Tomas Honrado Cortes Navarro

October 10, 2006

 

            Most mature readers discover that realist novels reflect more on actual people and situations better than, say, science fiction or horror stories.  People can relate more to realist novels that portray the imperfections of individuals, rather than to shining paragons of genius, beauty, strength, and virtue because, human maturity in life is always preceded by entry into a crisis situation brought about by imperfect people and imperfect circumstances.  Oftentimes, they see themselves in the anti-hero, i.e., a protagonist of a drama or narrative who is notably lacking in heroic qualities.  Examples of anti-heroes are Don Quixote and Tom Jones (Kuiper, 57). 

            A novel whose main character is an anti-hero that suffered and survived crisis situations is a novel that provides a vicarious, cathartic, and valuable reading experience.  Such a book is worth one’s time and has a more profound impression on the reflective reader’s awareness towards people and situations that are very possible and are depicted plausibly in a book.  Anne Tyler’s “A Patchwork Planet” is one such book.

            Anne Tyler has artfully interwoven believable characters, settings, and situations in a literary patchwork pleasing to the objective beholder and affording decades and even worlds of experiences and imaginations both entertaining and instructive, by exploring subjectivities, i.e., biases, prejudices, and inherently unique attitudes (Steinberg, 6), of various distinct characters but somehow interconnected even in their isolation and separation.

            The novel delves on how families and people drift apart as well as how they form bonds that last a lifetime, the prerequisite of which is also the quality of true love, inter-subjectivity[1] that must rise above social expectations and even ambition.

            This critique seeks to discuss the novel’s multiple layers of meaning and realities in its analysis of the literary devices, conflicts, theme, and socio-cultural implications to the reader and to the society as a whole.

Literary Styles and Devices

            Style. Anne Tyler’s writing style is plain, witty, humorous, and engaging.  Her descriptions are full of vivid, concrete, and textured qualifications that are also fluid and playful.  Thus, the reader can find “half-timbered, Tudor style house…with leaded glass windows” (textured, specific) alongside “her hair had a warm, yellow glow” (colorful, fluid).  Her diction is easy to follow except for Americanisms that can be understood from context.  Of course, as a realistic novel told by an all-American Average Joe (the main character), this comes as no surprise.  In fact, one’s curiosity is piqued by American idiomatic expressions abundant in the story that gives ideas about of the inner thoughts and even, the breeding of the speaker than a direct statement can.

   

            Idiomatic Expressions. Here are some colloquialisms selected from the book, ranging from the benign, humorous to the coarse and sarcastic.

1)      “…babe in the woods” (Maud May) – ignorant of a method or chore

2)      “…doesn’t have a stitch on” (Barnaby) – naked

3)      “…gave me the willies” (Barnaby) – made one nervous, uncomfortable

4)      “…go halfsies” (Opal) – to share equally in payment for an item

5)      “…hold my horses” (Barnaby) – to pause first and think things over to hesitate

6)      “…played hooky” (Barnaby) – neglected one’s duties

7)      “…have to force culture down your throats” (Margot) – to impose (culture)

      “I had to hand her that.” (Barnaby) – to reluctantly acknowledge one’s capability or quality

9)      “We had the devil’s own time…” (Barnaby) – lengthy time of doing something due to difficulty

Majority of the expressions belonged to Barnaby Gaitlin, the main character and the narrator, making the novel’s Point of View as the First Person Participant.  This type of viewpoint is uniquely capable of involving the reader to identify with the main character.  They 0may possibly root for the character and his supposed “angel”, Sophia, Barnaby’s love interest, whose relationship was established but did not prevail at the conclusion.  Tyler deftly “hooked” the reader to see Sophia as the person who could financially lift Barnaby, reconcile him with his parents, and give him the love and attention he needs, however, it was that kind of “attention” that he could live without, the eventuality of which the author subtly, almost furtively developed and abruptly terminated, to many a reader’s surprise.  Nevertheless, in retrospect of Tyler’s Foreshadowing and Characterization, the same readers can accept the ending without reservations.

            Foreshadowing.  Intelligent plotting is presupposed by adequate and almost natural foreshadowing.  The following excerpts illustrate foreshadowing highlights, which primarily dealt with how Barnaby came to end with Martine, his co-worker, rather than with more uppity Sophia:

1)      Barnaby found Sophia “irritating beyond endurance” despite initially eyeing her as his life-changing angel simply because she behaved like his mother, who would rather dwell on superficial matters.  Barnaby’s estrangement from the bank officer Sophia began with her Aunt Glynn’s accusing Barnaby of theft.  Sophia replaced her aunt’s lost money with her own and revealed this to Barnaby.  Barnaby, returning the favor, suspected her of using this as a pretext to exact a debt of gratitude from him, constantly reminding him of her act.  This made Barnaby lose his trust and interest in her, and left her for Martine.  The author introduced Barnaby’s aversion with money used as leverage in the scenes where his mother nagged him of his debt, and reached an unpleasant outcome when she tried to return his payment of the $8700, wherein Barnaby tore the check.

2)      The author hinted at Barnaby and Martine’s blossoming into real partners with many instances and characterizations.

a)      Barnaby longed for close family ties, signified by his fondness at rummaging through other people’s family albums, letters, and mementos.  Martine, on the other hand, was close and nurturing to her nephews and nieces, her brother, and sister-in-law.

b)     Barnaby was sensitive to slurs at his low status, reacting hotly at how his parents discounted his job at Rent-A-Back.  Sophia’s miscalculation of mentioning a “ne’er-do-well” relative touched a raw nerve in him, and may have been the coup-de-grace to whatever esteem he had had for her, paving the way for Martine to be the better alternative as a partner.

c)      Sophia intentionally had Barnaby hired for her Aunt Glynn for them to see each other, anteceding Martine’s arrangement for sharing the ownership of the truck with Barnaby, which may also be a parallelism drawn between the two women.

            Foreshadowing and its “subsequence” affirmed the predictable behaviors within the characterization, which in the story, goes hand in hand.

Characterization of Barnaby Gaitlin.  The novel presented Barnaby in stages, the same way a person becomes acquainted with another’s personality, allowing the reader to realize both the positive and negative aspects of the protagonist, the character’s entire subjectivity.

1)      Adolescence – he was a juvenile delinquent with a penchant for petty larceny.  Chronic delinquents come from households of neglectful authoritarian parents who failed to instill proper standards of behavior or psychological foundations of self-control (Steinberg, 508).  He was emotionally distant from his parents, up to the point where he locked them out of their house, set their curtains on fire, and smashed their window with a chair, unprovoked.  He was sent to a juvenile rehabilitation facility.  He “played hooky” at school.

