All that matters is to express truth

It was difficult to find someone else who read this book but I finally found someone I knew who did, so we briefly discussed it.

Immediately we agreed that the ending wasn't as good as we thought it would be. Choy leaves it very opened ended. We didn't even get to read about Jack coming down the ramp to Kiam and Jenny. It would've been great to witness their reunion (how they would have reacted or what they would have talked about).

We discussed some possible themes for the novel and came up with: identity, family, exclusion, belonging, and importance of family traditions. Choy conveys very well the mixed pressures and beliefs of Chinese trying to make a living in a new land that wants their work but is not ready to treat them as equal citizens.

She has read both All That Matters and The Jade Peony. She prefers The Jade Peony over this novel because it doesn’t have the elegant structure that the previous novel has. She continued and said that The Jade Peony basically consists of three short stories (each from the point of view of the three younger siblings) and All That Matters is just one continuous novel; there's a huge difference in the feeling of the novel if you go from three narrators to just one. I haven't read The Jade Peony yet or haven't really read books that have several perspectives in one before, so it didn't really bug me.

She read the novel over three years ago, but when I brought it up to her she said the first thing that she thinks of about this book is food, so we discussed that for a bit.

We came with a few things: food was something that tied family together and allowed them to hold on to those family traditions that were valued so much by the elders. The theme of food seemed to thread or weave its way through the plot of the novel seamlessly; you could hardly notice it because Choy wrote it so naturally, it felt normal for me to read. When she mentioned food and the preparing of the food I realized how much it really is mentioned throughout the book. I feel it is completely safe to say that there is something to do with food in every single chapter. It is mostly talked about when Kiam or another sibling is helping Poh-Poh prepare dinner. I realized no one ever prepared the meal by themselves; there was always contribution from at least one more person. The children would clean and sometimes cut the vegetables while Poh-Poh cooked or boiled them. I feel this represents a strong family. I also found myself craving Chinese food the whole time while reading this book; I'm actually eating some right now. Back to what the food represents... We thought the dinners were what brought them together. They could have had a very trying day or had an argument with another family member, but they were still brought together and reconciled over preparing the food. As a step forward in their relationship, Kiam invited Jenny over for dinner. This brought her and both of them as a couple closer with everyone else in the family. Another significant part in the book involving food is when Jack came over for dinner, even though earlier in the novel he was always forbidden to visit. It showed respect between them and also brought them together. The meal Stepmother prepared specially for him (peanut butter sandwiches and hot dogs cut into small pieces) depicted the coming together of both of their cultures and that they really can work together and be peaceful. 

Even after Poh-Poh's death, the Chen family continued their normal roles of preparing the dinners. They all worked together to make sure a good meal is made. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit envious while thinking of this all. My family definitely does not have as much passion in such a great family tradition as Kiam's family does. We barely eat together, nevermind prepare the dinner together. I think it's a great thing to do, to work together and make something that everyone enjoys. It definitely brought his family closer together.

I feel as if I should mention the Kitchen God. The Kitchen God is mentioned a lot throughout the book. It is a large piece of paper with a photo of Zao Jun (Kitchen God) printed on it. This is always placed in the kitchen, hence Kitchen God, near the stove. According to Chinese religion, Zao Jun records everything the family does throughout the year, good and bad. On the twenty third day of the twelfth lunar month, just before Chinese New Year, he returns to Heaven to report the activities of the household to the Jade Emperor (Yu Huang). The Jade Emperor, emperor of the heavens, either rewards or punishes a family based the report given to him by Zao Jun. He is released from earth by the burning of the photo each year, which Poh-Poh always did. Poh-Poh, who was extremely passionate with their religion, took it really seriously and made sure she did not say anything that could offend him. After she died, Sekky wanted to continue this tradition, so they burned the photo as well, mostly to respect Poh-Poh's old ways.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book very much. I'm definitely a fan of Wayson Choy's writing now, and I'm a little upset he isn't a more prolific writer; it would have been nice knowing there was almost an endless amount of books of his I could read. Either way, I will most likely read his other pieces of work. If they are half as good as I thought All That Matters was, I'm sure I'll enjoy them just as much.

The Chen Family

I constructed a simple family tree of Kiam-Kim's family to help me visualize it better. I was going to include Third Uncle but he is a very distant relative on Father's side. He was the one who allowed them to come to Vancouver from China by sponsoring them, therefore he still poses as an extremely important character. Even though he is not included in the tree, I believe he should always be noted when talking about the Chen family.

I didn't find out until a few chapters ago that Master Chen (from Old China) was the one who made Poh-Poh pregnant with Father. I also didn't realize until now that 'Father' is never called by his real name in the book. I wonder why Wayson Choy decided to do that. Stepmother or Poh-Poh didn't call him anything different either. I was surprised she didn't mention this until she reached the end of her life since she always had stories to tell, but I'm sure just like anyone who has had that experience, she didn't want to discuss it. There are a lot of untold secrets in this novel, too.

After making this tree, it reminded me that two of the four children who live in the house are Stepmother's real children, yet they still have to refer to her as Stepmother. She never talked much about it until the last chapter. I'm not surprised she mentioned this while she and Father had an extremely powerful argument. To never be called mother by one's own children can easily upset someone. She was forced to conform and agree to this just so she wouldn't anger the ghost of the First Wife who she didn't even know. I felt really sympathetic for her.

I made the line connecting Jung-Sum and Father and Stepmother red rather than black to show that he was adopted. I have to constantly remind myself that he is adopted because he fits so well into the family and is treated with as much respect and pride as the other children are.

I put 'Unknown' in the box underneath Jenny and Kiam-Kim because at the end of the novel I found out that they were expecting a baby very soon. Poh-Poh told Kiam that he should have several children, so this is something she would have been proud to see.

Chapter Nine - Push Forward to Shore. Do Not Drown in the Past

The last chapter! 

More attention was brought onto the Chen family when Sekky claimed he could see Poh-Poh's ghost. Usually when a ghost lingers on earth it means something must have been done to offend them in some way. Third Uncle mentioned that she is stubborn and even after an expensive funeral ceremony she "maybe need something more" (Choy 377). I think Sekky saw her ghost, or claimed that he saw her ghost, because he was around her the most which caused her to influence him that much more. Most of her traditional ways passed through her and along to him. On Christmas day he reminded Father that they must burn the Kitchen God picture soon (something Poh-Poh did every new year). If there was one thing that troubled Poh-Poh, it was probably the loss of tradition and Old China ways of her only son, so if he performed the burning of the Kitchen God picture he would be respecting her and the old traditions. On New Year's morning Sekky didn't waste time; he got everything ready, even remembering the details such as putting honey on the God's lips (believed to make him say sweet things about the family to the Jade Emperor). After they all looked satisfied at the burning picture, Jung-Sum asked if they were suppose to wait until the Chinese New Year, which was when Poh-Poh always did it, naturally. Sekky was extremely discouraged by this and he was left heartbroken by his mistake.

