American Born Chinese Character Analysis

The traits of a friend have never truly been defined. Some are motherly, some are funny, others to kind for their own good. The bonds of friendship are built upon these traits and though not always a perfect match, but sometimes they fit like two pieces of a puzzle. In American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, the readers are taken on a trip through the life of a boy named Jin and his secret encounter with the chinese folktale of the Monkey King. Though they might not understand the true meaning of friendship, ultimately, Jin and the Monkey King both attain a new perception of what it is to be a friend.

Friendship is not a paperweight. It should never be forced down or held down by other people's’ opinions. This was one of the problems with

Some people do not even know that they have a friend until they are put to the test. After being laughed out by the Gods and Demons, the Monkey King goes and transforms himself into an all powerful ruler but when all of the attention goes to his head he is buried under a pile of rocks by the god Tze-Yo-Tzuh and is stuck there for five hundred years. During this time a man named Wong Lai-Tsao accepted a mission to deliver three packages, but before he could make it there he needed to find the Monkey King. When Lai-Tsao finds the Monkey King, he is attacked by demons and asks the Monkey King for help. At first he refuses assist Lai-Tsao, but the Monkey King swallows his pride and shrinks back to his original size so that he could escape the rock pile and help his new found friend(150). He was willing to sacrifice everything he had worked so hard on in order to help the poor boy. The Monkey King learned the true meaning of friendship because he “accompanied Wong Lai-Tsao on his journey to the west and served him faithfully until the very end” (160). The Monkey King accepted a friend over his ego. By doing this he not only gains respect from the Gods, but also learns a new appreciation for