2)      Adulthood – he was content with his menial job.  He still disliked his family, recalling their hypocrisy and their less than affectionate treatment of him.  Although he possessed a keen intelligence and was industrious, he had a lack of self-confidence around affluent people for not being sophisticated enough to live up to their family’s rich lifestyle (he called himself “dumb” and a “black sheep”.). 

   

These stages may have been responsible for forming negative and positive aspects of his personality.

1) Negative

a)      Lack of self-confidence in some respects

b)      Insensible – he has a different way of perceiving things that are contrary to the common view (of his family’s society). This is demonstrated by his line of reasoning as his father-in-law told him to vacate their place: “Your daughter was the one who walked out, Mr. Bassett.  I fail to see why I should be dislodged from my established residence (the Bassett family’s room lent to him and their daughter Natalie).”

c)      Suspicious and judgmental – he is especially prejudiced against people overly/overtly concerned with status and probably some of the upper class people, such of whom would be very difficult for him to accept, much less be his partner for life.  He said, “I feel uneasy around do-gooders”, “I’m not looking to get rich”, dialogues that promise a basis for his paranoia around the wealthy.  He also entertained suspicious thoughts that may or may not reinforce his prejudices.  He mentioned, “These Penn folks could be sneaky sometimes” and “I worried she (his daughter) was storing up criticisms to pass on to her mother (his ex-wife)”.

d)      Unforgiving toward his parents – his adamant disposition toward his mother, Margot, was portrayed in the scene wherein he tore the check given by her in returning his payment of their expenditure for his larceny (He broke an expensive porcelain vase, among others).  This may be the result of his deep-seated resentment towards his parents’ neglect of appreciating him.  His attitude may also account for his sudden, impulsive decision to abandon his romance with Sophia when she began to show similarities with his mother’s personality.

2) Positive – the side of his personality probably accounts for his closeness to Martine

a)      He was helpful toward old women – he may have been paid for working for senior citizens, however it was his seeming nature to assist the disadvantaged that brought him into the job in the first place (he went beyond his duty to serve Mrs. Dibble, owner of Rent-A-Back.)  Mrs. Dibble saw this positive aspect in Barnaby.  He also nurtured a fondness for some of his customers (Mrs. Alford), that probably motivated him not to purloin any of their possessions, stay in his job, and work hard despite his mood swings and occasional irreverence towards them (“I hope she is not fixing to die on us.”).  His attachment for the disadvantaged might have induced an attachment for a fellow “disadvantaged”, Martine.

b)      He still allotted time for Opal – From Baltimore, he traveled to another state, Philadelphia, to visit and stay in contact with Opal, even though his relationship with Natalie ended sourly.  He had sacrificed a little of himself in continuing to be a father despite Natalie’s discrimination of his “blue collar” behavior, for certain socio-economic groups have their own subcultures and ingrained behaviors[2].  It showed that he still subscribed to fatherhood even though it was Natalie who first instigated him to do so.

c)      Industrious in his line of work – having a stable job maybe sufficient for Barnaby and Martine to form a family even without the luxury his parents have.

d)      Firmly follows principles – he fixed in his mind that he had to pay his parents debt he thought he owed them. Although it indicated his own lack of understanding and tolerance towards them, he was able to achieve it through his determination in such that he believed in.

            Anne Tyler, in her creation of an imaginative but sturdy, resilient antihero, has made the novel more up-to-date with today’s youth, who are often confronted by social pressures to achieve oftentimes very lofty ambitions.  The novel becomes the voice of authenticity and understanding in the literature of make believe by depicting a very human, very imperfect, and very subjective Barnaby Gaitlin.  It is also a credit to her skill as a writer to create a character as diverse and as incongruous to her and still exist in the novel as living, breathing, and feeling individual.

            However, her telescoping of the human situation does not stop with Barnaby’s characterization.  She has utilized or are existing in her novel, devices such as irony, symbol, and recurrent imagery that bring to light other aspects of life and human conditions.

            Irony.  The most emphatic ironic situation in the story is that Barnaby’s parents could not wholeheartedly accept or were less affectionate on account of their own son’s entire humanity despite the fact that they are involved in philanthropy, i.e., providing financial aid or other assistance to people they have not the intimate knowledge of.  Specifically, despite their generosity to other people for social prestige, they insisted on reminding/nagging him of his “debt”.  His parents represented supposed knowledgeable individuals with shallow moral-family values and to whom social status takes precedence over authentic bonding, they being overly concerned with superficialities.  Of course, ideally, this should not be the case for them because “much is expected to whom much is given”.

   

            Symbol.  Many minor characters can stand for positive or negative human attributes.

a)      Father at the Penn Station – he stands for the Ideal Family Man.  The inclusion of this minor character, as his part in the story is fleeting at the start of the novel, speaks volumes about the author’s view of what a father should be: loving and self-sacrificing to his wife and children.  He is the antithesis of Barnaby’s father, whose “angel”, as those of the rest of the Gaitlin patriarchs, was not the guardian of virtue but purveyors of profitable, commercially viable ideas.

b)      Mr. Jeffrey Gaitlin – Head of the philanthropic Gaitlin Foundation, might have been too busy for his family to make an impression on young Barnaby, who might have been too headstrong to just conform with upper middle class provisions without his father’s bonding and supervision.  In fairness he provided wealth and comfort but he seemed not to have made any effective effort to be close to his underachieving son.

c)      Maud May/Aunt Glynn/ Ditty Nolan – these were the characters that had very strong, independent, and uncompromising personalities or what the critic terms as “very subjective subjectivities”.  Their idiosyncrasies and quirks of attitude rendered them isolated and virtually severed from intimate, self-sustaining, meaningful relationships.  Their situation in life was one of the two consequences of a person’s subjectivity, the other being that two people belonging to the same social milieu and/or having the almost similar or less-excluding and more altruistic subjectivities usually ending up together.  However, these isolated characters might be also unwilling subjects to prevailing American culture.

d)      Mrs. Alford – she is probably an amiable person, judging from the thoughtfulness of her character, as opposed to the cynicism of Maud May, the paranoia of Aunt Glynn, and the seclusion of Ditty Nolan.  However, it is almost unthinkable in Filipino culture[3] for a senior citizen who is as affable as her would be left living alone.  She represents the deplorable American culture of inured abandonment of elders.  One of the poignant scenes in the story was where she had her Christmas tree decorated for grandchildren who might not have come (the story did not state any of the kind.) and being partially time-disoriented during the rearrangement of her deceased husband’s belongings, with only hired hands for company.  Barnaby observed, “It’s like people don’t want to see what they will become.”

e)      Len Parrish – he represents some Americans who are too preoccupied to earn and accumulate wealth in order to satisfy their cravings in life.  It is probably this hedonistic egocentrism that is partially responsible for the existence of many situations similar to that of Mrs. Alford.

