It’s really hard for people to accept themselves and sometimes it had to do with weight, looks, grades, and even cultural identity. Getting bullied about it makes it a lot worse. Gene Luen Yang talks about this topic in his Graphic Novel, American Born Chinese. American Born Chinese is about three characters, Jin Wang, Danny and The Monkey King. They all have a problem with accepting themselves and the way there lives are. They go through they’re journey on trying to reach self acceptance. As Jin wang transforms from happy, to insecure and ultimately to accepting. The Monkey King goes from proud, to arrogant, and ultimately to finding his inner peace. Yang conveys the theme that you should always accept yourself the way you are and you should
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Jin was very happy in Chinatown and with the people there. He would play robots with his friends and he would watch tv with them (Yang 26). He would also liked going with the herbalist and talking with the herbalist’s wife while he waited for his mom (Yang 27). He enjoyed living in Chinatown be was around friends and around his own culture. The Monkey King also was different in the beginning of the story. He would always talk about himself with his people and the people around him. For example, the Monkey King said, “ I am the sovereign ruler of flower- fruit mountain, where the flowers bloom year-round and the fruits hand heavy with nectar! Thousand of subjects pledge loyal to me (Yang 14).” He also said, “ Die” when they were making fun of him and he beat them up (Yang 16).” Overall they were very happy and didn’t care what other people …show more content…
Jin is insecure of his culture identity and The Monkey King had become arrogant as well. They start trying to change themselves so they would be like the others. Jin tries to change his looks so he could fit in more. For Instance, Jin is looking at his locker when Wei-Chen calls him and tries to say something about his hair,”Why is your hair Mmph” but then Suzy stops him and says, “ Nothing, nice perm.” Jin tried to change his hair so he could look more like his white classmate Greg (Yang 98). After his date with Amelia and having a fight with Wei-chen he changes himself completely. He had gone to sleep but when he woke up in the middle of the night he felt different. “ My head hurt, but the bruises on my face we gone. A new face deserved a new name. I decided to call myself Danny (Yang 198).” He had changed from a Chinese American teen to a white American teen. This shows how insecure Jin really was of himself and how much he really wanted to change.. The Monkey King also had many changes. The Monkey King had mastered the four major disciples of invulnerability and he used it for his advantage. He made himself taller and had changed his name to The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven (Yang 60). He also made all his people and himself start wearing shoes (Yang 55). He went through many stages just so he could fit in with the rest. The Monkey king would visit all
Jin was very happy in Chinatown and with the people there. He would play robots with his friends and he would watch tv with them (Yang 26). He would also liked going with the herbalist and talking with the herbalist’s wife while he waited for his mom (Yang 27). He enjoyed living in Chinatown be was around friends and around his own culture. The Monkey King also was different in the beginning of the story. He would always talk about himself with his people and the people around him. For example, the Monkey King said, “ I am the sovereign ruler of flower- fruit mountain, where the flowers bloom year-round and the fruits hand heavy with nectar! Thousand of subjects pledge loyal to me (Yang 14).” He also said, “ Die” when they were making fun of him and he beat them up (Yang 16).” Overall they were very happy and didn’t care what other people …show more content…
Jin is insecure of his culture identity and The Monkey King had become arrogant as well. They start trying to change themselves so they would be like the others. Jin tries to change his looks so he could fit in more. For Instance, Jin is looking at his locker when Wei-Chen calls him and tries to say something about his hair,”Why is your hair Mmph” but then Suzy stops him and says, “ Nothing, nice perm.” Jin tried to change his hair so he could look more like his white classmate Greg (Yang 98). After his date with Amelia and having a fight with Wei-chen he changes himself completely. He had gone to sleep but when he woke up in the middle of the night he felt different. “ My head hurt, but the bruises on my face we gone. A new face deserved a new name. I decided to call myself Danny (Yang 198).” He had changed from a Chinese American teen to a white American teen. This shows how insecure Jin really was of himself and how much he really wanted to change.. The Monkey King also had many changes. The Monkey King had mastered the four major disciples of invulnerability and he used it for his advantage. He made himself taller and had changed his name to The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven (Yang 60). He also made all his people and himself start wearing shoes (Yang 55). He went through many stages just so he could fit in with the rest. The Monkey king would visit all