Examples Of Assimilation In Re Jane

Cultural Assimilation in the Life of Jane Re
The novel Re Jane written by Patricia Park describes how the main character, Jane, has spent her entire life in the confines of her Uncle Sang’s strict rules and expectations. The daughter of an American father and a South Korean mother, Jane feels rather disconnected at times and unwanted within the community in which she lives. However, an opportunity arises for Jane to experience a new way of life. This new experience opens her up to cultural differences in which she has to learn to understand and adjust. As an immigrant who divides her time between her Korean home life with her Uncle Sang’s family and her work life as an au pair for the Mazer-Farley family, cultural assimilation plays a huge

role in helping Jane to navigate between these two worlds in regards to her identity, worldview, and relationships.
In Re Jane, Jane’s identity within her Uncle Sang’s house is one that follows traditional Korean culture. As a female, she is expected to be submissive and respectful to her uncle and never question his actions or words. Conversely, a woman’s identity is viewed much differently in the Mazer-Farley house, as Beth’s view on feminism is infused into her family’s way of life. Even in small talk with her eight-year-old daughter Devon, Beth uses terms and language to assert and encourage a female’s ability to have a presence in all of society, as she says, “or labor rights in China. Or women’s empowerment in India, Devon. The world is truly your oyster” (Park 46). Beth also seeks to help Jane explore and discover her true identity within feminism, as she gives her reading materials and tells Jane, “The wonders a women’s-studies course would have done for you” (Park 62). Beth also tells Jane, “This book will do great things for your development. Consider it a continuance of your education” (Park 63). While Jane’s cultural role in her Uncle Sang’s house is to mainly keep quiet and do as she is told, her role at the Mazer-Farley’s house opens up an opportunity for her to discover who she really is and to find her voice as a young woman. Jane also seeks to find her identity in regards to race. Her biracial ethnicity causes her to feel conflicted, as she feels she does not fit in as Korean or Caucasian. The author describes this struggle the Jane faces, as Jane makes the statement, “Growing up, I often felt I would’ve been treated better if I were a hundred percent one or the other” (Park 78). Cultural assimilation helps her to balance identities in order to appease the parties in the two distinct places where her life exists. (127)
The author of Re Jane suggests that up until her experience with the Mazer-Farley family, Jane’s worldview is constructed almost entirely with experiences through the life she has lived with her Uncle Sang’s family within the Korean community in which she has grown up, as that is all she has ever known.

She has never experienced life from the perspective in which the Mazer-Farley family views the world. Through her time spent with them, she begins to gain a new outlook. Jane immediately notices that the Mazer-Farleys have a different way of looking at the world, as she says, “It was becoming increasingly apparent that the Mazer-Farley’s way of doing things was exactly the opposite of Sang and Hannah’s” (Park 45). Beth’s beliefs in regards to even seemingly trivial matters such as the flour found in certain foods also differs from what Jane is accustomed to, as Devon says, “My mom says pizza’s got enriched flour and stuff, and that’s bad for you” (Park 67). Beth also feels strongly about Devon’s education. Devon desires to attend the Hunter College High School, but Beth does not approve. Ed supports Devon’s wish to attend the Hunter College High School and makes the statement, “But Hunter’s a good school, too! And it’s free!” (Park 83). Beth immediately expresses her views and perspective on education and says, “I’ll not put a price on my daughter’s education” (Park 83). The author then compares the manners in which Beth and Ed communicate to how Sang and Hannah communicate.

Beth chooses to speak to Ed in a calm but “patronizing” manner during an argument, while Jane describes how Sang and Hannah “did not hold back when they fought” (Park 85). The contrast in worldviews between the two households requires Jane to use cultural assimilation in order to fit in during her time in these two distinct places.
The author describes Jane’s outsider status within the Korean culture as well as her family situation as hindering her ability to form relationships with others within the group she regularly associates with, including her uncle and his family. Jane’s relationship with Beth is much different than what she is accustomed to with her Aunt Hannah as well. Beth seeks to assist Jane in finding her identity as a young female woman, while Hannah’s actions and words suggest that she views Jane as more of a burden to their family. Jane’s Aunt Hannah made the statement to Jane, “Don’t you know how lucky you are? You should be grateful” (Park 8). Jane and Devon’s relationship is also unique, as there is similarity in that they both possess outsider statuses within their respective social groups. Their relationship grows as one of trust and empathy because each understands the struggles that an individual faces when he or she is an outsider. Devon confides in Jane with her desire to apply to the Hunter College High School, and while Beth disagrees with this decision, Jane still helps Devon study for the Hunter School’s entrance exam.
While at first, Jane feared Ed Farley, she soon began to find comfort in him through their nightly conversations.

In regards to first getting to know Ed Farley, Jane said, “Gradually, I began to open up to him” (Park 72). Jane discusses the distinction between the comfortability she has for Beth versus Ed when she says, “For all of Beth’s attempts to get me to open up to her, it was actually Ed I felt more comfortable confiding in. I didn’t need to explain things the way I did with Beth. He just got it” (Park 73). Jane and Ed go on to form a romantic and sexual relationship, which leaves Jane feeling conflicted, as she struggles with viewing Ed as both her boss and her lover. Jane verbalizes her internal struggle with her feelings towards Ed when she says, “Falling in love with Ed Farley had not been part of the plan. But, reader! I did. Try as I might, I could not stop my feelings. And never had I loved him so well” (109). While the relationships that Jane Re has with her Uncle Sang’s family and the Mazer-Farley family are very much dissimilar, cultural assimilation aids in her ability to fit in separately with each

group.
The author of Re Jane consistently compares and contrasts Jane Re’s experiences between her Uncle Sang’s house and the Mazer-Farley house and shows that cultural assimilation plays a solid role in assisting Jane in her ability to fit in equally in both environments. As a biracial immigrant, Jane is often viewed as an outcast of society. Her outsider status regularly leaves her feeling disconnected in many aspects of her life. The three areas of identity, worldview, and relationships, however, call for the greatest use of cultural assimilation. Without it, Jane’s ability to navigate between these two worlds would be severely impaired.