            Recurrent Imagery.  The novel has a predominant tone and multiple examples pertaining to loneliness, isolation, and the state of being left behind or discarded due to perceived antiquation or outliving of use.  The main images pertaining to this tone are:

1. Old people who live alone
2. The Twin Form
3. Stashed away junk/ old possessions

The author may have included these images in reassessing for the reader the value of valuing objects and people, such that as objects retain their value through continued usefulness, people, as senior citizens or maladjusted children, feel valuable when their kin still commune and live with them, accepting their beneficial past as well as the not-so-beneficial present, dealing actively and humanely with their total subjectivity and situation.

It is unfortunate that a society that celebrates achievement, youth, and physical beauty allots only a fraction of attention and concern for the aging and the less competitive, however justifiable the actions and gestures accorded towards them. 

            It is a semblance of this mindset that Barnaby was at odds from the very start.

Conflicts of the Main Character

Man against Himself.  It is his own behavior, which might or might not stem from parental deficiency that inhibited him from enjoying his parents’ adulation and support.  He repeatedly broke into homes, discounted his studies, formed his prejudices, and chose not to avail of the opportunities his parents represented, not even for the sake of thinking of having a stake/ investment in his daughter’s future.  One cannot fully hold one’s parents responsible for all actions, behaviors, and decisions.  Ultimately, it is the man himself that is held accountable by society for whatever he did.

The one of the un-pragmatic (un-American, as Americans are supposed to be culturally pragmatic) consequences of Barnaby’s pattern of behavior and the manner of actualizing his principles was that he could have used the money being returned by his mother to pay for Opal’s birthday party, buy his own car for work, and other worthwhile spending rather than seal his estrangement towards his parents, seemingly for good.

          Man against Man.  Barnaby’s parents might have overreacted in sending Barnaby to a rehabilitation facility, wherein he suffered more trauma (isolation from parents) as an adolescent than was sought to be treated.  Their act can be characterized as authoritarian.  As authoritarian parents, they probably placed more value in obedience and conformity and tend to favor more punitive, absolute and forceful disciplinary measures (Steinberg, 162).  Their “conformity = success” mindset alienated Barnaby and favored the pleasantly adjusted Jeffrey Jr., whereas they were supposed to love their children whatever their defects, whether they maybe hardened criminals or afflicted with Down syndrome.  They might be partly to blame for Barnaby’s own lackluster role as husband and father because of their own deficiency in parenting.

Man against Society.  Society, and the prevalent cultures within, institute and form standards, norms, and expectations to which some people conform their ideas, decisions, and actions.  Marx theorized that “…it is not the consciousness of men that determines their being but on the contrary, their social being determines their consciousness” (Stevenson and Haberman, 1998)[4].  American upper class society, as portrayed, frowned at embarrassment ad failure within families, wherein the besmirching of social expectations, i.e., having members incompetent to maintain and sustain the wealthy lifestyle, constituted a “mortal sin”.  Furthermore, some of the wealthy aged might have been consigned to “golden cages” away from the sight of the party-going jet set, their care-taking relegated to hired hands.  It seems that, for some quarters, American consumerism and materialism (Williams, 467) takes precedence over the humanistic, holistic influence of Christianity.  Whatever happened to “…whoever among you who does this to the least of my brothers, did it to Me (Mt. 18:1-5)” and “Honor thy father and thy mother (Ex 20:12)”?

            Thus, Barnaby might have been robbed of his parents’ affection and deep emotional bond and vice versa, by being in their type of social status.  Natalie discriminated his lack of drive to earn money.  Even Opal prioritized more her birthday party over more time with him (which is partly his own fault and Natalie’s).  The casualty of the standards of affluence vs. Barnaby was not so much the financial capacity and being debarred from the amenities of the high standard of living than his authentic bond with his parents, wife, and child.  This goes to show how pervading cultures seriously impinge in human affairs, especially if passivity sets in.

Pervading Culture

            The novel pointed out practices and social trends that had become features of American society.  They may not be technically labeled as culture, however if a large number of the population subscribes to their legality, then, their predominance in terms of occurrence and tolerance in that society already becomes part of the culture.  The critique selected those that need reexamination as socio-legal norms.

1)      Divorce – divorce[5] is so common in America that as a legal means to exit from a relationship or marriage that turned out to be undesirable, precludes any effort to adjust to unpleasant subjectivities of a partner, and has become a culture, a common practice by the impatient individual fast tracker who wants everything to go his or her way, to the detriment of the lasting family.  It is no wonder that some people grow old alone that being un-self-sacrificing in their youth, end up with children who do not sacrifice their time and space for them.  Natalie immediately left Barnaby with her baby and filed a divorce without so much as a threshing out of differences, instead, what pervaded, in Barnaby’s words, “was a silence within the silence”.

2)      Senior citizens living or left alone – again, their prevalence in ever growing numbers reflect societal toleration of a cultural malaise of an overrated sense of independence of the seniors in themselves and of their children.  Today, far fewer older people live with other family members.  There is a rapid growth of nursing homes (for the aged) (Currie & Skolnick, 338).  Many of the aged are poor and lonely, and there is also a systematic pattern of discrimination against the aged (Horton, Leslie, Larson, & Horton; 150, 152).  It would be surprising for the family oriented Filipino reader to note that the children of Mrs. Alford only appeared in the story after her passing.

3)      Individual worth measured by material success – at least among some of the upper class, as the story had shown, this mindset existed.  To illustrate, Margot esteemed the accomplished Len Parrish more than her own son, extolling him in his absence during Barnaby’s own birthday.

            The novel is quite straightforward about these issues that, having been tolerated for a long time by American society, does not mean they are moral or just.  It is within this social setting that a value and principle must be reiterated for today’s generation.

Main Theme and Title Relevance

            The moral of the novel is derived from a phenomenological-philosophical reading for underlying principles essential for profound realizations one must attain in order to have an authentic human existence, i.e., giving and receiving that is essential for human needs. 