The family decides to properly put Poh-Poh to rest by having an exorcise ceremony. A few days later Sekky stopped seeing her ghost, it was a good ceremony.

Then the chapter shifted from Poh-Poh to the war. I would have thought the war would constantly be in people's minds at this time, but even after the reminders from posters on every street corner and newsreels at the theaters, the teenagers found themselves only discussing what the most recent clothing line additions to store windows and the newest trends were. I guess the war barely sunk into the minds of the young Chinese because they were told by the government that they were not needed.

My prediction that Jack would join the army was right. In his situation it seemed almost inevitable, especially because he did not want to be at home, "it'll take me as far away from my parents as I can afford" (Choy 384). Choy didn't go into much detail about what was happening at the O'Connor's residence, but he did mention his mother's constant uptightness and his father's alcohol problem briefly. In my last blog I also said how someone will have to bring up the incident in the library from a few chapters ago; that is exactly what Jack did. Reading up to that point I could tell there was something else on his mind. The way I thought Kiam would have reacted earlier was the way Jack reacted at this part. Lots of rage and lots of exclamation marks. They continue to argue back and forth and eventually Kiam throws his fist at Jack's face. The speed at which they reconciled was a lot faster than I would have expected. It could be because arguing was really uncomfortable for them. It really shows how strong their relationship was. He reassured Kiam that Jenny really does love him. After that they were fine.

My favourite part of the chapter was when Jack made a last request. He wished to sit down and eat for the first time with the family that he has lived next to for 15 years. Knowing he would not eat anything they would, Stepmother cooked a special meal just for him: a whole-wheat peanut butter sandwich cut into bite-sized cubes, perfect to pick up with chopsticks. I thought this was kind of them to do. It was kind of an amalgamation of both of their cultures. I'm not sure if this would have still happened if Poh-Poh was alive (she was the main reason why Jack was not allowed over to their house) but it's interesting to think of what the situation would have been like if she was there.

I found it ironic that Jack was shipped off to Hong-Kong because he was the only white friend Kiam had, and now he is going to China. I wouldn't know how to feel if I was Kiam; his grandmother recently passed away and now his best friend is going off to war.

I was a bit scared of the way Father acted in this chapter. When he wants something he will make sure he finds a way to get it. After all the Japanese merchants were forced to sell their shops, he was one of the first to jump on an offer. Stepmother protested and told him that they did not need their land. The atmosphere between them became explosive. Their argument seemed so harsh that it even made me wince a little. Stepmother finally brought up the fact that her own children don't even call her their mother. She did not say anything after. It seems that silence symbolizes comfort; no harm can be done if nothing wrong is said.

At the end of the chapter, Kiam asked Jenny to marry him. It came quickly and at an unexpected time, right after she told him to break up with her. I thought it was odd to ask someone to marry you when they just said "don't stay with me" (Choy 415). Her reaction made it seem like she did not want to - she grabbed a glass and smashed it against a wall. If that doesn't sound like a 'no' I don't know what does, besides saying the word of course... It was Jenny's mother who came in and found out what had just happened. Jenny knew what her mother wanted so she told Kiam that she would marry him. In the end I don't know whether her final decision to marry him was an obligatory act towards her mother or a personal decision. 

The novel does not end with a numbered chapter; Choy included an "Endings" right after the last chapter. I learn that Kiam and Jenny are expecting their first child and that they were waiting on another arrival as well: Jack was expected to come home. He was sent back because of extreme burns and other injuries caused by being trapped inside a burning building. The fact that his own mother did not go to meet him at the station and instead told Kiam and Jenny to meet him there really means something. She knows how much both of them meant to him and she demonstrated her respect for her son by letting both of them be the ones to welcome Jack back home. The novels ends with Kiam and Jenny watching one of the ramps being locked into place.

Even though I have finished the novel I still want to look further into a few things, so this will hopefully not be my last post.

Chapter Eight - The Only Cure for Old Age is to Die

I am nearing the end of the book, and unlike other books I have read (mostly for school) I don't want it to end. I would actually be content if this book carried on for another couple chapters. Compared to the others, this was a very eventful chapter and it created several different emotions for me as a reader.

In this chapter, people are beginning to be judged by their appearance, names, and accents. Since the war is taking its toll on everyone, more and more people are becoming suspects; if you look Japanese, sound Eastern European, or have a German-looking name, you were criticized. At this time it wasn't easy for anyone who had either of the above qualities. This reminded me of an excerpt from something I read in a school book a couple years ago about Japanese discrimination in Vancouver around this time as well. I think it was about David Suzuki. Even though he looked Japanese, he felt Canadian. I quickly read an interview with Wayson Choy and he said he felt like a banana growing up, and still does: yellow on the outside, white on the inside. I think that played a huge role in the characterizing of Kiam-Kim. Back to the David Suzuki excerpt: thousands of Canadian Japanese citizens were put into internment camps (I forget what they were officially named) even if they were born in Canada and knew almost nothing about their background country. These posters were scattered across British Columbia. Kiam and a lot of other Chinese citizens were usually mistaken as being Japanese and that caused some annoyance; they wanted to make buttons that said "I am Chinese".

While at the library, Kiam witnesses Jenny cheating on him with his best friend Jack O'Connor. Instead of confronting them, he walked back to the desk where he and Jenny were previously studying. He continued to ignore it for the whole chapter. He didn't mention it to Jenny when they were alone or even act angry towards her. I'm shocked he hasn't done anything yet because it wasn't just a random guy, it was his best friend (even if it was a random guy I would have thought he would have been mad and visually upset). It did bug him though; he got distracted at school or whenever he saw either of them, but he still didn't react the way I would have assumed someone in his situation would. This suggests that he isn't one to start any drama and just wants peace to always remain between his friendships. This is him attempting to be optimistic; he thinks if he ignores it, he'll eventually forget about it. The common knowledge I have on repressed emotions and memories is that they never end well and these emotions are always there until they are completely solved and understood. He is going to have to bring it up to one of them eventually.

Poh-Poh decided it was time to begin working on the final wind chime, the one that would be raised only after she passed away. She and Sekky had run out of colourful pieces of glass and shiny items and Poh-Poh thought it would not be complete in time. What seemed like a sign from the Gods, a local Chinese church burned down (luckily with no one in it), so Poh-Poh and Sekky both walked down to the ruins and foraged through the rubble. The two began to gain attention and it wasn't positive. People thought their actions were strange and it wasn't making the Chen family look good. From there on they were both strictly told to stay home for safety reasons. Poh-Poh was okay with this, she was waiting for her last sign: the return of an old friend who told her he would come back when she was ready and take her with him. Over the next few days, she kept seeing the ghost of him. She was too ill to stay at home so she was admitted into St. Paul's. The last thing she told Kiam was to have many sons with Jenny. The very next day Father came home earlier than usual and immediately went to Poh-Poh's room. He took the wind chime from underneath her bed and hung it in front of the window; the entire room was filled with dancing colourful spots made by the glass pieces. Personally, I think Poh-Poh was the most lively character, the most colourful one, so this part described her perfectly for me. Any room could be made more colourful or brighter when her presence was there. I was saddened by her death because she was probably my favourite character, but as Jenny said, "Everyone dies, everything ends" (Choy 351). It's going to be strange reading the next chapter because she won't be in it. The title of this entry ("The only cure for old age is to die") is a quote by the Great Buddha and is said by Poh-Poh, lightheartedly. She didn't seem scared of death after she accepted it.

