I disagree with the comment that the book is masculine and focusing on the father. While a large portion of the novel does talk about the history of male ancestors, Wong's narrator shows a great respect for his mother. It's almost as if he has a special connection to her. When she tells him, if that's what you want to call it, about his father's death, the narrator saw "in her blank expression" that his father had died. In the next few pages, he describes the connection to his mother deeply. In teaching him to iron, the narrator says "a family tradition had been passed on to me" (33). After his whole spiel on ironing, the narrator says that "it was [his] mother that controlled [his] growing until she too died."
The death of his mother seemed to be a traumatic experience. He mimicked her strength and courage to move on yet he still recognized her pain and loneliness. At her own funeral, he followed in her example, which is weird because he didn't actually witness her at his fathers funeral. The narrator obviously had a special relationship to his mother with fond memories. He learned a lot from her. I don't understand why someone would say that she was left out of the story. Maybe I am just seeing this because I am a woman and want my future children to respond positively to my influence, but even as more of a side story I see her as a strong influence in his life.
I totally agree with you that this book isn't entirely about masculinity! To be honest I read it and couldn't stop thinking of the love between the two parents. The whole time I kept thinking I want to hear more about their undying love. It kind of reminded me of "The Notebook." Which is an awesome, awesome book and pretty good movie in case you didn't already know.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty definite that this book isn't entirely about the father. I believe it to be ultimately about his son, and his son trying to find himself through his parent's memories. Who we are is a direct correlation of who our parents are or were. Now that his parents are dead I think he is trying even harder to bear resemblance or remember them. When we lose people close to us we try to hold on all too tightly to the little we have left. Both of his parents died when he was fairly young, all he had were memories to go off and learn from. Like any normal person, he wanted to know who his parents were.
It is actually rather depressing. I mean I hate my parents 97% of the time but at least I have the opportunity to hate them. There is no way he really has a good, personal grip on who his parents are. Everything he has the opportunity to learn about, about his parents nearly anyone else can learn as well. All he has are letters and flashbacks, which anyone could build a character through. The son in unfortunate in lacking that immediate personal connection between two people, and in this case his two parents.
Yes. I agree with Jessica. PLUS, the fact is that the history of exclusion laws meant that much of Chinese American history is male-centered; the "bachelor society" was a result of American policy, not Chinese Americans' choices. So if "Homebase" focuses on the great-grandfather and the grandfather more than the great-grandmother and grandmother, that's why.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Becka. I'm not sure what story that graduate student was reading when she said that "Homebase" was void of female characters or did not put enough emphasis on his mother. Clearly his mother was talked about more than once throughout the story and seemed to be just as much if not more influential than some of the men in the story. Parents play such a huge role in their children's lives and in this particular instance, his mother was a huge contributor to making Rainsford a man. She taught him how to become not only a man but one that would honor his forefathers.
ReplyDeleteAnother female character that I thought was interesting even though she was in his dreams was "The Body". I thought she embodied everything that it means to be American; like he said "she is America." I thought using her to represent the American ideal was a creative way in explaining his search for identity and in his personal quest to find himself and find home.
I agree with you that the article is not only about masculinity. As you say, Rainsford respect his mother a lot. And I guess if his mother didn't die, he would not be so lost. The reason for having a lot of paragraphs on his father and grandfather, I guess, is because his grandfather is the first person who came to America and began the journey. It's the root for him to understand the identity of himself. At the same time, the author doesn't ignore the role of his mother. And as Jessica says, we can see that how his parents love each other.
ReplyDeleteCarla comments that another female character "The Body" is important too. I also feel that character is interesting. But I don't think it's a crucial female character in the article. I think it's just a stereotype American "object", which is used in the article to portray Rainsford's urge for his identity.