Gene Yang

INTRODUCTION - ~ THESIS - When evaluating Arnold “Junior” Spirit from Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Jin Wang from Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese, similarities radiate in both characters as their disparity in race deem the two of them as outcasts in the entirety of society. In addition to their lack of social interactions, their uniformity in their impulsive decisions cost them each a dear friend. Although Junior and Jin are quite similar, they share differences in the way Junior tries bettering himself by fitting into both his Indian and Reardan culture whereas Jin changes himself in every possible way to become Americanized. *** The correspondence between Junior and Jin is detected in both novels…

We are never happy with who we are and what we have, we always want more; however, people are dismissing the conception of acceptance. In the book, “American Born Chinese” written by Gene Luen Yang, the American religious experience is accepting yourself. Once a person does this, their true identity is released. We must learn to be true to ourselves and accept where we have come from. This could be difficult for some, given the stereotypes that are constantly being tossed around. For instance,…

substance. American Born Chinese effectively challenges stereotypes by illustrating stereotypes through out the book as well as creating a character that embodies all of the stereotypes, Chinkee. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is a story narrative based on transformation and realization of stereotypes. We are introduced to the main character Jin Wang as he battles his inner insecurities and tries to fit into American culture. Him and his best friend Wei-chen deals with mild racism,…

is changing and accepting yourself for who you are. Although transferring to a new school may be inevitable how you handle this experience is what counts in the end. Everyone goes through a series of events that either change your life in a favorable way or unacceptable way when being apart of two cultures. In this case Junior and Jin must both battle with many different problems because they are trying to find an identity while being apart of two different cultures. This affects their lives in…

in the book with stereotypes and trying to find one’s place in the community. Hearing a stereotype during class that a professor would make about Mexican heritage and feeling all eyes on me from other students is something that never happened to me before I came to college. Stereotypes do not define what the other culture does or says. Stereotypes will always exist but it depends on how one reacts on them that can make an impact. I did not react to this stereotype because I knew they were no…

Tina Lifford once said, “When you know yourself you are empowered. When you accept yourself you are invincible.” In the novel American Born Chinese, Jin Wang is a young Chinese-American boy who is taking on the arduous task of accepting his identity. He is unable to decide how he should present himself to others. The preservation of his culture and heritage is fresh in his mind but he would also like to become the perfect American boy. The author, Gene Luen Yang had a tough childhood in which he…

identity. Gene Luen Yang’s two volume graphic novel, Boxers and Saints, illustrates the parallel stories of two young kids caught up in China’s late nineteenth century Boxer rebellion. Throughout their lives, questions arise about their identity and personal choice of actions. Both Bao and Four Girl are presented with challenging circumstances and experiences that stir their decisions about faith, rebellion, and pursuits. Through the exploration of personal conflicts, Yang asks the central…

The Boxer Rebellion began in 1898 in the Qing Dynasty of China. During this rebellion there was an ongoing question of which side was fighting for the more “just” outcome because each had a very different opinion of what justice was. The Boxers were fighting against the British invaders and trying to unify China by ridding it of Christian influence. The foreigners were trying to make money by selling opium to the Chinese. Each side thought the other side is evil but they did not try to…

In the book titled American Born Chinese, written by Gene Luen Yang, there are many plot elements. Each character in this book have different scenarios and different stages of plot elements. The main characters in this story are The Monkey King, Jin Wang, Wei-Chen Sun, Danny, and his cousin Chin-Kee. Each one has different problems and there are many plot elements to each. In the first story, about the Monkey King, there is major conflict in the beginning. The Monkey King wants to be let into…

In the book Saints by Gene Luen Yang, the character, Vibiana (also known as four girl) struggles to find her belonging and power but succeeds through her faith. Vibiana felt insignificant because her family mistreated her. Since she was born, they believed that Vibiana was a devil, because she was born on May 4, was the 4th child and every year her family experienced some sort of death. From the constant reoccurrence of 4 in her life, they believed she was bad luck as 4 means dead in the Chinese…