I like how Choy decided to not state her death directly, instead it was implied by the hanging of the last wind chime. The description was subtle, thus if a reader wasn't paying attention they could have missed this significant event.

After her death, Kiam pondered and realized he never called her anything but Poh-Poh. In Chinese, 'Poh-Poh' means the mother's mother, but she is actually his father's mother, thus the proper name would be Nai-Nai. They were not permitted to call her Nai-Nai because on their documents she was stated as being their mother's mother. If they happened to slip up and call her that instead, the demon customs officers would ship them back to Old China. Jung-Sum, Liang, and Sekky were all documented as being his full siblings, too. He thought it shouldn't matter, they've only lived together as family so no matter what he would consider them family. Family ties and traditions both play huge parts in the novel. Kiam also learns that Father's father, his grandfather, was Patriarch Chen, Poh-Poh's master when she was a young slave in Old China. For this to happen he had to of raped her. This thought went through Kiam's mind and he was furious, but he concealed his extreme emotions by thinking Poh-Poh has not only gone through the worst, but she survived. He thought of her perseverance and it inspired him to see through anything no matter what. I thought it was interesting to be told this near the end of the book.  It makes me wonder what else there is that I don't know.

Identity

When put into a different place that is not like one's culture at all, it can be difficult to stay true to it and maintain that connection. It is hard for Kiam to remain "Chinese" when he is being immersed in another culture (North American). Throughout our lives little parts of our identities will constantly change, especially if one moves from one distinct culture to another, but it is up to us who decide how much it does change us. Kiam continues to struggle to balance the new and the old. Poh-Poh wants to see him perform family traditions and would hope to know he would still do them even after she is gone. He never gets away by speaking English near Poh-Poh without her criticizing him. She would like for him to speak Chinese all the time, but in a country where most of the citizens speak English, he knows that in order to have a successful future he will need to venture away from his old culture and become more comfortable with the new. Kiam is kind of lost with his identity because of his confusion with the collision between his family's culture and the new culture he now lives in. I believe that the way we express ourselves is greatly influenced by our identity. I feel as if Kiam does not want to disappoint Poh-Poh by saying anything negative that could slip out of his mouth about his culture, so instead he never really speaks much about it. This is probably why he tends to think a lot inside his head, because what is not heard cannot be judged or ridiculed. If we repress our thoughts and questions about our own identity, how will we truly know who we are and where we belong?

I think when we are able to hold onto our identity no matter where we go or what we do, that is when we will know who we really are.

Chapter Seven - No Guts, No Glory

Yet again, Choy chooses to accumulate several events into one chapter. This chapter can be easily broken into three main parts: discussion of the ongoing war, Jenny and Kiam's growing relationship and the project Poh-Poh and Sek-Lung continue to keep hidden from the others.

More apparent than ever, the war has reached Chinatown's doorstep. Everywhere Kiam goes he is reminded of the war overseas. I am beginning to think Father will talk to him more seriously about going off to war soon, since he is First Son, he must look brave to his younger siblings. It won't be happening anytime soon since the people of Chinatown were told that the Chinese and Japanese were not wanted by the Canadian government; all of the Asian descents have been denied into the army. I'm surprised Kiam wasn't discouraged by this. He lived each day like he didn't even hear it. If I lived in a country and they didn't accept people of my origin into the army, I would be wondering what else they didn't accept us for. This definitely describes the extreme exclusion "outsiders" or foreigners received at this time.

Tension grows in Chinatown as the war wages on. It's hard for me to tell if Father's work is appreciated or looked down upon. An elder spat in a spittoon and said "This for your dog-shit writing!" But then another quickly praised him for his work. This made me think what he does is very controversial; many people have their own opinions on it. I would definitely understand if he came home extremely stressed every day. He usually doesn't show signs of stress though; he isn't a very emotional character. He kind of seems 'flat' (lack of a better word) compared to the other characters. He hasn't changed as much, if at all, like the others have. It was this chapter that he showed a significant amount of emotion ever since he was furious at Kiam for getting drunk (chapter 6). A little bit after Poh-Poh had a frightful cough attack at the dinner table, Kiam saw his father crying at his desk. If there is anything I know about Father it is that he looks at the realistic side of things all the time. This means Poh-Poh is definitely reaching the end of her life and he knows it. 

I would have assumed this anyway since earlier, when I was reading a critical analysis, one of them mentioned Poh-Poh's death. Coming close to the end of the book I was wondering when it would be implied or mentioned. It was this chapter that I get the first hints of her diminishing health. She starts getting sick around the Easter holidays in 1940 with a chronic cough. At this time it is not contagious, but she is given medicine. She and Mrs. Lim call it "Westernized" medicine, thus she is reluctant to use it at first, then the coughs become such a nuisance she gives in and begins to take it.

The title of this entry is 'No guts, no glory". I chose to make it the title because it was said a couple times throughout the chapter and thought it was significant to the novel. No guts, no glory simply means no courage, no success. If you want to have achievements, you have to try and take risks and if you don't have the courage to do something, then you won't get the results from having done it. This popular saying can be connected to several parts of the book. Without courage, Kiam and his friends wouldn't have formed a relationship with Frank. Without trying or taking risks his relationship with Jenny wouldn't be getting as intimate as it has been.Without going out and looking foolish searching for pieces of shiny objects in garbage cans, Poh-Poh and Sekky would not be able to construct their lucky chimes. Jack said it too, when he mentioned all the young men who enlisted into the army and also when he told Kiam and Jenny that he was going to join, too. 
Kiam compared Jack to Gary Cooper and Fred Astaire, which adds to his characterization. It must mean he has a great sense of style, according to the people of this time, and has a really easy way with girls. He tries to impress them, even if they have rejected him before; as he would say "no guts, no glory."

The chapter ends with the completion and presentation of all of the lucky chimes Sekky and Poh-Poh created. She always planned to do this to celebrate the life she lived. This is another sign that Poh-Poh knows she is going to die soon.

