American Born Chinese Character Analysis

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The desire to fit in and have friends can be found in everyone, even the characters from Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese. Yang takes the reader through three different stories that all aim to show the importance of being true to yourself. Two of the main characters, Monkey King and Jin, attempt to assimilate into the societies that they live in, which results in the characters losing who they truly are, until they are finally willing to embrace their true selves. While another character, Chin-kee, resists the pressure of society and continues to be his true self. The novel first starts with the Monkey King being true to himself and ruling his kingdom fairly, but by not allowing him into a party because he was not wearing shoes changes him completely. The Monkey King’s desperate want to fit in and be included with the other deities changes how he acts and not for the better. It first starts with his decision to make every monkey wear shoes, …show more content…
He believes that adding to his powers will make people respect him more, however it does the opposite and causes the Monkey King to change his name to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The name is meant to show that he is worthy of everything and anything that the other deities are worthy of, but it instead makes people not want to be around him at all. The powers and the name then start to go to the Monkey King’s head and he feels as though he is above everyone else including Tze-Yo-Tzuh, the Chinese equivalent to God. The Monkey King went as far as saying that Tze-Yo-Tzuh is “by far the most pitiable” (Yang 77) out of all of the other Gods that he has encountered. Which results in Tze-Yo-Tzuh placing the Monkey King under a pile of rocks for being so stubborn and unwilling to change back. It is after some time that the Monkey King is finally willing to assimilate back to his true self and accepts who he

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