AMCULT 204 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Asian American Literature
26 Jun 2018
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Since the last paper, this course has examined “Asia in the Archive” (field trip at
UMMA), Asian American Literature in Hawaii (Linmark’s Rolling the R’s), and the
poetics of Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner. Pick one primary source to anchor an analysis of how you
see Asians or Pacific Islanders self-representing in art, fiction, or poetry. What issues
and themes do you see arising in these works? And in what ways, do you think these
texts are challenging any previous misconceptions? Please include a close reading (a
sustained analysis of a chapter, scene, poem, or work of art) to substantiate your claims
-always trying to please parents
-telling a chinese mother to shut up- an accessory of own murder
-lots of folk tales
-old mr chou letting people in to dream
-the ghosts would come when it was going to rain
-always wanting to please mother, never being enough
-mothers dont know how to show affection, they think that love is providing food and that is
enough
Rose-
Scared to let her marriage die bc her mother would say she expected it
Waverly:
- Does not want to play chess anymore because her mom uses Waverly’s success to
brag. When she quits her mom doesn’t give her any attention and she misses it so
eventually she goes back but is not good anymore and her mother is disappointed
- Has daughter with marvin, then plans on marrying rich.
- “Whats the matter with your hair?” she said in chinese (157)
- “You don't know my mother,” i said. “She thinks anybody is good for anything.” “so when
my mother found out, she threw her shoe at us,” I said. “And that was just for openers.”
(158)
- “Her look was one of painful denial, reminding me of a time long ago when she took my
brothers and me down to a clinic to get our polio booster shots” (160)
- “I couldnt fend off the strength of her will anymore, her ability to make me see black
where there was once white, white where there was once black.” (160)
- “My mother knows how to hit a nerve. And the pain i feel is worse than any other kind of
misery. Because what she does always comes as a shock, exactly like an electric jolt,
that grounds itself permanently in my memory. I still remember the first time i felt it.”
(161).
- “And my mother loved to show me off, like one of my many trophies she polished. She
used to discuss my games as if she had devised the strategies.” (161)
- “I hated the way she tried to take all the credit. And one day i told her so, shouting at her
on stockton street, in the middle of a crowd of people. I told her she didn’t know anything
so she shouldn’t show off. She would shut up. Words to that effect.” (161)
- “That evening and the next would she wouldn’t speak to me. She would stay stiff words
to my father and brothers, as if i had become invisible and she was talking about a rotten
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Since the last paper, this course has examined asia in the archive (field trip at. Umma), asian american literature in hawaii (linmark"s rolling the r"s), and the poetics of kathy jetnil-kijiner. Pick one primary source to anchor an analysis of how you see asians or pacific islanders self-representing in art, fiction, or poetry. Please include a close reading (a sustained analysis of a chapter, scene, poem, or work of art) to substantiate your claims. Telling a chinese mother to shut up- an accessory of own murder. Old mr chou letting people in to dream. The ghosts would come when it was going to rain. Always wanting to please mother, never being enough. Mothers dont know how to show affection, they think that love is providing food and that is enough. Scared to let her marriage die bc her mother would say she expected it. Does not want to play chess anymore because her mom uses waverly"s success to brag.
