An Analysis of a Short Story The Paper Menagerie By: Ken Liu

 Bonsato, Alona N. 

BSED-ENGLISH 3a

An Analysis of a Short Story The Paper Menagerie

The Paper Menagerie written by Ken Liu depicts the theme about identity dilemma, culture, discrimination, love and acceptance. Jack who is the main character is the son of a Chinese mother and an American father. In short, Jack is a mixed- blooded boy. Jack and his family lives in his father homeland and so, being a half blooded Chinese- American,he was confuse with his identity because his parents, too, have different culture. Jack is confused who to follow. Surrounded by Americans, Jack tried to fit it with the culture of his father so that he would feel belong given that he looks like his mother who is a Chinese. Somewhat this kind of situation is understandable since if someone sees you as different, racial descrimination happens. 

When Jack was a child, he grew up with his  mother's magic of origami animals which could come to life whenever her mother blews it. The magic origami is said to be from the traditional Chinese Myth. As a child, you tend to enjoy and adapt what our elders would actually shown us. So, Jack learned that origami animals from his mother which showed the bond and love between the mother and the son. Jack's friend named Mark  appeared in the story—an American boy who became the  reason why Jack started to hate his mother and his culture. 

 When Mark showed him the star war toy,  Jack on the other hand proudly showed his paper tiger toy. Mark's toy was defeated by the paper tiger of Jack, Mark tore Jack's paper toy and insulted him that his toy is different and a  garbage. As a child, Jack was hurt about it. He then hated his mother for being a Chinese without knowing the story behind his mother's life experiences. Jack became ashamed and regretful that he wasn't born as a full blooded American. And this scene symbolizes the neglection of Chinese culture and identity where Jack disregarded his half Chinese blood and he tend refusing to communicate with her mother in Chinese language anymore, which made her mother feel sad until her death. That neglection happened because Jack filled with the American ideology that they should sounds, look, and live like American. And living with the environment of Americans, Jack tried to fit in to avoid descrimination.

The shoebox that her mother gave to Jack played a great part to turn Jack's perspective. After he reads the letter,  that was the starting point of Jack being able to slowly accepting his identity and his culture. Despite his neglection of Chinese culture, his love for his mother didn't really changed at all. The letter and the teachings of his mother really woke Jack that having a dual identity doesn't mean you should neglect the other one. All the heritage of Jack's mother helped Jack to cope with his identity dilemma. And that he realized that his culture is rich and should be valued. Indeed, realizations are the end but what matter is that Jack accepted who he is at the end.

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Bonsato, Alona N. 

BSED-ENGLISH 3A

                      "She might as well be from the moon" 

The line " she might be as well from the moon" signifies the relationship between Jack and his mother with regards to the what happened after Jack was confused by his identity. When Jack started getting bullied, the gap between his mother and him occurs. That's why his line mentioned the moon because the moon represents the distance from space to land. The moment that Jack felt that he is getting away from his mother because he hated his mother for influencing him the culture of Chinese given that they live in an American society, and that leads Jack became the victim of bullying. 

On my perspective also, after Jack had realized about his identity and after he slowly accepted the culture of his mother, he then maybe realized that those moments that he put hatred to his mother and those denial he did was a big regrets in his life. Maybe Jack wanted to reach his mother and with all his regrets, he wanted to apologize. However, it is too late since his mother already died and reaching her to ask for an apology would be impossible just like the moon that is hard to reach. 

Indeed, "she might as well be from the moon" refers to the relationship gap between the mother and the son. And it also an exaggerated expression and the other way of describing someone who did something great for us yet already vanished in our lives.