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.
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.
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