Manuel Dy (222) philosophized that Love is the crowning action of one’s existence.  The novel, in presenting an imperfect person, also portrayed a person in need of understanding, acceptance, and ultimately, love.  Barnaby was not able to feel love from his parents, from Natalie, and even from Sophia.  His parents, Natalie, and Sophia could not countenance and understand his positives alongside with his negatives, rendering him emotionally and psychologically fractured, where in fact, a person is more than his or her qualities (Ibid.).  As a delinquent, he might have suffered emotional scars and parental neglect.  He needed love much more for personal healing.  The feeling of being loved, understood, and accepted in the core of being heals all fears and rancor (Shostrom & Montgomery, 70).

His need for love, like a garment that was torn and full of holes, was “patched up” by (1) Mrs. Dibble, (2) Mrs. Alford, and (3) Martine. They believed and trusted him, fulfilling his want for love and acceptance of his total personhood.  It is a natural tendency of a person to seek thus (Dy, 220).

            Thus, the novel qualifies the Love expected of parents, spouses, and siblings: the total, unconditioned acceptance of the person with respect to all that person’s qualities, pleasant or otherwise.  For spouses, their relationship must not be that of one dominating the other, whereas the individuality of the subjugated is subsumed in the dominant half, but rather should mutually respect each other’s subjectivity for among spouses, Love is the union that preserves one’s integrity and individuality (Fromm, 20).

The novel implies that inter-subjectivity[6] is necessary for love which completes one’s existence or “patches up” one’s need for care and attention, especially that most people’s needs are not completed by their families.

The relevance of the title, “A Patchwork Planet”, a title that seems to have a negative connotation of fractiousness, of being worn and torn, confides an intimation of the author’s optimistic view of human relations, that of being bound together in a great tapestry, of being renewed and revived once more.  The title bespeaks of many neighbors and fellows who are willing to accept persons as they are: friends, co-workers, relatives, etc., that one needs not to despair provided that one must look.  The author believes that the human society has the capability to heal itself as long as people are willing to reach out to others.  Sharing one planet, chances are great in finding someone who is willing to enter into an “inter-subjective bond”.  As the antihero Barnaby proved, being imperfect to some could also mean being perfect for another, in complementing each other’s strength and weaknesses, or “patching up” each other.

            Thus, the author suggests how to love and from whom one is mostly likely to find it.

Advocacy for Profound Societal Change

            Although the tone of the novel is basically optimistic in regard to persons finding love and acceptance, the dramatization of pervading American cultural malaise and the title and story theme invite the reader to reassess one’s own society and one’s own actions and behavior within a relationship or within one’s family.  After reading, the conscientious Filipino reader may ask herself or himself the following questions:

1)      Is Philippine society (or your own society, for that matter) already overtaken by materialism, consumerism, and hedonism? Does my attitudes, prejudices, and actions tend toward valuing material gain and possessions over my own values and fellow human beings? If so, what must I do?

2)      What is my demeanor toward the elderly, especially to my parents and grandparents?  Do I look at them as a burden or as human beings who are in need of my company, love, and sheltering?

3)      How do I really love my partner?  Am I a person who would stay with my partner as long as she or he acts in accordance to my preferences and/or as long as she or he is physically attractive or financially capable?

4)      Am I giving my children quality time so that I can impress on them the ABC’s of GMRC[7]? Am I too authoritarian and whimsical in my discipline? Do my children feel loved, understood, and accepted?  Do I allow them ample freedom to live their lives?

Anne Tyler’s “A Patchwork Planet” is very simple as it is thought provoking, a household, living room masterpiece.  It seems she took care not to bring people to other realms, as Stephen King and Anne Rice are wont to do, bedazzling the bookworm to forget about the present, to escape reality for a while.  She instead brings the veteran and the neophyte page-turner closer to home and tease them to ask those most frequently avoided questions.  If people begin asking themselves, then, as Anne foresaw, the “Patchwork Planet” would truly be a better place each passing day.

      

Conclusion

            The novel has conveyed modern issues, moral principles and values, in a direct, conversational manner, humoring and magnifying realities and truths about family, marriage, and true love, sans the romanticism.  The main theme is acceptance and complementation of each other’s subjectivities and not only each other’s utility.  The reader who readily accepts Barnaby will probably be more inclined to accept her or his own Barnaby in real life.  Or if their hearts go out to Mrs. Alford, then they would be better equipped in maturity to take care of and connect with their Alfords. 

As society continues to advance technologically and human culture becomes more dependent on material culture, novelists like Anne Tyler are there to remind that to be more human is to be less attached to material culture and to be more attached to fellow humans, and this entails love that has healed and renewed families and societies ever so gradually amidst the fast pace of modernization.  How much love does a Barnaby and an Alford need?  The measure of love is to love without measure, and that love begins at home.

 

 

References

 Bustos, Alicia S. Espiritu, Socorro C. Psychological, Anthropological, & Sociological

Foundations of Education, 2^nd edition. Quezon City: Katha Publishing Co. Inc., 1996; p.110.

Curran, James. Morley, David. & Walkerdine, Valerie. Cultural Studies and Communication.London: Arnold, 1996.  

Currie, Elliott. Skolnick, Jerome H. American Problems, Social Issues and Public Policy.

Boston: Little, Brown, & Company, 1984; pp. 237-238. 

Dy Jr., Manuel B. Philosophy of Man, Selected Readings, 2^nd edition. Makati City: GoodWill

Trading Co., Inc., 2001; pp. iv, 220-222.

Fromm, Erich. The Art of Loving. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1956; p. 20.

 Horton, Paul B. Leslie, Gerald R. Larson, Richard F. Horton, Robert L. Sociology of Social

Problems, 12^th edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997; pp. 144, 150-152.

Kuiper, Kathleen. Antihero. In Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature. Massachusetts:

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 1995; p. 57.

 Shostrom, Everett L. Montgomery, Dan. Healing Love, How God Works Within the

Personality. Nashville: Abingdon, 1978; p. 70.

Steinberg, Laurence. Adolescence, 4^th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1996; pp. 162,

508-509.

Stevenson, Leslie. Haberman, David L. Ten Theories of Human Nature. New York: Oxford

University Press, 1998.

Tyler, Anne. A Patchwork Planet. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001.

Williams Jr., Robin M. American Society, A Sociological Interpretation, 3^Rd edition. New

York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1970; pp. 467-469.

