Peony

Does a prized possession need love? Does it need meaning or can it be a sign that will lead someone to a new journey? The wind chime is one of those keepsakes to cherish. The treasured wind chime meant a lot to a specific character. Grandmama's (an elderly woman who originated from a small village in Southern Canton, China, and migrated with her family to Canada) soul clenched onto it. In Wayson Choy’s story “The Jade Peony” resembled the reality of Chinese-Canadian immigrants and their life-changing to fit in with the Canadian citizens. A different reality was embedded in this story e.g long-lasting love. Grandmama is the oldest member of the family; her knowledge of life teaches her son and her grandchildren, but the symbol representing that was her hands. Her hands taught Seklung how to create wind chimes. One specific wind chime was gifted by her love, which resembled her hope for her lover’s promising return, where he never came back. The three elements that Wayson Choy effectively uses to…

Their first. And their last. He had weaved hundreds of white peonies through the slender branches of a tree stump, vases of the pocks in all the surrounding tree's roots. A golden vase sat in front of the stump, filled with a bouquet of peonies. He’d strewn the ground with the peonies' delicate, white petals. He’d lit dozens of candles in small hanging lanterns all around, so that the whole clearing glowed with a magical brilliance. Daniel had been holding a wreath that he had made for her, a…

Let’s find yourself back with your heart.. Lift the Fallen Peony symbolizes riches and honor. People wish to be a real “Peony” and follow the ambitions blindly, exploring the maximum capacity, yet somehow forget what’s important in our heart. People wants to be perfect, to be good. Pursuing what the world esteem and go with the flow. Can you remember who you are, before the world told you who you would be? Don’t cage your heart in the rules after the lessons you been through. Your heart…

“The Gem Of Life” A wise chinese philosopher named Confucius once said “ The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.’ In Wayson Choy’s short story, “The Jade Peony” displays a young boy named Sek-Lung as the protagonist along with his adept grandmama. These two protagonists endure a mission that involves being disconnected with the societal standards, during an era of depression and war. During these ongoing events, they mentally adapt to the fact that they…

To further illustrate this idea, The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy explores the difference in the views, values and beliefs of the older and younger generation by comparing and contrasting the new mindset shared by the young people against the traditional views of the aging population. The heavy influence of the Chinese culture has a negative impact on the children's identity, resulting in consequences such as rebellious acts and low self-esteem and a disadvantaged future. The role of the elders,…

country where the culture is vastly different and diverse. This was not a big problem for me since I was young and adapted to the environment fairly quickly. But for my parents and grandmother it was a whole different story. Many things were different for them in Canada compared to India. The food, clothing, language and even the weather were things they slowly had to adapt to. I remember the first time we tried Subway, everyone except my dad hated it and ran out of the store complaining about…

In Wayson Choy’s The Jade Peony, each of the three narrators deal with their own battles and experiences with isolation. Set in Chinatown, Vancouver, in the 30’s and 40’s, the very traditional Chinese cultural standards have a considerable effect on the lives of each character, resulting in their solitude, be it societal, physical, linguistic or racial. First, there’s Jook-Liang, the initial main character and her upbringing, being surrounded by the constant strain to achieve the high standards…

In the short story, interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri incorporates symbols to help the reader better understand the relationships that are shown. The symbols vary from objects to actions. Often times these symbols can be overlooked and rendered meaningless, but with intent examination they can help us better understand the story and the relationships that are portrayed. Interpreter of Maladies is a story centered around a family and their tour guide. This family includes a Mrs. Das, Mr.…

The Jade Peony Grandmama is the protagonist of this story, “The Jade Peony”, and she stands out as a dynamic character through her actions and words, which make her a unique individual. We learn about her life before she dies, and about all her different beliefs. To start off, Grandmama is and 83 year old Chinese-Canadian who is an immigrant to this country along with her family. She is very old and physically aging, and her body trembles constantly revealing that she is about to die. Grandmama…

The Jade Peony and Palumello are similar stories with similar themes. In both narratives the plot revolves around children and the bond they shared with their grandmother; their memories tell how their grandmothers, who had a different way to see the life than the rest of their families, took care of them in their childhood, making them feel loved and less isolated from the rest. In Palumello that is reflected by most of the memories of Donna Marie’s childhood when her grandmother sang her…