Words looked up from this chapter: 

Pugnacious - eager or quick to argue

Amok - crazy, berserk 

Vicarious -  felt through imagined participation in the experience of others

Convivial - joyful, friendly

Fervent - enthusiastic, excited 

Alcove - nook, secluded spot 

Unrequited - not repaid or returned

Judging a book by its other cover

While searching for the cover of the version I have right now, I came across another one. ------>

It's a little more obvious to decipher compared to the first. A large crowd of people can be seen in the bottom right corner. They all seem to be looking in the distance where a ship can be seen. This is a huge part of the novel. It is how Kiam, his father and Poh-Poh arrived in Vancouver and also how Stepmother arrived; by boat. I'm sure the docks are flooded with people all the time, either waiting for shipments of China goods to come in or family or friends from China to arrive; a big part of the citizens of Chinatown's lives was spent at the docks.

As for the flower in the top right, I am not entirely sure of what kind it is. If I had to choose one it would be a white lily; it seems to resemble it the most. According to a few sites, the white lily symbolizes purity, modesty, virginity and heaven. They are also perceived as feminine since they have been said that they were created by Juno, the queen of the gods (in Roman mythology). This could symbolize that there is a feminine side to the book and that women are more respected there.

I thought maybe it could be a flower indigenous to China, but after searching I still could not find anything.

Chapter Six - Boy Fever

I'm well ahead of chapter six right now but I still remember a lot that happened in this chapter more than the others. This is probably because I was surprised by a lot of the events in this chapter. 

I will start off with what I wasn't surprised about: Poh-Poh is not very fond of Jack. She dislikes his crude humor and mockery. She even threw a broom at him (I visioned my grandmother doing this and laughed). Even after 10 years of being neighbours, the Chens and O'Connor's never attempted to get along or develop friendships with each other. However, they did gain respect between one another in this chapter. When Kiam dropped all of the groceries, Mrs. O'Connor helped him by replacing the spoiled food with food from her own cupboards. Stepmother repaid the favour by sending her flowers and Chinese tea. This friendly exchanged occurred a few more times. Poh-Poh still did not allow Jack into their home, claiming that "Chinese air kill him" (Choy 232). I thought since 10 years has passed Poh-Poh would at least talk to the family, but she didn't.

The continuing culture struggle is apparent when Father notices that Kiam-Kim's Chinese grades are slipping, but he is doing excellent in his English classes. Poh-Poh is very persistent and is trying her hardest to make sure her grandson is not a mo yung say doi (stupid) or mo li (have no manners). Father enlisted Kiam into more Chinese classes in order to improve his grades. I think him hanging around Jack O'Connor so much helps him with his English, but narrows down his Chinese knowledge.

This chapter focuses mostly on the maturing of Kiam and his friends. He is now fifteen and doesn't see Jenny Chong as only a nuisance anymore; he starts to like her. It's still weird flipping back to the first few chapters and stumbling upon a conversation he and Jenny had. The conversations usually ended in him being extremely irritated by her as if he would never like her as a friend, never mind more than that. I see Kiam as being the one who always has to do the right thing, especially since he is the well-respected 'dai-gou' (First Brother), so I was shocked when Kiam went out to smoke and drink with his friends. I guess he is like most teenagers and is experimenting to try and discover more about himself. I think Jack is a huge influence on him too. Kiam did a few things only because he thought Jack would think he is not manly if he didn't. Some examples would be smoking, drinking, and also kissing Jenny. 

Kiam came home drunk one day; I was surprised to see that Poh-Poh and Stepmother didn't react negatively. Everything that Kiam did that would usually be frowned upon, Poh-Poh labeled it as 'boy fever'. When Kiam threw up, she even cleaned it up for him. The two didn't tell Father what had happened to Kiam. This shows that they are able to forgive or tolerate such behaviour, unlike Father. It could also be that they know how much Father can overreact, so they thought it best to hide it from him. It didn't work; he found out about it and yelled things I was surprised to see him say, "Useless boy! Drunken dead boy!....Go, I kill you later" (Choy 240). It is almost expected that he react negatively, but I would never of thought he would go as far as saying he was useless or dead; the word 'kill' is a hugely over-exaggerated word, obviously he didn't mean it, but the fact he said it means a lot. What he said to Kiam instantly drew parallels between this and what Mrs. Chong said to Jenny earlier in the book, when she called her a dead girl and a useless daughter.

I was introduced to a new character in this chapter: Chinatown's black sheep, Frank Yuen. He is known as the bad guy around town; aggressive and dangerously carefree. It is he who teaches Kiam and his friends things that their parents or teachers wouldn't teach them. He teaches them about proper fighting and safe sex.The boys were afraid of him at first, but once he started teaching them useful lessons they became less nervous around him. I think Frank definitely played an important part in the maturing of Kiam. I feel that without Frank, Kiam would have many more questions looming around in his head than he already has now.

It is this chapter that I find out the war as come to Canada's door. The young men are told to prepare for war. Being Kiam, he constantly thinks and thinks about situations and this is definitely one he ponders on a lot. He is filled with frustration of where he belongs, "but where would I go, with barely any memory of the old country? What world did any of us belong to? What world would we fight for?" (Choy 281). He does not know what country he should fight for (Canada or China), but he knows he will eventually have to fight.

Choy tends to cover a lot of events or topics all in the length of just one chapter. By the time I am done finishing the chapter I usually have to quickly skim what I read before. It's easy to get lost if you skipped a page or two by accident. If I could interview the author one question I would want to ask if why he made the book consist of only 9 chapters, when he could have easily separated them into more. It's nice to not have 25+ chapters, but at the same time so much happens in one chapter that it seems that all the chapters kind of blend together in my mind. I'm not able to say "Oh this happened in chapter 3 and this specifically happened in chapter 6" It's different, but I'm slowly getting used to it. 

Words looked up from this chapter:

rote 
edict
futility
cadged 
filched

Found some visuals...

I found a few visuals to help me understand the area that the Chen family lives in. Wayson Choy did a lot of research and successfully made the plot seem much more realistic. He mentions a lot of street names and businesses, buildings, or parks. I thought it would be good for me to search for some real life images so I can properly visualize and understand what is happening better.

This is a map (screenshot off of Google Maps) that shows where the main part of Chinatown that Choy deals with in All That Matters is located. In chapter 5, Kiam-Kim mentions that he would sometimes go to MacLean Park with Jung-Sum. Also, in chapter 6 (currently reading) he says he goes there to smoke or drink with Jack and his other friend Jeff. The Chen's family house is located on E Pender Street.

 I looked up houses on E Pender Street and photos such as the one shown below appeared on the screen. This was somewhat how I visualized the houses, but with a larger space between them. In one chapter, Jack swings from a rope tied to Kiam's porch and flies into his own house window across the street. This made me think that the streets were pretty narrow and the houses must be close together.

  

This is another map, with the main areas circled and labeled. Kiam and his family live in northern Chinatown and the children go to school in Strathcona. This helped me understand the actual distance Kiam and Jung have to walk when he says they are walking to school in Strathcona. The Vancouver Wharfs are also labelled. That is where Father, Poh-Poh, and Kiam-Kim were when their ship from China arrived. It is also where they picked up Stepmother when she arrived, too. The railyards are close to Chinatown too, which means it is definitely easy to hear when a train goes by; this was heavily talked about in the first couple chapters. 

