A Literary Analysis of Tian in Hunger by Lan Samantha Chang Essay

HungerThe novella Hunger, written by Lan Samantha Chang, is a story of a man named Tian who left his country to come to New York to become a famous musician. In the dream of becoming a famous violinist Tian meets Min, a woman he met at a restaurant she worked at. The two end up getting married and having two girls named Anna and Ruth. Tians Hunger of becoming a famous violinist ends up destroying his family. The external pressure of culture and its influence on gender roles and expectations has left Tian with an unfulfilling life, having repercussions further than his own life. It has affected his daughters, his wife and himself, leaving everyone alone, insecure and unsatisfied. In the novella, the pressure of culture and gender affects Min the mother deeply, leaving her at the end completely unfulfilled in her life and unhappy. When Min came to the United States she had different goals for herself, one being to learn English and to get a good job. That changed when she mat her husband Tian. Min completely desired Tian because of the passion and the drive he had to play the violin. When Min got married her priorities changed for her and it was important to cook and clean for her husband. In Asian culture it is very important to carter to your husband and to be very domestic. Min wanted to learn English but the pressure of culture of being a good housewife left Min to let go of her goals she had when she first came to the U.S. When Min gets pregnant, Tian isnt happy as he is more focused on his career. He becomes more dismayed at the fact that the child-to-be is a girl. An obvious disgrace in Asian cultures for many reasons, most of all being that the girl does not carry on the family name. They also believe that boys are more useful and smart....