Balancing Two Worlds Analysis

The article “Balancing two worlds” is the story of Derek, a Chinese Canadian, who explores his sexuality and also questions the idea of masculinity especially within his cultural group. In this article Derek struggles expressing him self to his own father, he is not able to disclose any personal thoughts nor is he able to share any true hopes, fears or aspirations. Derek and his sister both struggle with this, but Derek in some ways understands that much of his fathers faults are due to his own upbringing. His father had grown up in an abusive environment in which he was exposed to ideas what it is to be a man; this in many ways shaped Derek’s father and made him a product of generational historical linage and because of that his father views on issues such as homosexuality reflect …show more content…
Furthermore, after Derek continues the conversation his father reposes once more and stats” well you know it would be a disgrace to the Ng family name to have a gay son that is”(244). It is clear that his father has other reasons why he does not accept homosexuality or having a gay son. It goes beyond simply reproduction and the real issue his father has is the fact that having a gay son will bring shame to his family. He is a product of his upbringing in that he does not want to accept that in which he is unfamiliar with. His father being born in a time period and place was not exposed in the same ways that Derek is in this period in time and also in a place, American and Canada, that are more progressive countries. Derek’s father had unhealed pain from his relationship with his father had become the recycle content for his role as an oppressive male. Derek’s stats” I had to come to terms with only my father’s emotional distance and occasional violence but his demands with respect to living up to traditional Chinese value as