Chapter Five - All Too Real

Out of all of the chapters I have read so far this was the chapter that bored me the most. I really enjoyed the first 4 chapters, but this one seemed to drag on a bit. For about the first ten pages Kiam-Kim and his father walked around Chinatown to politely ask residents to donate some change in order to purchase food and blankets for the Chinese soldiers and starving children in China. The next 16 pages consisted of Kiam and his confusion of Hell vs. Heaven.

I've realized that Kiam thinks too much. If he doesn't fully understand something he usually dwells on it until he finds the answers he needs to satisfy him. For example, Jenny told him that her last teacher told her she was going to end up in Hell. He was confused on the topic and began to talk to others about it and looked it up in books. It made him feel that Hell seemed all too real. That only made him become more wary and concerned.

After Kiam-Kim kept thinking about Hell, Father thought it was best for him to learn about Heaven, too. He hought it would be a good idea to visit the church nearby. I was confused that Kiam was allowed to attend Sunday school classes in the church because Poh-Poh is strongly attached and committed to the Old China religion, so when she didn't make too much of an issue out of this, I was surprised. Choy tends to use street names while referring to places. I try to note them and search them up later. This time I searched what was exactly in the text, "Good Mission Church on Keefer Street".  I found this photo and did some quite research to assure it was in Chinatown and on Keefer Street. I even found out it was built in the early 1900's. 

It was neat to connect a real life image to what I read in the book. Choy does this a lot and I'll definitely try to look some places up and find a realistic match in the future.

I admire Kiam's diligence; most kids his age usually get frustrated and give up if they don't understand something. I have a feeling that is why the chapter focused so much on Hell and religion; it took him 16 pages, but he finally felt like he understood what he didn't know before. He told his father he didn't need to go to Sunday school anymore: when he looked at things he saw Heaven instead of Hell. I am silently hoping that there isn't this many references to religion in future chapters.  The topic doesn't interest me as much as other things Choy has written about so far. I'll soon find out...

Critical Article Summary #3

The third and final critical article I found was written in the Globe & Mail by Mary Millar.

After nine years since his first novel, The Jade Peony, Wayson Choy comes back with his latest written work, All That Matters. He found out after he wrote The Jade Peony that his life isn't too much different from his main character's; he found out he was adopted just like the main character, Jung-Sum, was. This led him to write a memoir called Paper Shadows 5 years after the his first novel was published. Despite the cloud of lies and secrets, he still tried to find a clear answer to all of his new questions. This revelation caused him to think deeper and analyze things more often; these qualities influenced him when he began to write All That Matters. Since he is close to and can relate to the topic which he writes about, it makes his writing that more realistic. It almost feels like the reader is reading a non-fiction.

Even though both novels are set during the same time period (1926-1947) they both stand alone as two different novels: one is not a continuation of the other and it is not absolutely necessary to read one before the other either.

With the eldest child, Kiam-Kim, narrating the book the author is able to provide more knowledge on events that happen. A reader of The Jade Peony will learn more about an event that occurs in both books if they read All That Matters. The younger narrators from the first book were not able to describe and explain each event as clearly as Kiam-Kim can. All That Matters takes the reader all the way to the beginning of the Chen's arrival in Vancouver. The author is able to do so because Kiam-Kim was old enough to remember when he, his father, and grandmother moved to Gold Mountain. Choy perfectly conveys the counterpoint of influences between old China and new Canada. Old China is portrayed through the grandmother, Poh-Poh, while new Canada is shown through Kiam's father. The immense difference in culture- as Choy describes them as - allows the reader to wonder just how much stress and pressure Kiam is enduring. They are able to visualize Kiam being tied by two ropes, being pulled constantly back and forth to each of the cultures' sides.

The beauty of Wayson Choy's work is that the plot is moving forward, developing characters along the way; the plot can temporarily move back a few generations during Poh-Poh's storytelling, which creates a nice sense of history and depth for the reader.

Choy's combination of language, imagery, and brilliant themes leave the reader remembering the Chen family's story years after they have put the book down.


Millar, Mary. "Choy completes the square." Globe & Mail (Toronto, Canada) 9 October 2004. Web: 27 October 2010. http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=IPS&docId=A123044243&source=gale&userGroupName=ko_k12hs_d21&version=1.0

Judging the book by its cover

I look at this book every day and it didn't occur to me until now to actually analyze and think deeper into not what was inside the book, but what was on the outside: the cover.

The cover consists of two butterflies, both slightly different in appearance. Looking even further, which also means I could also be further off, the butterfly that is made up of two different colours could potentially represent bilingualism or one being having more than one culture implemented in their life. While the solid coloured one could represent or a more monotonous cultured person, Poh-Poh and the Chinese elders for example. They believe in one culture: Old China.


The butterlies also look somewhat immobile; not in flight. They almost looked like they are pinned down, but not physically since there are no pins present, but mentally. This could symbolize Kiam and his younger siblings. As they are growing up in a completely different society than the one the older generation grew up in, there will be inevitable change. Butterflies change inevitably as well. But if they are pinned down, they cannot do anything with this new change. I think Kiam and his younger siblings may feel pinned down by the older generation's want to keep them close to their origin culture (Old China), even though they are a part of a new generation in a new place. They need to accept this change in order to be successful in Gold Mountain. What Poh-Poh and the other elders need to understand is that Gold Mountain isn't China, new places come with new experiences and change.


After quick research, I discovered that in Chinese culture two butterflies being together symbolize love; so does the colour red. It also represents a happy social life for the young. This might mean that all that matters is that you love and are loved in your life.
In the western world, the symbol of the butterfly stands for freedom, fun and joyous times. In other cultures it is known to symoblize luck. Connecting this knowledge to the title of the book, I can see that all that matters is freedom, love, and luck.

But generally, butterflies are a symbol of transformation. Kiam, the narrator, goes through a lot of change and transformation; it's an important theme in the novel. It symbolizes new life from the old one: Kiam is not the same person as he was at the beginning of the novel, and I am sure he will continue to evolve and transform through the rest of the book.

Chapter Four - To talk too soon...to act too quickly

After reading chapter four I have different thoughts of Jung-Sum; he has changed a lot since he first joined the Chen family. Since he is young he is susceptible to easy manipulation and influence.

