Do you know who you truly are? That is the question that Gene Luen Yang tries to explain in his graphic novel “American Born Chinese.” The story follows three different characters and their journey to knowing who they are. Each journey is different, but each is linked by the central theme of self identity. These three characters all have to go on a Hero’s Journey. A concept that explains a single character's arc in the story. The Hero’s Journey starts with a call to action. The hero is presented with a task and opportunity to figure out exactly who they are. In American Born Chinese, we follow the odyssey, of three separate hero’s; Jin, The Monkey King, and Danny. The journey is a long campaign of self discovery and reflection, allowing the hero to increase their awareness and overcome obstacles.
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Each one having the same theme; understanding your own identity. Mike Cadden interpretation of American Born Chinese summarizes the theme and timeline very well when he says “Each has his own revelation that his would-be peers consider him inferior. Each character responds with anger and self-loathing that implies an acceptance of that inferiority. They each reconstitute themselves through a transformation that leads to destructive behavior, and each is encouraged to resume his original and “true” form.” This also explains the Hero’s Journey character arc. We see the Monkey King and Jin both get wrapped up in trying to be something that they aren’t, leading to a transformation, followed by acceptance of who they truly are, no matter what they did in the meantime. As the story wraps up, the Monkey King emparts one final message on Jin, and I believe it is one that encompasses the entire message of the story. He leaves Jin with the words “I only realized how good it is to be a monkey.” (Yang, 223). Leaving us with a final reminder to embrace our true
Each one having the same theme; understanding your own identity. Mike Cadden interpretation of American Born Chinese summarizes the theme and timeline very well when he says “Each has his own revelation that his would-be peers consider him inferior. Each character responds with anger and self-loathing that implies an acceptance of that inferiority. They each reconstitute themselves through a transformation that leads to destructive behavior, and each is encouraged to resume his original and “true” form.” This also explains the Hero’s Journey character arc. We see the Monkey King and Jin both get wrapped up in trying to be something that they aren’t, leading to a transformation, followed by acceptance of who they truly are, no matter what they did in the meantime. As the story wraps up, the Monkey King emparts one final message on Jin, and I believe it is one that encompasses the entire message of the story. He leaves Jin with the words “I only realized how good it is to be a monkey.” (Yang, 223). Leaving us with a final reminder to embrace our true