Analysis Of Simple Recipes By Madeleine Thien

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Simple recipes
This is a story of an immigrated family, narrator’s father and mother who immigrate to Canada from Malaysia. In this family father prepares foods for everybody every day. One day, son’s rebellious behavior broke the silence of life, and father used violence to teach him a lesson, all this happened were in daughter’s eyes. The story is written by Madeleine Thien, “Canadian-born daughter of Malaysian-Chinese immigrants, who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now, whose collection Simple Recipes was named a notable book by the 2001 Kiriyama Paci fic Rim Book Prize” (Brown, 2006). The theme of cultural conflicts are shown through the setting of rinsing rice in kitchen, the character of brother’s rejection in life and the metaphor …show more content…

“The fish in the sink is dying slowly.” (Paragraph 19 line 1). After immigrating in Canada Malaysia’s culture in author’s family is fading away like fish dying slowly in the sink “‘I don’t like the eyeball there. It looks sick.’” (Paragraph 34) Why do we have to eat fish?” (Paragraph 31 line1). Which represents son’s resistance of Malaysian culture “My father reaches in with his bare hands. He lifts the fish out by the tail and lays it gently on the counter. While holding it steady with one hand, he hits the head with the flat of the cleaver.” (Paragraph 22 line 1-3). Since son’s rejection in dinner and reluctance of remembrance of Malaysian, father choose traditional way to teach son like treat fish. TV show serves as soil for their cultural tree to derive nutrient, make sure the tree has struck roots. “He loved cooking shows. We watched Wok with Yan, my father passing judgments on Yan’s methods. You don’t have to be genius to do that.” Narrator’s father keens on watching Asian television show, television is a bridge for father talked about the Asian country culture with narrator and is also a vehicle to transmit relevant Asian culture message. Nametag symbolizes new identity in new country, “her nametag is still clipped to her blouse” (paragraph 35 line 1) mother immigrates in Canada, all life is new for her, she is a new immigrant who needs time to eliminate cultural

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