An analysis of the book Paper Daughter - Essay Example

Paper Daughter M. Elaine Mar, the of Paper Daughter, and her mother emigrated from Hong Kong to Denver in an area more Chinese that American, in a community more starving than hopeful. Mar promptly masters the English language as she begins to excel in her studies. But as her school life and her home are two different things - American independence and Chinese tradition - Mar desperately tries to navigate between her increasingly disparate worlds. M. Elaine Mar's story is the inspiration behind her book, which looks at the brutal realities of the American Dream, and the unforgettable quest for true happiness in another land.

Three main questions are important to understand the book. This paper aims to give a better understanding of the story by answering those here main questions. Question # 1: Introduce the book and discuss three central episodes. Think who, what, where, when. Describe two important episodes in the book. The story is a touching memoir of a woman's unforgettable journey from Hong Kong to Harvard who found herself caught between two increasingly different worlds. It reveals the uncertainty and tension as she balances herself between two different worlds: at school with her American companions, and at home with her Chinese family.

It is a heartwarming story of culture shock and self-survival. The book focuses on her searching for her identity: from the very time she arrived in the US and was strained to use Elaine as her American name, to her role as a Chinese daughter, and her quest towards self discovery. The book starts with a sumptuous description of a Chinese child eating chicken bones, crushing them between her teeth to be able to release the marrow inside it. Mar later contrasts this simple and primitive experience with the manner in which American people eat their fried chicken, carefully chewing away from the bone, unaware of the rich marrow within.

She concluded her story by saying that during her last years at Harvard, the falling out between her and her parents widened and that attending Harvard is her own "irreversible migration". The first central episode in the story is her family's migration from Hong Kong to Colorado. It came as a shock for Mar to be in a different world. From living in a different house in Hong Kong, to living in the basement of her aunt's house, it was definitely a shock for her. The second central episode is the time when she started studying in a school ruled by American students.

The difficulties in dealing with the opposing demands of her traditionally minded parents, and her new American friends. It even came into a point when she nightly looks into the mirror to pinch her nose to make them "more American". She always dwells in confusion when she was in school. A part of the book says "I didn't understand anything about America. In Hong Kong, everybody liked me. Now, no one did." She was not able to speak well, and with her classmates calling her "chink" and "slant-eyes", she cannot defend herself against those taunts.

Slowly, as her command of language get better, as well as her understanding of the American social nuances, she begins to blend in with her classmates. The third central point in the story is the author's transition from an obedient Chinese daughter, to a confused immigrant, to a budding "intellectual". It tells her times of rebellion against her parents, which, an obedient and traditional Chinese would never do. Two important episodes in the book are her most painful hours in school and her "changing of identity" because of that.

Mar vividly captures the difficult position of many teenaged immigrants who attempts to forge their identities to fit in the American scene while being expected to continue following their family's tradition. I came to a pint that she lies about the restaurant where she works, her parent's education, and her parent's awkward behavior. Question # 2: What does she mean by "Model Minority" What does this stereotype mean to Mar and why Model minority refers to a religious group, minority ethnic, or race, whose members usually became more successful than the population average.

This success is normally measured by education, income, and other related factors. Mar, is considered as a member of the model minority. She is an Asian woman who became successful in her field. She is considered an intellectual who achieved an outstanding educational background studying in Harvard. Compared with some of her American classmates, Mar can be considered more successful because of her intelligence and her ability to survive in a very different environment. It is a way of boosting the self-confidence of Mar because she was able to prove that she can also excel in her field amidst a different environment.

Amidst all the painful loneliness she endures, she was able to retain a sense of self, to make her life tolerable. Question # 3: How is her story about Immigrant Americans different or similar from our cultural myths/ stories about immigrants How is her story suggest about the "melting pot" theory of American immigrant assimilation Mar's story is very much different from the usual story of other American immigrants because she was able to succeed in the end. It was certainly a culture shock for her when she first enters America.

The language barrier, which is definitely an important factor for her to be able to express herself, became a challenge for her. Amidst the competing beliefs of her two worlds, she was able to bridge the gap and became successful - which makes her different form other American immigrants who chose not to adapt in a different environment. Her story also suggests that through the immigration of different race in the United States, America is increasingly becoming the world's melting pot of different cultures.

Work Cited: (Paper Daughter by M. Elaine Mar) Retrieved on July 29, 2006 from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description