Boomtown Girl by Peter Hessler - Assignment Example

College Peter Hessler - Boomtown Girl: Finding a new life in the golden Introduction In Boomtown Girl: Finding a new life in the golden city, Ma Li emerges as the central character or protagonist. As a former student of the narrator, Ma Li emerges as a very interesting character as the narrator depicts her. She was outspoken and discreet. She always said what she really felt deep down in her heart. Most of the times, she wrote about it in her numerous letters to her former teacher, the narrator. Upon completing college, Ma Li moved to Shenzhen to pursue working opportunities. Initially, the author depicts Ma Li as an outstanding student who appeared quite insightful for her age. She was also the youngest in the class. Her viewpoint was often unwavering and even though she tended to have a negative view of things, the narrator describes it as a self-defensive mechanism. When they were away from each other, Ma Li and the narrator exchanged letters, as this is how they kept in touch. The narrator pays close attention to Ma Li and appears to have a special interest in her. While working with a jewelry factory in Shenzhen, she registered a positive trend; her salary grew by over 100 %, she entered a serious relationship and her character grew more apprehensive and bold. She is seen standing up to her boss and eventually quitting the job to become an English teacher at the nursery school level. As the plot unfolds, the narrator goes to visit Ma Li at Shenzhen where they bonded for a while. The narrator is seemingly impressed by the progress Ma Li was making especially the fact that ‘she was doing well’ in the narrator’s closing remarks. According to Kessler, how has Ma Li’s life changed since she moved to Shenzhen? As the plot unfolds, her character transforms and she becomes more confident. The narrator notes that much of her shyness had faded away as is evident in the way she stands against her boss after breaking curfew for which she was not apologetic at all. Likewise, she was becoming more responsible. She helped her family make ends meet especially by designating a portion of her salary towards paying school fees for one of her siblings. As the narrator writes, the newfound sense of responsibility, as evidenced from her growing obligation towards family, had given Ma Li a novel air of maturity. She was becoming more mature as she entered into a relationship with her boyfriend Gao Ming and started living together. She also felt responsible for her fellow workers and she often spent time with them when they felt lonely. During her college years, the narrator notes that Ma Li was not entirely social with other students (Hessler 3). She often secluded herself and had varying points of view from those of fellow students. This began to change during the transitional period between school and finding work. She was now more outgoing and accommodative to divergent opinions. Her controversial nature did not change much, nonetheless, as her critical apprehension of things endured. Perhaps the most significant change that Ma Li made was the decision to quit working at the jewelry factory to become a nursery school teacher. This was a significant milestone in her life since she eventually stood up for what she felt was right. She made that unwavering decision, which indicates courage and boldness in character (Hessler 7). What kinds of new challenges does Ma Li face in her life in Shenzhen (give two examples)? What kinds of opportunities does she have now? How does Ma Li feel about her life? Moving to Shenzhen was just the beginning of a long journey in Ma Li’s life trajectory. As reality has it, Ma Li had her fair share of challenges. To begin with, the narrator notes that Ma Li had a hidden kind of unhappiness. She was holding back probably afraid to show her real self either for the fear of how the world would perceive it or how she really felt about herself. The narrator does not quite reveal it but Ma Li’s unhappiness seems somewhat elusive. She has to cope with loneliness and the extremely tedious work environment (Hessler 8). Ma Li seems lonely with a hard time letting people in. She always listened to a popular radio show that went by the name “At Night You’re Not Lonely,” hosted by Wu Xiaomei. Likewise, she has a hard time letting Gao Ming (boyfriend) in. Another challenge was her work. In spite of the fact that the pay was good, Ma Li always felt that she was overworked by capitalist bosses who insisted on over time during night shifts, which was the reason she decided to quit later. She, however, has a better opportunity of teaching English at the nursery school level. This job paid better and she actually loved it. She feels much better about her life in her new job though it still seems as if she is holding back (ibid). Compare Ma Li’s life with the way that the young women in Rofel’s chapter 4 (particularly pp 115-133) talk about themselves. How are they different? How are they similar? In Chapter 4, Rofel discusses cosmopolitanism with a Chinese connotation. Particularly, Rofel focuses on women. He reiterates how women have been historically marginalized in the Chinese society by subjecting them to the role of domestic worker and as part of the workforce of the nation while declining to avail equal opportunities as those of their male counterparts. Looking at Ma Li’s life as it unfolds, it becomes evident that she has held on to a set of ideals, notions, and perception of liberal capitalism. She envisions a liberal society where women could work as equal partners in the national cake not merely as domestic workers or the country’s workforce. It was this perception that gave her the courage to quit the oppressive job at the jewelry factory to pursue a more self-fulfilling career that was more dignified (Rofel 128). In the way that they talk about themselves, the women in Rofel’s book have various similarities and differences in comparison to Ma Li. First, Ma Li point of view often blunt. She speaks her thoughts when she writes to her former teacher. The women in the book, on the other hand, are subtle and they tend to beat around the bush. Unlike Ma Li who has willpower, they do not show any initiative in form of action. They complain a lot but do nothing about it; at least Ma Li had the courage to exercise her free will by quitting the oppressive job and pursue a more fulfilling career. However, both are similar in that they represent the spirit of women empowerment as part of an impending cultural revolution (Rofel 123). Do you think Ma Li’s attitudes and behaviors are examples of new cultural forms developing in China? According to the story, Ma Li emerges quite an interesting character. The memoirs of Ma Li’s life trajectory are representative of an impending cultural revolution in China. In decades, women remained the most marginalized section of the Chinese society along with children and the disabled (Rofel 323). Since the disappearance of Maoism, an egalitarian economy emerged in China. The emergent egalitarian society paves way for the emergence of novel cultural forms in cosmopolitan China. Women for instance, become more involved in the economic setting. They become equal partners and entrepreneurs as opposed to the hitherto state where they were mostly causal laborers and domestic workers. Ma Li’s attitude, perception, and behavior are proof of the upcoming Cultural Revolution. As her perception changes for instance, she becomes more apprehensive and bold. Likewise, she becomes more responsible so that even if she is a girl, she goes the extra mile to cater for her sibling’s tuition. Traditionally, the Chinese society also considered women as only productive in the domestic realm. Through the character of Ma Li, the author changes that perception to indicate that women can equally be productive as their male counterparts (Rofel 345). Conclusion In Boomtown Girl: Finding a new life in the golden city, Ma Li emerges as the central character or the protagonist. As a former student of the narrator, Ma Li emerges as a very interesting character as the narrator depicts her. Since she moved to Shenzhen, Ma Li made significant changes in her life as the narrator observes. She had become more bold and apprehensive since she began working at the factory. Initially, the author depicts Ma Li as an outstanding student who appeared quite insightful for her age. She was also the youngest in the class. Her viewpoint was often unwavering and even though she tended to have a negative view of things, the narrator describes it as a self-defensive mechanism. Moving to Shenzhen was just the beginning of a long journey in Ma Li’s life trajectory. As reality has it, Ma Li had her fair share of challenges, which she handled admirably. The memoirs of Ma Li’s life trajectory are representative of an impending cultural revolution in China. In decades, women remained the most marginalized section of the Chinese society along with children and the disabled. Ma Li’s attitude, perception, and behavior are proof of the upcoming Cultural Revolution. Works Cited Hessler, Peter Boomtown Girl: Finding a new life in the golden city The New Yorker, 2001< http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2001/05/28/010528fa_fact_hessler?currentPage=1> Retrieved 29th June 29, 2012 Rofel, Lisa Desiring China: Experiments in Neoliberalism, Sexuality, and Public Culture University of California, Santa Cruz, 2007 Read More