Through these two conflicts, Jade shows that she understands more about where her personal boundaries lie in comparison to her cultural boundaries; she also learns that to prove herself to others, she must stand up for herself and stick to what she believes is just. To an American, the Chinese culture may seem worlds apart from their own culture simply because they are so contrasting. Jade Snow grew up in America where both cultures are present, but only one of the cultures, Chinese, …show more content…

According to Jade, Chinese women have fewer rights than American women. Jane shows that Chinese women have less rights, “Mama had not been consulted; therefore she made no comment” (Wong 121). Her mother’s work was the topic at dinner, but her mother was not allowed to make any comments. She wasn’t allowed to make any comments because the men of the household, her husband or her son, had not called upon her. In America, at this time, most women did not have to be called upon to give their opinion. Women stood up for what they believed in regardless of what men said. Later in the short story, Jade shows us that she is willing to stand up for what she believes in and doesn’t wait around to be called upon to make her points known. She does this by having a heated argument with her parents about the amount of freedom she wants to receive. The heated argument comes about when Jade shows us that Chinese women, especially young Chinese women, have less rights than American women. She was going to the movies with a boy when her father asked, ‘Did you ask my permission to go out into the street?’ (Wong 127). Through this situation, Jade shows that in her culture, women have to ask men for permission to go places and do activities. When her

Get Access