The Boundaries Between Identity

The literature "The Jade Peony" by Wayson Choy illustrates a Chinese immigrant family in Vancouver Chinatown during the mid 1930's and 40's. The story is told through three children's perspective, who are Jook-Liang, Jung-Sum, and Sek-Lung. During their childhood, they have a much more complex and memorable experience than the other native children as a result to their incoherent identity.

The children attend to both English and Chinese schools where encourages them to be modern, and are affected by their Grandmother's ancient wisdom and tradition. They worship Shirley Temple, John Wayne, and Joe Louis, but also are attracted by the old fantasies like Monkey Man and the Fox Lady. The exclusion from the Chinese heritage and the hardship to assimilate into the western community can be seen the most through the third brother, Sek-Lung. He is constantly struggled between the borders that:

     "even if I was born in Vancouver, even if I should salute
     the Union Jack a hundred million times, even if I had the
     cleanest hands in all of the Dominion of Canada and prayed
     forever, I would still be Chinese".

The boundaries are set between identity, with lines that the children are told should not be crossed. Although Sek-Lung wishes to be completely a true "Canadian", he seems like the one who stops his family from anchoring to China. He understands that:

     "Stepmother knew this and worried in her heart and feared
     for me. All of the Chinatown adults were worried over those
     of us recently born into Canada, born “neither this nor that,”
     neither Chinese nor Canadian, born without understanding
     the boundaries”.

Whenever Sek-Lung ais trying to identify where he belongs, whether Chinese or western, there are always resistance on either side. The child also witnesses the danger of self-definition when he is drawn unwittingly into the local tensions between Chinese Canadian and Japanese Canadians during World War II.

On the other hand, the Grandmother is a typical Chinese women with ancient cultural traditions. "But making her special ones caused dissension in [their] family, and some shame" is what she believes. In the family, she affects the children's emotions the most. However, she continues to do as she pleased, ignoring people and their reactions. She increases the hardship for the children to identify themselves, especially for Jook-Liang and Jung-Sum. The Grandmother repeatedly tells the girl how worthless she is, so it is important for a girl to be able to assess the value of what she has. Contrarily, she does not value her second grandson worthless, but rather different, that he is the moon and not the sun. Therefore he should not maintain a strong self-confidence and self-esteem in his mind. Through the quotes offered in the novel, the author illustrates a picture of three children who are attempt to sketch a detailed geography of identity, an identity that must be constantly surveyed, defined, and defended.

A Maiden In The World of History

It is a sunny day. On the famous Yonge Street, a small white car is sprinting; as it approaches, people can hear the charming melody of classical music escaping out of the clear window. Finally, it stops in front of the Toronto Museum. While the shiny polished door opens by an elegant, long arm, a young women, wearing a pure white dress with very limited decorations, enters the field of vision. That is me, in the age of 25 years old.

I still remember the years when I was 18, enrolling in the University of Toronto. During those 4 years, I experienced happiness, sadness, pride, friendship, and many other commemorate events. As the reward to my true effort, I got a Bachelor degree in both Asian Studies and Chemistry. Today, I am a conservator working in the Toronto Museum, who keeps history alive for all to see.

Everyday, I sit in my own little room and involve in my own little world. Paintings, books, ceramic art, and all types of ancient cultural artefacts are my best friends, associate and communicate with them is my daily routine . Inappropriate light, humidity, temperature, pollution, pests, human accidents, and time are my foes; I need to be aware of them of "wearing and tearing" the priceless valuables.

In fact, this is a very ordinary and averaged job, which requires the work of 8 hours a day and 5 days a week. As well as my wage, which is between 30,000 to 40,000 dollars a year. I started with being a intern, then slowly achieve to my stage now, a formal conservator. After a few years, I will become a head conservator who supervises other new learners. I am very satisfied with my life now. Not like other fashionable girls who also born after the 1990s, my life does not involve with the romantic love and precious jewelleries. On the contrary, my life is overwhelmed with books and antiques. I can still recall that during high school, when I was only 17, every night, I was dreaming so eagerly as being a girl who born 2000 years earlier, so I can get connected with those fascinating ancient events and traditions. Although I have not turned my dream into reality, but I make it part of my life every day. To turn my hobby into my job, I feel fortunate.

A Bandit-Princess

The first portion of the book "The Jade Peony" by Wayson Choy, reveals the unique personalities of the main character, Jook-Liang. Jook-Liang is the only sister of the family living in Vancouver Chinatown in the mid-2000s. As she first comes into the reader's view, she is merely a five years old girl who believes in the story of Monkey King. Jook-Liang is raised in a family with a characterize Poh-Poh, or the Grandmother as an old fashioned Chinese women who keeps reiterate that a girl is "mo yung" or "useless" (P 28). Jook Liang has to watch her two brothers playing the game: "Enemies of Free China", and sit wordlessly beside (P 7). Consequently, she keeps insisting: "[she] need a girl-baby to be [her] slave" after her Stepmother is pregnant (P 7). This acknowledges how she resists loneliness and craves for fairness in her family. Jook-Liang understands that "This is Canada", and "not Old China" (P 27). She lives within her imagination of the Monkey King story until a memorable guest comes into her vision.

Another part of the story which demonstrates Jook-Liang's personalities is through her unusual friendship with an elder Chinese man from Hong Kong, who was a worker for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Jook-Liang is a child who carries out her thoughts directly. Once she meets Wong Suk, she is attracted by his wrinkled "Monkey face": "Here was the Monkey King", she keeps brainstorming(P 19). During the formal dinner, Jook Liang suspects that Wong Suk wishes pretend himself as the Monkey King by "wearing a mask", so "[she] wanted all at once to make sure he was not tricking [her]" (P12). Therefore, she starts to verify her concerns:

          "At once, [she] stood up on her chair. [She] dropped
          [her] chopsticks, turned, and grabbed Wong Sin-saang's
          large ear, tugging his Cheetah face towards [her]" (P23).

Jook-Liang considers nothing except to make sure that Wong Suk is not lying to her, although her father emphasizes how full respect is required to Poh Poh's old friend.

Jook-Liang is a child with true inner thinking skills. She values the friendship between Wong Suk and herself. However, when she notices that Wong Suk is about to leave with the "bone shipment" to Old China, she tries to persuade Wong Suk to stay by reminding him his promises towards her (P67). Then, she shows him her "Short'nin' Bread top-steps" dance (P 64). During the departure date, Jook Liang's family drives Wong Suk to the harbour. She watches her best friend disappearing among the crowd, and says nothing, merely keeps staring. She will always remember that "a bandit-prince" has spent fifty cents and brought "his princess" a roll of red ribbon; she will never forget him. Jook Liang is not a character that readers necessarily admire, but she is certainly a person whom readers can understand and sympathize with. She desires to be treated equally as her brothers, but never get much attention. She desires to stay with her best friend, but cannot overthrow the reality. Thus, she can do nothing but treasure this priceless memory into the deepest corner of her heart.