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[1] Loving inter-subjectivity is the mutual acceptance and understanding of each other (Dy, 222).

[2] Class articulates its identity and whose interests are different and usually opposed to other classes (Curran, Morley, & Walkerdine; 1996).

[3] Filipino culture practices the custom wherein…the family takes care of the old (parents and grandparents)(Bustos & Espiritu, 110)

[4] However, the critic subscribes to this tenet of Marxism insofar as social incidental behavior is concerned, for no amount of ideology can bracket the inherent freedom and responsibility of the individual.  Jean-Paul Sartre declared, “Man is cursed and trapped to be free” (Ibid.).

[5] The United States has one of the highest divorce rate of any major industrial nation (Horton, Leslie, Gerald, & Horton, 144).  Divorce rates had shot upward in the 1960’s and 1970’s, caused by the destructive “permissiveness” of the (American) modern welfare state (Currie & Skolnick, 237).

[6] It is the participation of one’s subjectivity with another person’s subjectivity, and vice versa, resulting in mutuality and symbiosis (Dy, 220).

[7] GMRC stands for Good Manners and Right Conduct

            Amy Tan’s novel is an excellent example of a book that exudes both Chinese sensibilities and American straightforwardness, seemingly a proud declaration of the author’s Chinese American heritage.  Amy Tan has successfully juxtaposed pure Chinese culture with that of American modern attitudes for the perception of the reader, who, the author may have hoped as a writer of hybridism, shall view them with tolerance and withhold prejudice.  Tan’s skill of verisimilitude has placed these cultures into context of the human experience that is both tragic and redemptive, showing the interlacing of humans, their culture, and society through struggles and adversity. 

           Thus this critique shall further describe and analyze Amy Tan’s literary rendering of cultural integration and clash and the human experience, as well as extract from the novel major points to ponder.

Literary Style and Devices

            Amy Tan’s writing in the novel is dynamic.  She has the ability to shift from urban to rural, formal to informal registers, standard to the ethnic minority use of the language.  The novel’s main character, Ruth Young, figures in the 60’s to 90’s educated and slang usage of English.  LuLing Xin Young, her mother, is the mouthpiece for pidgin Hong Kong-British English and in the translation of her memoirs, the country diction sampling Nature (Chinese) imagery and idiomatic expressions.

            Her use of flashbacks regales the reader with a variety of settings, notably that of early modern China: the mountain villages, bustling Peking and Hong Kong, before and during the Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War.  She also recalled America’s not-so-affluent suburbs and districts in the 60’s and 70’s in Ruth’s pre-adolescent and adolescent years.  The flashbacks also contain sub-plots that are all essential to the main plot. 

           The novel has recurring images of fog, steam, fire and water, death, and suicide. Visible forms of water vapor drifting evoke mystery and eeriness.  They probably symbolize the sudden occurrence of events beyond human control and comprehension.  The fog can appear suddenly and create zero visibility (the unknown, the unforeseen).  Death is also one of the unknowns that definitely ends life and announces the start of its definition.  It certainly set the boundary on the analysis of Gu Liu Xin’s life, dominated by her ultimate sacrifice in the end, her suicide.  On the other hand, LuLing’s and Ruth’s lives were still full of possibilities, additions to their biographies.  However, the repetition of the death and LuLing’s threats of suicide may have an existentialist[1] message in them.  Death as a constant exhorts people to do what must be done before it is too late (LuLing may have been subliminally asking for love and understanding from Ruth in her suicide threats, although it may also be an overt sign of guilt for her own mother’s suicide.). There are no second chances.  The imagery of death may also represent the necessity for a part of oneself (egocentrism, hatred, cultural intolerance, etc.,) to die so that one can live fully, i.e., to have an authentic existence.

             The author utilized oxymora. Here are some examples: (1) “fire dragon-water dragon” (p.11), (2) “hot and cold faucet” (p.11), (3) “comedically tragic” (p.11), (4) “simple problems-difficult solutions” (p. 30), (5) “firm but still loose” (p. 54), (6) “best friends-worse enemies” (p.55), (7) “archrivals-gleeful conspirators”, and (8) yin and yang (p.54).

            Here are some examples of Chinese metaphors and idiomatic expressions in the novel:

1)      “…fish shadows dart downstream” – a Nature metaphor for the Liu family’s ink products.

2)      “…snorts of a ragged wind.” – the wheezes and huffs of mute Gu.

3)      “No oil for squeaky wheel” – Isolation dulls the mind

4)      “…turtle on its back” – confusion

            Two types of point of view were used in the narration of the story and have been instrumental in involving the reader into the plot: (1) the Third Person Omniscient[2] and the (2) First Person Participant[3].  The latter has the potential to elicit emotional and intellectual responses from readers in combination with the use of the Recognition Plotting.

               A Recognition Plot is so constructed that the principal reversal or peripeteia results from someone’s acquisition of knowledge previously withheld (Holman & Harmon, 418).  This construct is found in the novel’s subplot/flashback of LuLing’s life in China.  LuLing was unaware that Gu Liu Xin, her nanny, was her real mother.  Her discovery after Gu’s death had strengthened and scarred her as well, provoking the reader to deduce that if not for the revelation, she might not have reached America. Her truculence, ingratitude, and disobedience toward Gu pique the imagination of the reader to deduce the situation where she knew the truth.  This opens the door for the reader to sympathize for the tragic character of Gu and holds the key to the author’s tone of the novel. 

           The major tone of the author is Feminist.  The novel serves as a reminder for the reader to scrutinize the power structures of misogynistic and patriarchal aspects of cultures (Chinese and American), and side with the disadvantaged, oppressed, and the ignored.  The poignant history of LuLing and Gu reveal how some women must face overwhelming odds to exist in the midst of sanctioned dehumanization.  But the most emphatic figure of oppression and tragedy is the character of Gu, deformed physically yet retaining her acuity, and crippling her potentialities nonetheless.  The Recognition Plot climaxed the injustices done to Gu. It is in that subplot that she had to suffer her daughter’s ignorance of their real relationship and was denied her daughter’s love and full attachment because of the Liu’s adherence to traditional Chinese norms.  LuLing’s betrayal of her own mother induces extrapolations of what-might-have-beens and appalls the reader, perceiving the possibility and even reality of such situations due to cultural inhumanity. Thus, Amy Tan’s attempt to evoke sympathy and increase awareness of culturally, politically, and socially imposed strictures and infringements on women’s human rights, is possibly achieved.  Feminism’s and Tan’s call to accord aid to and liberate the disadvantaged, who are mostly women, is an exhortation for humanization of the self, of both men and women.            The novel also salutes Feminism triumphant.  Ruth, in breaking out of the vicious cycle which started with her grandmother, serving as the bridge and optimizer of the past and present, of American and Chinese cultures, she emerged as the woman whose nature and life became complete, fulfilled, and actualized.            A comparison of American and Chinese cultures in the novel hints at the author’s valuing of both, and her advocacy for cultural tolerance and acculturation[4] 

            The diction is a confluence of the vulgar and educated and the provincial and urban.            Foreshadowing is extensive, and is indicative of the author’s exquisite plotting and mastery of storytelling.  The most notable of these pre-determinations is Precious Auntie’s (Gu) bequeathing of the Oracle Stone to LuLing, which. allowed her to recall later in life her mother’s surname, and complete Ruth’s search and understanding of her ancestry and sense of self.

