"Still Life with Rice" is a memoir written by Helie Lee and published in 1997. In this memoir, Helie describes the hardships that her family went through so she could have a better future. Throughout the memoir, she also describes her struggle to unravel her identity. Helie's family lived in Korea and China before they moved to the Americas. Helie's grandmother had established an Opium business through which she earned a lot of money. However, her house, land, husband, and son were taken away by the communists. Helie's grandmother knew it wasn't safe to live there anymore and fled with Helie and her mother to America. While Helie's mother and grandmother embraced their identities, on the other hand, Helie was ashamed of it. She changed her hair and skin color to look American and blend in with the others. She always thought that they moved to America so she could be American.
"The Quiet Odyssey" is a memoir written by Mary Paik Lee and published in 1990. In this memoir, Mary describes the obstacles that her family went through to have a better future. She also explains the things that her family had to go through to earn money and fulfill their needs. Mary and her family moved to America thinking that things would be better off. However, they discovered that making a living in America can be gruesome. Helie and Mary’s memoirs were similar due to the sacrifices they made and differed in how they viewed family values and racism. While Mary struggled to survive with scarce
Mary Rowlandson was held captive by the Wampanoag peoples. In this narrative she gives details on what happened to her while she was a prisoner for weeks. Mary was captured along with her three children, two of which she was separated from and the other one died in Mary’s arms on the ninth day. She then went and saw her ten year old, who, upon seeing her mother, broke down in tears resulting in them not being able to have much further contact. Her captors made her march along for miles until they reach a river that they crossed on canoes. Mary stays there a while sewing and knitting for some of the Native peoples living there. She then is given a knife in which she promptly returns to her master, who lets her go see her son. She gets lost in
In America Heidi lived with her adopted mom in Pulaski, Tennessee. Ann was a dean at Pulaski’s Martin Methodist College. Heidi was baptized into the United Methodist Church, where she attended services, and Sunday school. Ann provided many material things for Heidi, taking her on great trips to various places and yet Heidi’s heart still longs for more. Heidi said she had everything growing up, but that she didn’t have a very loving mother. Ann sought hard to Americanize Heidi and often warned her to keep her Vietnamese heritage a secret. Ann is extremely adamant that if anyone asks where Heidi was born, she is to tell them Columbia, South Carolina (Dolgin & Franco, 2002).
Many people go through unimaginable cruelty. In Mary Rowlandson "A Narrative of Captivity", she was taken by Indians that took her to captivity. In Olaudah Equiano "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano", he explains how he was captured and his journey on the slave ship. Both Mary and Equiano both experience loss, hardship, and cruelty.
Mary grew up in a rough part of Baltimore she wanted to get her education and leave the neighborhood .Her parents before her did not finished college
During their “removes,” Mary becomes too weak to walk any longer, and the Indians, “like inhuman creatures, laugh and rejoice to see it.”They do nothing to provide for her comfort during their long journeys through the rough landscape. Her only refuge is to take comfort in her prayer and hope that God will help her through these hard times. After the first several days, Mary develops a dependency upon the Indians, and begins to get used to their means of living.
The book is a testimony to the strength and determination of her grandmother, her mother, and herself and their resourcefulness in recreating themselves during
In “The White Umbrella”, author Gish Jen illustrates the life of a Chinese family living in America, where they don’t fit in. The narrator, a girl who is embarrassed by the fact that her mom works, tries hard to keep it a secret and doesn’t realize how much she needs her until she might be dead. This short story teaches the lesson that you should appreciate the things that already make you happy and not get distracted by what you think will make you happy. Throughout the story, the author shows this theme by the character’s actions, repeating important symbolism, and in the turning point of the story.
Many character’s develop throughout O’Brien’s novel, but there is a chapter dedicated to the entire development of Mary Anne Bell and the extreme effects the war had on her. Although Mary Anne is not involved in any other piece of the novel, she is a perfect example of the effects of war on individuals- which are an important aspect of The Things They Carried.
