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.
----------------

Words looked up from this chapter:
Galvanized
Filial
Feign
Incantations
Exorbitant

Chapter One - A New Beginning

I started reading the book and out of curiosity I decided to see how long each chapter was. I realized then that this novel only consists of nine chapters, meaning they are really long chapters; something I am not used to. The length of the book is normal for me but I’m going to have to get used to turning 30 or so pages until seeing the next chapter.  I just finished the first chapter and I have never been so relieved to see the number ‘two’ in my whole life. I’m not implying that the book is not interesting. I’ve actually enjoyed reading it so far, but there is a time where a chapter just needs to end. I feel like there are ‘sub-chapters’ within each chapter. He doesn’t make it visually clear, but it is pretty obvious when you read it. By the end of the first chapter the main character, Kiam-Kim, is eight years old. He was only three when I started reading. 

At the beginning of the chapter there was a lot of information to absorb. I have a feeling it will be like this for the whole book, after all, each chapter is roughly 50 pages each. This is the sequel to Wayson Choy’s first novel, The Jade Peony. I have read and heard that to fully understand and transition to this novel I should read the first one before. When I first started reading, I was a little lost since he mentions characters as if I should know who they are already. Thankfully it wasn’t difficult to put pieces together as Choy’s vivid explanations and descriptions helped me a lot.

So far the main characters that have been introduced are Kiam-Kim, Father, Poh-Poh 

(grandmother), Third Uncle, and Stepmother. Other characters include Mr. Ben Chong, Mrs. Annah Chong and their daughter Jenny Chong, Mrs. Pan Wong, Jook-Liang, Jack O’Conner and his parents Mr. and Mrs. O’Conner.

The story is told through Kiam-Kim, who is the first and only son of Father and his First Wife. Kiam-Kim’s mother died from the ‘coughing illness’ when he was a baby. At the beginning of the first chapter, I found out that Kiam and his family were sent away from their small village to Hong Kong. From there they traveled to Vancouver, or as they call it, Gold Mountain, in response to their Third Uncle who sponsored them. He sponsored them because Kiam-Kim’s father is the closest family Third Uncle could think of. All his close family who lived in Vancouver with him died; so in order to keep on his legacy and investments he has built over the years he needed to have more family live with him and also work for him. 

The transition for the three was a little difficult at first. They lived in a tiny apartment that was constantly filled with noise from men workers and trains. The grandmother, Poh-Poh, seems to be more spiritual than the others. She tells Kiam-Kim that the noise he hears when a train goes by is actually grey dragons battling or playing. He badly wants to believe what his grandmother is telling him, but his father thinks it is all nonsense and is trying to make sure his son doesn’t believe what she is saying by reassuring him that the noises are just trains.

Soon after their arrival, Third Uncle proposed that he should sponsor a female helpmate for them, since he could afford it. Father and Poh-Poh loved this idea. Poh-Poh repeatedly said throughout the chapter that she will die soon and she wants to see three grandsons before then.  It is clear that Poh-Poh and the other elders are greatly respected.  Everyone tries to make sure what she wants or suggests happens so she is satisfied. Before the helpmate, Kiam-Kim’s Stepmother, arrived, they moved into a nicer, more spacious house, away from all the warehouses, which is what Poh-Poh wanted. 

Poh-Poh is also very traditional, so is the rest of the family, except Kiam-Kim. Since he was only three when they moved to Vancouver, he doesn’t know how life was really like in China. He starts talking to a white child who lives across the street from them. Poh-Poh always disapproves whenever he tells her about him. Throughout this chapter, the family tries to teach Kiam-Kim manners; not only general manners, but Chinese manners. His father reminds him, “Never forget, you are Chinese” (Choy 53).

Later, Kiam-Kim’s Stepmother arrives from China. The older women help her transition to her new lifestyle and settle in Gold Mountain. 

They try hard to maintain their Chinese culture, but they know some things have changed, sometimes for the better. When Stepmother has a baby girl instead of a boy, the family is still happy. There is no big celebration, but they still take care of her. For the first few months Stepmother clung onto her daughter, scared to let her go. This is because she knows that in China they would have taken her away, either sold to another family or killed. She relaxed when Poh-Poh assured her that Gold Mountain is not like Old China.

The chapter ends with a little celebration for the new baby, Jook-Liang, and for Kiam-Kim as well. He received many toys and ‘lucky money’. He walks over to his white friend’s house, Jack O’Conner, and gives him an envelope containing a couple coins.  Poh-Poh and the others soon find out about this and penalize Kiam-Kim for it. He goes to bed feeling ashamed. Soon after, Stepmother walks in and quietly slips a few coins in his hand. This shows that she is willing to accept some mistakes, unlike Poh-Poh. She is less strict as her. It isn’t as noticeable now, but further into the book I think the two women will contrast each other a lot, which could be positive or negative for Kiam-Kim. 

What I noticed quickly was the dialogue. The way Choy uses it enforces the fact that they are foreign with the broken English type dialogue. This helps characterization a bit and also helps me understand how different they may feel compared to the rest of the city. Choy sometimes mentions when they are speaking Cantonese or Toishanese. If he doesn’t then I assume they are speaking one of those languages unless he says something such as “In my best English possible, I say...” 

What I like so far is Choy adds the right amount of description where needed the most. He also puts some humour into the dialogue. It helps me figure out certain traits about characters, plus it makes it more interesting to read.

I quickly started reading chapter two of the novel this morning; not so much that I couldn’t wait to continue reading it, but more-so the result of my dad’s slightly annoying friend being at my house who I didn’t really want to have to converse with;  I stayed in my room and read a few pages until he left instead. At least I was being productive. 

Anyway, I’m not absolutely in love with the novel but I also don’t dislike it either. I have a feeling Kiam-Kim will change the most throughout the novel because he is a new generation of the family. Not everything can stay the same, especially when you move to a place on the other side of the world. As of now I am content with my book choice and hopefully I can still say that when I blog again.