Throughout history we have struggled against discrimination and mistreatment, whether it be among individuals within our own society or others from far away. This attempt to tear these cultures apart often does the opposite. In Escape to Gold Mountain by David Wong, and ‘Jook-Liang only sister’ from the Jade Peony by Wayson Choy, the point of view, word choice, and mood reveals how people persevered through the lack of equity to strengthen their new culture.
In these pieces of text, the point of view allows the author to demonstrate the events that lead to the strengthening of their culture. In the introduction to Escape to Gold Mountain David Wong tells you to, “Imagine your great-great-great grandfather arriving in Gam Saan and facing adversity solely for being Chinese, while today you have the full rights of citizenship”. This puts you in the same perspective that Wong has on the events occurring throughout the book. His perspective reinforces your understanding of the culture. In the Jade Peony, Choy enforces the culture by saying, “‘What will be, will be,’ all the lao wah-kiu, the Chinatown old-timers, used to say to each other. ‘In Gold Mountain, simple is best’”, which enforces the idea of simplicity that their family persevered. This simplicity is now becoming a part of their new culture, and thus allowing them to strengthen their customs.
The word choice strongly conveys inequity through personal events leading to the strengthening of their new culture. This inequity is strongly affected by the use of Chinglish, which both authors use as one of the many verbal barriers the Chinese are faced with. An example of this language barrier is, “after a few moths at sea, Wong Ah Gin [picked] up the strange new language,” he said, “Guud, Mawrnin’ Ah Capteen” (Wong 74). The author chooses “Chinese phrases and words [are] used in this graphic novel [to]…. reflect the terms and expressions that best represent the dialect of the first wave of Chinese to North America” (Wong 32).Chinglish helped Chinese develop their identity as Chinese-Canadians. Jook-Liang says, “I was puzzled. I wanted to hear him speak Chinglish—the mix of Chinese and English we threw together for our own secret talks.” (Choy) It shows how Jook-Liang longed for this differential new custom of a language. Overall, Chinglish helped the Chinese differentiate themselves as Chinese-Canadian.
The mood of the writing shows the lack of equity and impact on the Chinese, causing them to resort to eachother for their basic needs. Wong says “I am now alone in this world…”(Wong 92), this is a demonstration of a very dark mood, especially after having just lost his brother. Not only is it sad to loose a family member, but to later not have anyone else to go to afterwards. The worst part was probably being the fact that if his brother had received proper treatment when working under safer circumstances he would have survived. All of this loss caused many family’s to start to work together to strive for equity and community. In the Jade Peony, Choy states that, “Father always editorialized in one of the news sheets of those Depression years how much the Chinese in Vancouver must help the Chinese”. This is a perfect example of the families starting to work together. Not only is her father writing for them because “No one else will”, he is also trying to promote them working together and creating a community. By having many Chinese together they enforce each other’s culture and allow for less intervention of other cultures.
As you can see, the point of view, use of word choice and mood In Escape to Gold Mountain by David Wong, and ‘Jook-Liang only sister’ from the Jade Peony by Wayson Choy, demonstrates the strengthening of culture.