Fadiman begins the book by introducing Lia Lee and her family, stating that they were immigrants from Hmong, now residing in Merced, California. She spoke about how Hmong traditions varied greatly from American traditions. Foua, Lia Lee’s mother, had delivered all of her children by herself and her husband, Nao Kao, was always around to provide anything that she needed. Lia Lee was the first one in her family to be born in a hospital. At the time of the birth, no one Foua knew spoke any English. Although Foua thought some things that occurred in the hospital were odd, she was happy with how everything had turned out.
In the Edgar Allen Poe poem, “The Raven”, Edgar uses various tone words to set the mood of the writing. His use of the words add “texture” to his writing. The different tone words being used, set up several different mood shifts such as mystery, anger, gloom, and confusion. The different selection of tone words used by Poe set up a story that is sure to be very interesting, and sure to give different tones for the reader’s perspective. Words in stanzas 1-5 such as “curious, sorrow, uncertain, doubting, and, fearing,” set a tone of gloom and confusion.
Famous novelist John Steinbeck once said that “We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us”(John Steinbeck Quotes). Steinbeck’s quote reflects on the concept of fate, and how we do not control our own life. Homer's astounding epic poem the Odyssey tells of a man, Odysseus who after the battle of Troy is working his way home. Odysseus faced many obstacles, and he experienced the vicissitudes of life through the 20 years he was working on getting home. Mary Oliver’s marvelous poem “The Journey” relays the experience of defeating the voices holding you back. Homer uses tone and foreshadowing. While Oliver uses personification and repetition. Both convey that people undertake journeys to experience life as
In the short story, "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, a Chinese mother and daughter are at odds with each other. The mother pushes her daughter to become a prodigy, while the daughter (like most children with immigrant parents) seeks to find herself in a world that demands her Americanization. This is the theme of the story, conflicting values. In a society that values individuality, the daughter sought to be an individual, while her mother demanded she do what was suggested. This is a conflict within itself. The daughter must deal with an internal and external conflict. Internally, she struggles to find herself. Externally, she struggles with the burden of failing to meet her mother’s expectations. Being a first-generation Asian American,
Amy Tan’s short story “Two Kinds” describes a Chinese immigrant family who hope of finding success and an overall betterment of life in America. After losing everything in China, Jing-mei’s mother, Mrs. Woo, tries as a minority house maid in the 1960s to provide all the opportunities she can for her last daughter. This short story revolves around the interactions between the Jing-mei, who desires a ordinary life, and Mrs. Woo, who seeks only the best from her daughter. The values of these two characters are in constant conflict of which creates a lasting segregation between parent and child. Through Mrs. Woo’s death, Jing-mei questions her childhood upbringing and her mother’s true intentions that were masked by pure immigrant ambition.
Ha Jin’s “The Woman from New York”, showcases the grand impacts of adjusting to cultural differences. This story encompasses both the emotional feat and the physical feat in distance that many go through in their lives. It specifically reveals the challenges that arise in adapting to new life back at home when in the past, a person lived elsewhere and much differently. In following the life of Chen Jenli in this story, readers can explore her societal and cultural struggles or they can place themselves in her shoes. In using Chen Jenli as a vessel, “The Woman from New York” addresses various and most certainly relatable difficulties that people like immigrants or expatriates face. However, these individuals can rely on the psychological process of mindfulness to help in adjustment and difficulties.
Daughter was raised in the United States. Finally, Amy Tan further demonstrates the cultural conflicts and confusions between the narrator's mother, a Chinese immigrant and her first generation Americanized daughter. For example, like all Chinese mothers of that time, the narrator's mother had high expectations for her and as such she wanted her daughter to become a prodigy. The narrator would take tests from her mother every night. However, she was frustrated with every test and the drive inside her began to vanish as she decided to be disobedient to her mother and a feud ensued. Thus conflict emanates between them when their cultures and goals collide.