It is this chapter that I see a huge difference between Kiam-Kim and Jung-Sum. Kiam is the older, more responsible son. He is clever while Jung-Sum is tough and strong. This is mainly shown when the two go to the library to return some books. The highly obnoxious, bratty Jenny Chong was outside the doors with her friends while the boys walked by. She called Jung-Sum Kiam's shadow and a dog. This instigation caused him to run up to Jenny and kick her shin. Personally, I think she deserved it, but that's because I am not a huge fan of her character at all... . Kiam, the more rational of the two, pulled Jung away and reassured him that "Sticks and stones will break your bones, but names will never hurt you" (Choy 176). Even after Kiam says this, Jung ignores him, which makes me believe he is extremely stubborn, too. Later that day Jung-Sum was spoken to by a few older people and shamefully listens. Typical of Jenny to do, she tells her mother a completely exaggerated version of the story; her mother brings up the incident claiming it was a 'brutal' kicking. After Mrs. Chong left, Kiam thought of several punishments Jung-Sum would have to endure from Poh-Poh and Father. Kiam thought, "he might be locked in the closet all night, he might be deprived of supper for a whole month..." (Choy 181).  Soon after at night, Kiam found out that Jung-Sum didn't receive any punishment. In fact, Poh-Poh told him to kick harder next time. I feel that this assures me that Poh-Poh doesn't think highly of Jenny Chong. I think this is most likely because her grandchildren, for the most part, are very well behaved and well mannered, while Jenny can act like a snob and she is a nuisance.

What I also realized in this chapter is that it is getting more and more difficult for Chinese families to purchase Chinese food and ingredients. China at this time is enduring* experiencing* a civil war as well as a war with Japan, thus unable to export any goods to other places, including Vancouver. I think the lack of Chinese *goods in Vancouver's Chinatown is a sign that the culture is slowly disappearing. I felt bad for the Chinese immigrants. They came to Canada filled with hope and now they must leave with less than that; almost nothing more than the clothes on their backs. If they left Canada they were not allowed to come back. The shame that now filled them caused some of the people to kill themselves en route back to China, unable to face their family back home. It was weird reading that Canada would do that, since today we are a generally tolerant, kind country; but I reminded myself that this was in the 1930's, things were different.

It was also announced that Stepmother would be havin another baby. I was shocked to hear about this, especially since Poh-Poh's wish had been granted (she has 3 grandsons already). It didn't surprise me when Stepmother was later described as being very weak and ill.  She seems to me to be a small statured young woman, and giving birth to three children in a timespan of a couple years is hard on anybody. At the end of the chapter, Stepmother prepared for her third time to give birth. Unfortunately it didn't end well and the baby died just a few minutes after it was born. I was surprised that she wasn't clearly upset that she just lost a son. She even smiled when she was reassured that it was all over. Poh-Poh was the optimistic one of the family and quickly said, "We thank the temple gods that this grandson suffer only this night" (Choy 193).

Maybe in chapter 5 I'll learn more about the death of the baby's affect on the family; if they'll dwell on the incident or move on with their lives.                                                                                                     

Critical Article Summary #2

This is a precis of the second critical article I found on not only Choy's All That Matters, but also his writing style that he implemented into both his novels The Jade Peony and All That Matters. I'm a bit upset that there were a few spoilers in this article. Hopefully it won't affect my reaction to the events when I actually read about them.

There is a strong theme of ghosts and incantations used by Wayson Choy in his recent novel All That Matters. It is not so much an addition or extension to the ending of his novel written in 1995, The Jade Peony, but more so the same story told from a different perspective. The Jade Peony was written from the younger children's point of view (Liang-Liang, Jung-Sum, and Sek-Lung) while All That Matters is told through the eldest son, Kiam-Kim. Most authors don't usually write the same story again in a different novel, but Choy felt like he didn't complete the Chen family's story. It was the character Poh-Poh (the grandmother of the Chen family) who didn't sit well with Choy. He felt that there was much more to explain about her. She is one of the key characters and important role in maintaining the Chinese culture in the family. She 'acts as caregiver, storyteller and guardian of all things traditionally Chinese" (Myers 2004). Choy explains that the two novels may be about the same family but they still stand alone as two different novels. He successfully distinguishes the two by explaining that "The first book dwelled on the maternal side of Chinatown. It is the tale of the clan's elders and how they care for the three younger children. Kiam now offers a window onto the patriarchal side of Chinatown--the world inhabited by the fathers, uncles, sons, nephews and lonely bachelors" (Myers 2004). Choy successfully sustains the balance between heavy issues such as war, cultural differences and interracial relationships with more cheerful, lighter events and family experiences. Choy is absolutely talented in making even the most analytical minded people believe and understand what he is writing. He makes readers want to believe the things he says are filled with magic, ghosts, curses, blessings, and omens. It wasn't his belief in ghosts that influenced him to implement them into his work, oddly, he doesn't even believe in them. He does believe that the people who loved him and he loved back, are dwelling in his life well after they left this world. He avers that it is his old professor, Carol Shields, who is the voice in his head while he is writing; kindly asking him if he used too many adjectives in a sentence. It is Shields that Wayson Choy fans should thank, because it was she who urged him to lengthen his story about a Chinese immigrant family, which sooner turned into The Jade Peony; which eventually would influence the making of All That Matters.

Myers, Rebecca. "The Yin and the Yang: Toronto's Wayson Choy explores the masculine side of Chinatown" Time Canada 25 Oct. 2004 (Web. 28 Oct. 2010). http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&docId=A125420752&source=gale&srcprod=ITOF&userGroupName=ko_k12hs_d21&version=1.0

Critical Article Summary #1

The first critical article I found was written by David Callahan in the Canadian Ethic Studies Journal. It was published fairly recently, in 2005. Most of the article contains main points of the novel, summarizing it here and there. It seemed the author only had positive things to say about Wayson Choy.

All That Matters could be described as the 'sequel' to Wayson Choy's previous novel, The Jade Peony. They both follow the lives of the Chen family and their struggles to maintain a Chinese culture while being immersed into a whole different one.  His recent piece of work, All That Matters, is just like The Jade Peony in the way that they are both equally history rich. It is evident that Choy did previous research on the social history and common events that occurred during the story's time. He uses the research and information that he collected and  perfectly creates a fiction storyline that could easily make the reader think everything written in the novel was from a true story. Chinese families who lived in Vancouver at the time all struggled, either financially, socially, or culturally. But they believed that things will be better in the end, despite the horrible conditions they might have in the present, it may get better for the future generations. Endurance and diligence is key to success and that is portrayed through the Chen family. They try their hardest to balance old Chinese traditions and culture while pertaining and adapting to the new North American culture. Choy shows their endurance by addressing the family's aspirations and successes, but also their frustrations and difficulties. He captures what life was like for the average Chinese immigrant of that time in Vancouver. Choy's writing is kind when it comes to people who do not have knowledge of the common Chinese events, culture, and language. He implements small Chinese/English translations throughout the whole novel, giving the book a foreign, oriental feeling. One thing that makes this novel different from other culture conflicts related to Chinese immigrants in Vancouver in the 1930's, is the remarkable transition the younger generation makes throughout the book. Kiam-Kim's relationship with an Irish boy, Jack O'Connor, beautifully connects the two cultures together. Their relationship makes it easier for the reader to notice differences between the two cultures. The immense detail on the little things in Choy's masterpiece All That Matters is what keeps the reader turning the pages.