Conflict of the Main Characters

            Three women in the novel shared a common conflict that afflicted their existence: women against society/culture/ingrained collective behavior.  Ruth had to go against American culture of individualism and pragmatism, at the expense of her relationship with Art, in order to live and take care of her mother, who had acquired dementia. Art had initially suggested that she just hire caretakers for his ailing mother-in-law, implying his early aversion towards people who are burdensome.  The bond Ruth felt for her mother won against the expectations of society.  Her mother, LuLing, had to endure her own family’s ostracism of her, as they consigned her to an orphanage in order to prevent her from further besmirching the reputation of the Liu clan.  Finally, Gu Liu Xin, the matriarch, was aggrieved by a jilted suitor, Chang, the suspect in the deaths of her husband and father.  She was reduced to being a servant in her in-laws household, and was forced to comply with their condition that she would hide the truth from her own daughter, in the name of social expectations.  Citing these, it can be supposed that the culture of a society played a major part in forming the mentalities and crucial decisions of the people they have come into opposition with as they tried to exercise their freedom.

Pervading Culture

            The Chinese culture of Gu Liu Xin and her daughter LuLing disregarded much of the freedom of choice of women and neglected to recognize their position in society, despite the fact that women are very essential in the family, the basic unit of society.  This situation was illustrated many times in the novel.

1)      The foot binding of the women was an ancient tradition. Such a practice was a painful process and deformed women’s feet.

2)      The parents chose the potential husband of their daughters, thus depriving them of the right to select their partners.

3)      Most Chinese then honored their male ancestors, but seldom paid respect to those who were female.

4)      Sons received larger portions of the inheritance than daughters.

            The American culture of Ruth contravened the lives of women not so much because of unfavorable rules, norms, and labor practices that may have survived the Women’s Liberation Movement[5], but rather of attitudes formed by materialism and hedonism that objectified women and identified them as dependents, weak, and incapable of decision.  This is exemplified by Art’s attitude toward Ruth’s mother.  He was more committed in shouldering LuLing’s expenses at a nursing home rather than let Ruth take care of her mother herself.  American culture sometimes places too much precedence to utility and productivity[6]over family ties.  Sometimes, little consideration is given to communication with women or sensitivity to their needs when the American propensity for materialism, social status mobility, and impersonal pragmatism are sometimes prioritized and obsessively attached to self-worth[7].  There was also a double standard of morality upheld against women, which was exemplified in the subplot of Lance and Dottie. Lance, implied but not stated, has had affairs with other women, but Dottie acquiesced to his shenanigans.  But when Lance learned Dottie had her own liaison with Danny, he drove her from his house.  This unfair application of morality puts men in a power position within relationships, and abrogates the equality of those involved.  The ideology of male supremacy and the belief of women in their own inferiority (Dixon, 299) perpetuate the double standard in penalizing and in the treatment of infidelity. However, this is hardly unique inAmerica. 

           Thus, Chinese culture has sanctioned restrictions on women’s rights while American culture sometimes conditions the minds of men to ignore their needs and impose their will on them especially if they are economically dependent.

Themes

            The novel’s dissection of the human (female) psyche under social and cultural duress and the exploration of cultural mélange creates many layers of meaning, implications, perspectives of the truth.  These can enrich the depiction of the human experience.

Main Theme

            This critique maintains as the novel’s major theme the significance of women in society as essential persons in the building and maintenance of families, as fundamental societal elements, despite their perceived disadvantaged position, hence, social and cultural factors that oppress women must be exposed and individually dealt with, in order to heal social evils and surmount threats to social disintegration. 

The Novel from Various Perspectives

A) Psychoanalytic – the psychological factors shaping the characters and their actions

1) The Mother-Daughter Bond

           Ruth’s bond to her demented, depressed, and isolated mother overcame the dictates of pragmatic culture and she finally succeeded where LuLing failed: showing her love to her mother as a daughter before her time was up.  Gu Liu Xin’s love for LuLing saved her from subjugation by the Changs, and without whose devotion and good upbringing of LuLing, Ruth may not have had a good life.  The Mother-Daughter bond is deeply rooted within females, and they feel an emotional need for each other throughout life (Neisser, 15).  Their relationship is presupposed by the observed innate behavior of females.  Women nurture intimate and supportive relationships more than the men (Rudolf & Conley, 115).  This bond is a strong factor in family solidarity.

2) Excessive Parental Control of Children

             Ruth felt anxiety and pressure from her mother’s authoritarian parenting, causing her depression and near entanglement with an older man (Lance).  She also almost committed suicide by drowning herself.  Parents who exercise excessive control over their children maybe contribute to their manic-depressive states and perfectionist tendencies, thus making them feel tremendous pressure and anxiety, later in life (Kenney-Benson & Pomerantz, 23).  Sometimes, parents who were not able to cope with societal pressures and the problems they cause affect their mental states which in turn have an effect on their handling of their children.

3) Negative Beliefs

             The belief in curses, vengeful ancestors, and persistent guilt over past grievous offenses are negative irrational notions that, when sustained, may cloud one’s perception of reality and lower self-esteem.  LuLing believed that her being the main reason for her real mother’s suicide and her lack of proper burial have accursed her existence.  She attributed the deaths of Kai Jing and Edmund Young, her late husbands, to her mother’s supposed curse.  It eventually contributed to LuLing’s depression, obsession with the spirit of Precious Auntie, her suicidal tendencies, and later, her dementia.  Fatalistic pessimism, a negative view of the world, is one of the main factors leading to depression that may have other negative psychological effects (Benjamin Jr., Hopkins, & Nation; 503).   

