Scar Short Story Summary

In the short story, “Scar” An-mei grows up hearing negativity about her mother from her family. Because of an argument over An-mei’s mother disgracing her family, a bowl of soup fell on An-mei causing her to almost die. After this, An-mei’s family taught An-mei that her mother was a ghost and to never speak of her. “So I knew Popo wanted me to forget my mother on purpose, and this is how I came to remember nothing of her” (354). Through An-mei mother coming back, An-mei learns to be an independent thinker and make her own opinions toward her mother instead of believing everything her family tells her to rely on.
An-mei’s families hostility toward her mother intoxicated into her mind until An-mei only had negative thoughts of her mother. An-mei Auntie told her brother “You are the son of a mother who has so little respect she has become ni, a traitor to our ancestors. She is so beneath others that even the devil must look down to see her” (356). Children rely on leaders, therefore the words spoken from their families mouth is presumed as factual. An-mei’s mother is not there to defend herself and explain, evidently An-mei was only hearing one side of the story. This negativity was forced to influence An-mei because …show more content…
Popo does not have the strength to influence An-mei thoughts of her mother or to make her mother leave. “Here is how I came to love my mother. How I saw her my own true nature. What was beneath my skin. Inside my bones” (359). An-mei found love for her mother through her mother's actions. She has learn to think independently instead of relying on her family's opinions over her mother. “The wound begins to close in on itself, to protect what is hurting so much. And once it is closed, you no longer see what is underneath, what started the pain” (358). She learns to forgive her mother and look forward. Through Popo dying and her mother trying to sacrifice herself, An-mei learns to make her own