Callahan, David. "All That Matters: A Novel." Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal 37.2 (2005: Web. 14 Oct. 2010. http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=IPS&docId=A140708023&source=gale&userGroupName=ko_k12hs_d21&version=1.0

Chapter Three - Outside always hurts, but inside...no one can touch if you're strong and proud

I just finished reading chapter three. I had so much to do this week but when I found the time to sit down and read a section of the chapter each night, it was always enjoyable.

At the beginning of the chapter, the family welcomes their new son and brother Jung-Sum. He is also referred to as Second Son (Kiam-Kim being First Son). The two were forced to share a room with each other. Kiam immediately attempted to set rules and limits between him and his new younger brother to "show the squirt right away who was boss" (Choy 108). He marked which drawers are only to be used by him and drew a red crayon line down the middle of their room. That was Kiam's first problem with Jung; he had to now say 'our room' when he previously said 'my room' for years.  I thought at first he was being a bit too harsh on his new brother. At one point he even said, "'Let me see how tough you are'" (Choy 108). Then he "punched him in the stomach. Just hard enough" (Choy 108). It is hard as a reader to actually aprehend how hard he actually punched his little brother, but I can only assume. Already I know Jung-Sum is a strong person, he didn't cry or even flinch when Kiam punched him. Soon after I found out that Jung was beaten by his father before he was adopted into Kiam's family. Kiam is reminded just how lucky he is to have been born in his family: no poverty, no hate, no beating. With the addition of Jung-Sum, the family is one step closer to completing Poh-Poh's wish of having three grandsons.

Poh-Poh yet again tells the children another one of her many stories from her experiences in Old China. Personally, I love Poh-Poh as a character: she is lively and adds colour to the novel. She is much different than the others, since she remains indigenous to the cultures and traditions of Old China. She is the only one who spent more than half her life there. Her age and where she grew up influence her character and what she says to the other characters. She is remarkably enthusiastic when telling her stories, making it sound so real. I can understand that Kiam and his siblings want to believe what she is saying; her vivid descriptions make life seem so much more fascinating.

Since Kiam is older now, he wants to be even more like his father. He knows his father doesn't believe half the things the Old One says, leading to Kiam not wanting to believe her as much either. I think when he sees that his younger siblings are wide-eyed throughout the whole telling of the story and they believe everything that is being said, it makes him not want to believe his grandmother. If his younger siblings believe her stories, he probably thinks it would be childish for him to trust what she is saying, too. Now that he is older he wants to be more realistic and rational, like his father. He said, "when I was almost ten, I stood with one foot deep in the rippling waves of Poh-Poh's storytelling while my other foot stood firmly on dry ground" (Choy 121). I liked this metaphor Choy used because it helps describe Kiam's evolution into a more mature, self-choice-making character while using a familiar visual (waves and dry ground). The stories not only tell me more about Poh-Poh and her history, but it also adds depth into the plot. Her stories also bring out present characteristics in people. For example, when Father overhears her telling a story, he usually shakes his head or assures the children that it's not all true. This tells me that he has lost his spiritual part of his old culture. He is more of a serious character. I feel like he can be  slightly austere when it comes to Poh-Poh's affect on the children with her tales. Her stories also help me contrast Kiam-Kim with  Jung-Sum and Liang-Liang. The sentence,"Liang and Jung could be summoned at once for talk-story time like hungry dogs to dinner. I took my time" (Choy 123) suggests that Kiam is older and less excited or interested about the stories compared to his unaware, younger siblings.

Most of her stories before this chapter were about iron dragons and monkey kings. In this chapter she revealed a more personal story. It was about her time as a servant for a spoiled young mistress back in Old China. I'm not going to explain the whole story, but one of Poh-Poh's main tasks was to brush the mistress's hair. She had a dream that the serpents that were engraved onto the comb told her that the 'mistress will die'. At the later part in the story, Poh-Poh describes the mistress's death. It seemed a bit exaggerated and, like I would have done, Kiam went and asked his father about that mistress. He told her how she actually died, similar to what Poh-Poh said, but less extreme. It was an interesting story, but I only believed parts of it, in that way I feel like I am somewhat like Kiam's character: some parts seem possible but other parts seem ridiculous or foolish; but I guess that's what makes the story seem that much more interesting, when sections of it seem impossible. Even if some modernized middle-aged people did not believe her stories, they still enjoy hearing them; she is a well-respected story-teller in Old China and remains so in the Chinatown in Vancouver. I admire her confidence, honesty and imagination.

Oh and I guess I should explain the title. Father says it closer to the beginning of the chapter when Jung is having trouble with bullies at school. I thought it was such a brilliant thing to say; I agree with it 100 per cent. It's significant because it is at the same time he asks Kiam for help. It's the first time Kiam acts like a good, responsible older brother. This is an important thing to point out because he was just ridiculing him a few pages before. Therefore I'm assuming Kiam is quickly realizing what his main role as First Son is; he's already showing an immense amount of responsibility to his two younger siblings.

I feel Choy's choice to make Kiam-Kim the narrator of the novel was a great one. I think out of all the characters, Kiam will change and evolve the most. If the story was told through someone who hardly changed, it would seem somewhat monotonous and less interesting. In this chapter it's evident that the older people are giving Kiam more respect. Poh-Poh allowed him to do the 'grown-up' job at dinner which was using the sharp knife to clean the turnips. He is also the only child to know about Stepmother being pregnant: a secret. Grown-ups are allowed to know secrets; this is how Kiam sees this and he feels older and more mature. When I get to the end of the book, I will be able to reflect back to the beginning and see how far he has come. I predict he will have completely different opinions on things in the future since he will be older and have more general knowledge.

At the end of the chapter Stepmother gave birth to Sek-Lung, Poh-Poh's third grandson. Respect for elders in Chinese society was shown again: Third Uncle and Father asked the Old One if she approved the naming of the newborn son. She smiled and said yes.

Words looked up from this chapter:

coolies

paraffin

beguiling

indignation

carp

reposed

Author Survey and Critical Articles

Author: Wayson Choy                                              Title: All That Matters

What made you interested in this author?

I was more interested in the novel itself other than the person who wrote it. I read the back and the inside flaps and it made me want to read this book; it was something I've never read before. That being said I am more interested in reading his other works now that I know more about him as an author.

Brief background on the author: 

Wayson Choy was born and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 20th, 1939. He was the only son of immigrant parents from China. Later in his life he studied creative writing at the University of British Columbia. 

