Comparing How To Pronounce Knife And The Jade Peony

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Marcus Gravy once said, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.” However, why is embracing pride in culture looked upon by different perspectives as a society? When expressing feelings of culture, there may be some benefits and hardships, as it is a common exposure that is experienced by many minority groups. This idea of the complexities of expressing culture that impacts individuals is explored in the short stories as “How to Pronounce Knife”, by author Souvankham Thammavongsa, and “The Jade Peony”, by author Wayson Choy, both illustrate that embracing pride in cultural identity can be a double-edged sword as it brings challenges to pursue dignity due to the pressure of assimilation, …show more content…

Whenever he spent time with his grandma to enhance his understanding of culture “[his] two older teenage brothers and [his] sister Liang were embarrassed.What would all the white people in Vancouver think of [them]? [They are] Canadians now, Chinese Canadians”(Choy 219). The judgment that Sek-Lung has received has negatively impacted him being a part of a minority group; it has been a challenge for him to express his culture. Chiefly, even if Sek-Lung believes in having pride in culture, he finds it challenging to express it due to his family members’ lack of support to embrace it. In addition, society has heavily influenced his viewpoint of his own identity as his father is abashed seeing Sek-Lung and his grandma practicing their culture. This is evident when Sek-Lung states “his aging mother, who was somehow appropriate in a poor village in China, was an abomination here.” This upsets Sek-Lung as he starts to realize the reality of cultural assimilation as it destroys his self-esteem and demoralizes …show more content…

Joy’s father being proud of her is significant to their bond because initially, both Joy and her father held a straining relationship due to their inability to communicate their feelings and thoughts. Nonetheless, when she understands her father through his perspective and his negative experiences as an immigrant, she respects her father more by not being ashamed of his cultural struggles, but by being more understanding. This is evident at the end when Joy and her father come together at the end to solve a puzzle, symbolizing their relationship being placed together and improved, piece by piece, and time by time. Ultimately, the similarity of pride in culture strengthens the relationships between family members as both protagonists grow closer to family members as they learn more about culture and the struggles of being a part of a minority group. Lastly, both short stories illustrate the importance of pride in identity, resistance against cultural erasure to pass on traditions, and valuable lessons. In “The Jade Peony,” protagonist Sek-Lung has witnessed many exposures to his culture from his grandma, leading him to carry on traditions and his grandmother's

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