B) Structuralist –configurations of the primary interrelations within a story.

            The lives of three generations of ethnic Chinese women can be described as both damaged and redeeming.  Tragic events, detrimental circumstances, and inherited induced maladaptive behaviors marked their early experiences.  However, toward the end, their actions redeemed them of their mistakes and saved the other from the repercussions of the past.  Precious Auntie (Bao Bomu, Gu Liu Xin), damaged by the actions of Chang, saved her daughter from his son’s opium addiction by ruining the Liu-Chang marriage negotiations with her letter and suicide.  LuLing, mentally disturbed by guilt over Precious Auntie and her belief in her curse, was still able to raise Ruth in
Americaand save money for her future.  She had also prevented her from taking her own life.  Ruth, depressed and hounded by her mother’s eccentricity and suicidal tendency, eventually revived their bond, lived with her in her old age, and looked after her needs.  Hence, one can discern life encompassing “healing” cycles being concretized by the principal characters.Life Damage - Redemptive Acts. The cycle is further specified by the figure:

Tribulation                              Grandmother                          Her Sacrifice 

Tribulation                              Mother                                   Her Sacrifice 

Tribulation                              Daughter                                Her Sacrifice            Mother.

          This pattern implies that the effects of crucial, drastic, and unforeseen changes (due to society’s influence) and their resultant suffering were carried over to the next generation.  However, redemptive acts also allowed the next generation to diminish those effects and fortify them enough to end the vicious cycle.  In a sense, mother and daughter were like the barges inSan FranciscoBayengulfed by the fog (tragic events).  They avoided collision (total failure) through their foghorns (communication, their bond, their selflessness).  The pattern clarifies the role of family and of the connection between women that allowed them to survive sudden adverse events and situations.

C) Phenomenological – actual subjective interpretation cleared of preconceptions in extracting underlying principles.

            Philosophical truths can be inferred from the experiential aspect of the novel, the context of the reader, and discernment of the main Structure of the story: (1) the past forms the present, however the present can reform some of the consequences, situations, and mentality inherited from the past; (2) good and evil actions project into the future; (3) human beings can only turn to themselves and to other human beings in facing the unknown. 

D) Title Significance – the title as a window into the author’s intention and that of the novel

            Bonesetter’s Daughter apparently signifies Gu Liu Xin.  The title can also refer to LuLing and Ruth. They mitigated the dysfunctional circumstances of their family by their healing feelings of ties and responsibility toward one another.  The three characters, in essence, were all bonesetters, for they have gradually mended the broken bones that were the mind, body, and spirit of each other with the splints and curative herbs of communication across cultures, empathy, and concern innate to all human beings. As a Feminist novel, Bonesetter’s Daughter pertains to all women who have been the healers of society by virtue of their nature and capacity to feel. Women, as well as men, have the power to make society better.

E) Deconstructionist – critiquing the critique for unspoken implications sometimes adverse to the intended message

            As a Feminist ideological state apparatus[8], the positive or perceptible intent of the author apparent in the novel (its tone) is to influence the reader to sympathize with women victimized by culture and collective social attitudes, through the recounting of the instances and acts of oppression.  But is the Feminist aspiration the sole reaction of the readers to this novel?  For could it not actually influence the subconscious of the impressionable reader by desensitizing or immuring one’s mind to oppressive and misogynistic acts and situations depicted in its passages and scenes? Can the surfeit of female pathos and impression of the prevalence of male domination lead to apathy, surrender, and indifference, noting how the novel portrayed as natural those otherwise “unnatural” behaviors?  Some directors rationalize filming violence as actually socially beneficial because it can remind the viewers of the evils of violence.  However, several correlational studies support a link between the viewing of violent films and television programs and aggressive behavior in children and adults (Hjelle & Ziegler, 145).  There is a possibility that the violent and oppressive scenes in the book, especially against the female characters, that will be eventually visualized and might be committed to subconscious memory by the readers, would induce apathy if not aggressive behaviors against women.  If this is the case, then the novel may have defeated its own purpose.

F) Sociological – connection with society and its structures

            The family[9] is the basic unit of society.  In the absence of compassion and solidarity from other members of society, family kinship of persons is the strongest relationship, and as mentioned early, the strongest bond, in theory, is the mother-daughter bond.  This type of social relationship enables persons to authentically identify and communicate with one another and mutually assist each other, therefore, they will have better chances of “navigating within the fog”.  In the novel, LuLing and Gaoling, as cousins, succored each other during the war and in immigrating to America.  Ruth’s overseeing the Full Moon Festival reunion underscored her regard for sanguinary ties, and characterized her as a daughter who would care for her mother.  And because women are supposed to be more predisposed to maintain intimate and supportive relationships, and thus, serve as “nuclei” in the existence of families, the maltreatment of female family members and social hobbling of women is tantamount to undermining the very structure of society itself.

G) Feminist – critique on the novel’s significance to the libertarian aspirations of women

1) Oppressive Social and Cultural Structures

             Some aspects of culture stifle the freedom of and violate the rights of women.  Society should recognize those cultural errors and effect changes within that culture and subsequently, within that society.  2) Solidarity Among Women             Sometimes, “if other people cannot do the job, you have to do it yourself.” More often than not, a woman is in the best position and disposition to help another woman. This realization is illustrated in the initial contrasting attitudes of Ruth and Art toward moving in with aging LuLing.

3) The Disadvantaged Women 

            More women than men suffer poverty, unemployment, physical abuse, and socio-cultural apathy and impositions[10].  As the tone and literary devices have conveyed, inaction and discrimination towards the disadvantaged and the oppressed compound social and psychological problems, which have long-term consequences.  As seen in the novel, Chang’s brutal act destroyed Gu Liu Xin’s hopes for a family of her own, and its reverberations were still transmitted to the life of Ruth.  This is solely a micro-examination of an individual experience, whereas more women fall prey to such ordeals.  This has far reaching implications to society, unless society and its individuals act accordingly.

Advocacy for Profound Societal Change

            Some of the social structures, which imposed injustice on the women sector of society, have been amended.  Yet, one only has to observe that in the absence of culturally ordained overt status quos, discriminatory and insensitive behaviors and attitudes persist that continue to harm women and the family.            It is probably the keen awareness of this invisible enemy, the new fog, that the author, in writing the novel, has realistically portrayed authentic human behaviors in lieu of the commercial entertaining fare of action, gore, thrillers, and sex.  And in highlighting innate humaneness of women, the author is knowingly or unknowingly subscribing to the social learning theory of Bandura and responsibly presents to the reader, and to society, positive behavioral models that they can emulate and internalize or imitate (Bustos & Espiritu, 37).

