The Jade Peony Essay Example

Clark 1 Mrs.Radchenko ENG4U1 Wednesday, October, 21 Is Being Different so Bad? Jook-Liang is really affected by the Canadian culture, she acts as if she is only Canadian and not Chinese-Canadian, Poh-Poh said “You not Canada, Liang” (page 34). She wants to do everything the Canadian way. Jook-Liang wants to go by the “paper years” so her age would be fourteen, but her parents go by the Chinese way so her age is only nine, Jook-Liang said “Am I Clark 2 fourteen?” (page 49). Jook-Liangs parents raised her in a very proper manner. At the age of five she already knew how to treat somebody with respect, Jook-Liang said “Respect meant you dared not laugh at someone because they were different; you did not ask stupid questions or stare rudely” (page 12). Jook-Liang is looked at differently by her family because she idolizes Shirley Temple, Jook-Liang said “My favorite movies starred Shirley Temple” (page36). Jook-Liangs family looks down on her because she idolizes someone that is not Chinese or from the Chinese culture, Poh-Poh said “This useless only-granddaughter wants to be Shir-lee Tem-po-lah” (page 37). Jook-Liang is able to resist this negative view because of the Canadian culture and because of her friend Wong Suk. Wong Suk is the only one who believes in her and watches all of her performances, Jook-Liang said “I was going to delight Wong Suk with my best performance” (page 37). Jook-Liangs family also looks at her differently because she is a girl. In the Chinese culture girls are said to be “useless”, Poh-Poh said “_Mo yung _girl” (page 33). Poh-Poh would not teach Jook-Liang any of the things that she knew how to do like, how to make simple toys, like paper cranes, toss rings, or wind chimes. Poh-Poh would not teach her any of this because she thought that Jook-Liang was “useless”, Poh-Poh said “Job too good for mo yung girl!” (page 32). Even though Jook-Liang was treated differently because she was a girl, her brothers Sek-Lung and