He moved to Toronto in 1962. When he moves there he begins to teach. He taught English at Toronto's Humber College in 1967. There he was also a member of the Humber School of Writers. He was won numerous awards for his work. In 1996, Choy shared the Trillium Book Award with Margaret Atwood for his novel The Jade Peony. He won this same award in 2004 for his novel All That Matters. He found out from a mysterious phone call when he was 56 that he was adopted as a child. Instead of thinking his life was a lie up until that point, he accepted his parents' choice. As a result of this revelation, he wrote his memoir entitled Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood. In 2004, he almost died from a severe asthma attack while writing All That Matters. It worsened and he even went into a coma. When he began writing the novel again, after recovery, he changed a lot of things. It is extremely safe to say that All That Matters would have been a completely different book if he had not suffered that sudden asthma attack. Before he finished the novel it went by the working title of "The Ten Thousand Things". He continued to write it with this new perspective of life: he realized that little things can cause huge impacts. In 2000, a documentary film on Choy's life was created. It was called Wayson Choy: Unfolding the Butterfly. He still lives in a Toronto apartment with his wife and daughter and share it with a couple of his close friends today.

Other published works and genres:

(1995) The Jade Peony - novel

(1999) Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood - memoir

(2009) Not Yet - A Memoir of Living and Almost Dying - memoir

Information on particular places, time periods, events of influence or interest to your author:

Wayson Choy greatly relies on his family culture and origin in his writing. Before writing, he researched a lot about the life of both women and men living in China in the early 1900's. He focused on not only their lives in China, but also in Vancouver's Chinatown. His immense and accurate information and detail make the reader feel completely knowledgeable of the time period and places he writes about. He could even be described as an Historian in that category (Chinese cultures in both Western Canada and China in the early 1900s).

Themes favored by the author:

Choy believes characters come first, then plot. Perspective is extremely important. Who is telling the story can change the plot heavily. Choy knows which character is the most ideal one to use to tell the story in the most effective way possible. He believes and relies heavily on signs, in his work and also in his life. He also sees there is nothing more important than writing the truth. He tries to implicate secrets whenever he can, too.

Similar authors: 

Choy can be compared to another Canadian History cultural author Thomas King, an Aboriginal history novelist. Both authors write about different cultures within another culture (Canada). Both of them were also awarded the Governor General's Award.

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Critical Articles:

Callahan, David. "All That Matters: A Novel." Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal 37.2 (2005: Web. 14 Oct. 2010. http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=IPS&docId=A140708023&source=gale&userGroupName=ko_k12hs_d21&version=1.0

 

Quan, Shirley N. "All That Matters." Library Journal 131.20 (2006): 106-107. Education Research Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Oct. 2010.

 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=23454949&site=ehost-live

  

Millar, Mary. "Choy completes the square." Globe & Mail (2004): Web. 16 Oct 2010. http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=IPS&docId=A123044243&source=gale&userGroupName=ko_k12hs_d21&version=1.0

http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=IPS&docId=A127197606&source=gale&srcprod=CPI&userGroupName=ko_k12hs_d21&version=1.0

Chapter Two - "Too Much Discipline Can Spoil the Lesson"

Reading chapter two went by faster than I thought it would. I was actually shocked when I turned the page and saw “THREE”. I’m taking it as a sign that I’m enjoying this book more and more. 

After reading the first two chapters, it is clear that Kiam-Kim is a very curious character. He also knows more than the elders think he does. He acts older than he actually is because the way he is being raised. He has a lot of respect and is well-mannered, probably because he has good people around him. His family gives him enough food, shelter, and love, and teaches him respect: expect nothing, be patient, be modest, they tell him. I realized that respect is a huge part of Chinese culture. The children are scolded for what seems like the smallest things. It shocked me at how hateful Mrs. Chong was towards her daughter, Jenny Chong. I probably read the words “dead girl, useless daughter” eleven times. I thought she was being extremely harsh. She didn’t invite her into the dining room to eat; instead she told the group of women to ignore her and ‘let her rot’. I was wondering what on earth she could’ve possibly done to make her mom so offended. I was happy when Mrs. Chong eventually told the others why. She said that her daughter threw a book at her father. Like Kiam-Kim, at first I thought it was a heavy-sized book; no, it was a flimsy notebook. I thought that maybe Jenny must have done something or several things in the past in order for her mother to react the way she did. Hopefully further into the book I get to learn more about her. Later in the chapter Jenny and Kiam-Kim are left alone in the kitchen to clean up. It was then that I found out how rude and obnoxious Jenny is. As bad as she is I don’t think she deserves being called a dead, useless girl. After all, the way she is might be because of her mother. The title of this post is dialogue from this chapter. Poh-Poh is the one who says this in response to Mrs. Chong's obvious unnecessary punishments towards her daughter. Mrs. Chong replies, "And not enough discipline spoils the child" (Choy 97). I agree with both of them when it comes to general punishment, but in relation to the novel I think Poh-Poh is the one who is right. I have a feeling Jenny is the way she is because of too much discipline, therefore she forgets why she is even being punished in the first place. 

As weird and completely far-off as it sounds right now, I think later in the novel there might be an intimate relationship between Jenny and Kiam-Kim. 

This chapter seemed to focus on Kiam-Kim’s relationship with his grandmother; it helped me understand the two a little more. Throughout the chapter Poh-Poh shows mixed emotions about her grandson; she brags about him when her friends come over to play mah-jong, but she still seems disappointed by him when they discuss Chinese culture and tradition. This is an example of the big theme ‘traditionalism vs. Westernization’ in the novel. It doesn’t surprise me that she is frustrated about Kiam-Kim. He is losing touch with his Chinese culture and being an elder, she isn’t used to this lack of culture. Since he was only a baby when he lived in China he doesn’t remember a lot about it. He has spent most of his life in British Columbia; therefore he will most likely absorb that culture because he is being immersed in it. Poh-Poh is upset because of that. Kiam-Kim says, “By the end of grade 2, I knew more about British Columbia than I could ever remember about China” (Choy 70). He claims that he doesn’t care if all his Chinese brain cells withered away. I think later in the novel he’ll mention how he wishes he would’ve learned more about his culture and where his family originated from. Poh-Poh is also both disappointed and slightly jealous of his ability to read English labels and write simple English sentences with ease. Either way, she still scolded him for his poor Cantonese. He starts to feel influenced by his white friend, Jack O’Connor’s, religion, and believes Jack when he tells him that the Kitchen God is ‘just a piece of paper’. 

There is also a conflict of race differences. There are Chinese and white people that live amongst each other on the same street that Kiam-Kim and his family live on. The white elders wanted everyone to stay among their own kind. Both the Chinese and white elders would glare when they saw the younger generation playing together. I think this represents change and the struggle that comes with it. 

I predict that Kiam-Kim is going to struggle satisfying each generation. What I mean by that is he may be trying to be accepted by his grandmother, but he won't be prepared to live in the new world (Vancouver) when he is older if he only knows the ways of Old China. His father is trying to modernize their culture to help them fit into the North American culture, while still maintaining their normal values and traditions. 

The chapter ends with the announcement that someone must go pick up the family’s newly adopted son. Kiam-Kim is confident that he will be a good role-model for his younger siblings.

I’m curious as to how well the new son fits into the family in the next chapter.
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Words looked up from this chapter:
Galvanized
Filial
Feign
Incantations
Exorbitant