Chinatown is depicted as a close-knit community where “everybody knows almost everybody else” (113). However, more interestingly, the major actions and events taking place within Chinatown occur even inside closed places (apartments, restaurants, and clubhouses). In a way, the depiction of these places, which are being portrayed as dark, empty, and dusky, could be interpreted as a symbolization of the residents hopeless status. The majority of Chinatown residents consists of “married bachelors,”—their wives and families can’t live with them in the United States due to the immigration laws at the time—hence, these places mirror the diminishing status of the residents. It symbolizes the meaningless and the emptiness of the residents lives.