            Therefore, the novel grounds societal change in each individual of both sexes.  Each individual must regularly submit to self-evaluation in relation to one’s responsibility toward one’s closest neighbor, the family.  One must also assess one’s sense of responsibility to the community, especially towards the disadvantaged.  Going through the examination, the individual then may try to eliminate negative attitudes, thinking, and behaviors and develop one’s altruism and sensitivity.  Only then can profound societal change be gradually attained.

            Ultimately, the basis for the perpetuation and humanization of society is the collective and individual treatment of its helpless: the children and the sick, the poor and the elderly, the unemployed and the disadvantaged women. 

             Ruth Young was the heroine that underwent productive introspection and internal change, the modern “bonesetter”.  And the novel may be seeking to form more people like her for the future of society, of the status of women, and that of the family in an increasingly technologically and materialistically depersonalized world.

Conclusion 

            The Bonesetter’s Daughter is a touching novel that is full of sensibility, culture, values, and Feminist aspirations.  The fluidity of narration and the pertinence of the chapters to each other enthrall and engross the reader to the lives of the principal characters.  Amy Tan displayed her seemingly detailed eyewitness account of history and human situations, as the pages come alive with their joys and pains.            The novel is timely as the notions of family, relationship, and the sanctity of womanhood are challenged by the modern society’s macro-criteria of competitiveness and pragmatism that threaten to preoccupy the human mind and heart at the expense of others’ humanity.  The novel is frank but subdued in asking the reader, “How’s your relationship with your mother, your grandmother, or to your wife?  Have you taken the time to consider them in spite of the hustle and bustle of work?  Are you working for yourself or for a family?     The problem with modern society is that everything either becomes an accessory or a commodity, an instrument or a source of gratification.  And when the usefulness of these accessories and commodities passes from the interest of the consumer, they are now viewed as inconveniences, excess baggage, or liabilities.  Unfortunately, the main victim of this socio-psychological behavior is the family and its women.  Unless individuals reexamine and change the attitude towards their families, the society will remain internally stagnant, or worse, it may allow the baser and animalistic instincts of men to worsen the situation of the future society.            The novel has the potential to contribute to such a change in modern attitudes, emphasizing the Feminist, Humanist theme.  In promoting awareness for the significance of the family, of the human duty to assist the helpless human, and the advantages of acculturation and confluence of the positive traits of diverse cultures, the enlightened individual reader may undergo self-evaluation, catharses, and conversion, and which in turn, may reconfigure the future society as very much more humane than it is in the past. 

References

Benjamin Jr., Lully T. Hopkins, J. Roy. & Nation, Jack R. Psychology, 2^nd ed.
New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1990; p. 503.Broom, Leonard. Selznick, Philip.  Sociology.
New York: Harper & Row, 1977; p. 315.Bustos, Alicia. Espiritu, Socorro. Psychological, Anthropological, and Sociological Foundations of Education, 2^nd ed.
Quezon City: Katha Publishing Co., Inc., 1996; p. 37.Dixon, Marlene. Why Women’s Liberation? In Lora, Ronald.
Americain the 60’s, Cultural Authorities in Transition.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1974; 295-300.Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory, an Introduction. Minneapolis:UniversityofMinneapolisPress, 1983; p. 186.Hjelle, Larry A. Ziegler, Daniel J. Personality Theories, 3^rd ed., Basic Assumptions, Research, & Applications.
New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992; p. 145.Holman, Hugh C. Harmon, William. A Handbook to Literature.
New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986; p. 418.Kenney-Benson, Gwen A. Pomerantz, Eva M. The Role of Mother’s Use of Control in Children’s Perfectionism: Implications for the Development of Children’s Depression Symptoms. In Journal of Personality Vol. 73, No. 1.
Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, February 2005; p. 23.Kim, Bryan S.K. Atkinson, Donald R. & Unemoto, Dawn.  Asian Cultural Values & the Counseling Process: Current Knowledge & Directions for Future Researchers. In Heppner, Paul P (Ed.) Counseling Psychologist, Vol. 29, No. 4. Thousand Oaks(
USA): sage Publications, July 2001; p. 571.Neisser, Edith Glicksman. Mothers & Daughters; A Lifelong Relationship.
New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1967; p. 15-17.Rudolf, Karen D. Conley, Colleen S. The Sociological Costs and Benefits of Social Evaluative Concerns: Do Girls Care Too Much? In Journal of Personality Vol. 73, No. 1.
Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, February 2005; p. 115.Sanborn, Patricia F. Existentialism.
New York: Western Publishing Co., Inc., 1968; p. 15.Tan, Amy. Bonesetter’s Daughter.
New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2001.McCormick, Kathleen. & Fowler, Joseph Lois.  Waller,
Gary.  The LexingtonIntroduction to Literature,
Readingand Responding to Texts.
Massachusetts: DC Heath & Co., 1987; p. 1253-54.Williams Jr., Robin M. American Society, a Sociological Interpretation, 3^rd ed.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1970; p. 467-469.

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[1] “Man fashions his own image…he has only the conditions that he creates.  His essence (life actions) can only be defined after he exists” (Sanborn, 15). [2] The Third Person Omniscient implies that the narrative voice knows all the character’s thoughts (Waller, McCormick, & Fowler; 1253-1254). [3] The First Person Participant both tells and is involved in the story (Waller, McCormick, & Fowler; 1253-1254). [4] Acculturation is the adaptation from one culture to another, which includes retaining selected aspects of one’s indigenous culture (Kim, Atkinson, & Unemoto; 571). [5] This movement obtained equal pay and job opportunities for women in the 1960’s (
Dixon, 295)[6] Practicality points to secular emphases of culture, and hints at dissipation of ultimate “values” in favor of efficient and quick adaptability to immediate interests and satisfaction (Williams, 467). [7] Passive, hedonistic gratification…in American society has become increasingly prominent in recent decades (Williams, 469). [8] An instrument of an ideology that presents a social reality as a truth that forms minds to act according to that truth (Eagleton, 186). [9] “In all societies throughout human history, families have been the main vehicles of group identity…institutions – religious, economic, political, legal, and educational – rested on the continuities of the family (Broom & Selznick, 315).” [10] Women (in America) remain the most oppressed (Dixon)