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....

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Character Analysis of Basil Hallward in The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Novel by Oscar Wilde Essay

The main character in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian, is a man too easily influenced by his surroundings. He is quoted as saying, Basil Hallward is what I think I am Lord Henry is what the world thinks me Dorian is what I would like to bein other ages, perhaps (Wilde). This comparison falls in line with the moral of the story because Dorian is stuck with eternal youth and beauty even though he has a wicked soul. This causes different views of him by people who observe his daily life. Dorian is a sponge throughout the novel that absorbs everything and allows it to shape his personality, morals, and actions. Dorian Gray takes influence from Lord Henry, Basil Hallward, and the culture of society during which the novel was written. Lord Henry is the epitome of a wealthy, hedonistic gentleman seeking only pleasure, with little regard to cost or consequence. Lord Henry Wotton outwardly propounds hedonism, but it is his extreme egotism that drives him to manipulate both Basil Hallward a
Read more

Religious Symbolism in The Blessed Damozel, a Poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti Essay

Dante Gabriel Rossettis poem The Blessed Damozel is full of religious symbolism. There is talk of saints, and the poem itself takes place in heaven. But underneath the religious symbolism is a deep sensuality, that makes one wonder if the white rose of Marys gift referred to in line nine is the gift of Mary the Virgin, or the somewhat less virginal Mary Magdalene. While the Damozel is in heaven, her appearance in heaven, her behaviors in life, and what happens when she and her lover are reunited suggest some less than virginal dealings, yet the damozel is blessed and resides in heaven. Rossetti was the child of liberals kicked out of Italy a heavily catholic country for their extreme political views. While Rossetti himself was not political, he may have espoused similar views regarding politics and religion as his parents. In the poem The Blessed Damozel, Rossetti was given the chance to essentially create his own heaven. Most everything he wrote seems to show that Rossetti espoused
Read more

An Analysis of the Character of Chichikov in the Poem, Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol Essay

Dead Souls takes place in the Russia of the late 1800s, where, unlike in America, one must be born into a prosperous family in order to have opportunities. The main character, Chichikov, is clever enough to develop a scheme in which he can rise from being a petty clerk to a respected landowner. In order to do this, Chichikov moves into a new town, pretending to already be a landowner, and begins a quest to buy the names of dead serfs who have not yet been officially reported dead. Each person that Chichkov presents this offer to has a different reaction, starting with the shy and introverted Manilov. Though he does not understand Chichikov's need for the names of these dead serfs, Manilov is a character that is so desperate for company that it does not take any effort to trick him into selling his dead souls cheaply. However, as Chichikov continues his journey, he starts to deal with more clever landowners who become suspicious of his scheme. Chichikov finds that the townsmen know
Read more