English 48B
1/29/09
Journal: Sui Sin Far
"When my wife told to me one morning that she dreamed of a green tree with spreading branches and one beautiful red flower growing thereon, I answered her that I wished my son to be born in our country, and for her to prepare to go to China."
Hom Hing is saying this to the officer, and is explaining how he has been living and working in America a long time, a
nd the only reason that his son was born in China instead of America, is because he wants him to experience the country he was born in. Chinese culture is notorious for being very traditional, and I feel that this quote exemplifies this notion very well because it illustrates that they want each other to experience the same things. The quote also shows Hom Hing's effort in trying to convey this idea to an American, and how the American does not understand. The flowery, over the top dream I feel is Far's way of portraying the stereotype of how Chinese are thought of as people that are into "fairy tales" and spiritual fantasies, as if they have little grasp on reality. It is also notable that Hing describes his son, not as his and his wife's son, but HIS son, which I think shows the importance of gender in China, especially during these times. It is also interesting that Hing wants their son to be born in China, when he is wealthy in America. It goes back to the idea of tradition, but it still draws some attention to the fact that he had his wife leave the wealth to birth their son.
The main reason I was struck interest by the quote, is because of the description
s in the dream that can be implied as metaphorical. The first thing that I notice, is the fact that Lae only dreams of ONE flower, not multiple. In first reading it, I thought that Far includes flower to show the difference in expectations between Americans and Chinese. She can be implying that an American would be dreaming of many flowers, where as Chinese, who come from much poorer families, are perfectly content with one flower. As I continued to examine the dream, the tree drew more attention to itself. The flower can represent fertility, as the quote coincided with the story of their sons birth, and flowers often represent reproduction. The one beautiful red flower, represents their son. The flower can be red, because China was a communist country, and red is the color that symbolizes communism. Also, the tree branch is another clue that the flower is supposed to depict Lae's pregnancy. The tree branches are representative of a family tree, and the branches growing show that the family is expanding. Chinese culture is very adamant on the focus of ancestors and family, so the family tree is not an uncommon aspect of their life. While there are many possible interpretations of the meaning behind the dream, I feel strongly that Far wanted to show how beautiful the birth of their son is to them, and emphasize the pain that it causes to have him taken away.
nd the only reason that his son was born in China instead of America, is because he wants him to experience the country he was born in. Chinese culture is notorious for being very traditional, and I feel that this quote exemplifies this notion very well because it illustrates that they want each other to experience the same things. The quote also shows Hom Hing's effort in trying to convey this idea to an American, and how the American does not understand. The flowery, over the top dream I feel is Far's way of portraying the stereotype of how Chinese are thought of as people that are into "fairy tales" and spiritual fantasies, as if they have little grasp on reality. It is also notable that Hing describes his son, not as his and his wife's son, but HIS son, which I think shows the importance of gender in China, especially during these times. It is also interesting that Hing wants their son to be born in China, when he is wealthy in America. It goes back to the idea of tradition, but it still draws some attention to the fact that he had his wife leave the wealth to birth their son.The main reason I was struck interest by the quote, is because of the description
s in the dream that can be implied as metaphorical. The first thing that I notice, is the fact that Lae only dreams of ONE flower, not multiple. In first reading it, I thought that Far includes flower to show the difference in expectations between Americans and Chinese. She can be implying that an American would be dreaming of many flowers, where as Chinese, who come from much poorer families, are perfectly content with one flower. As I continued to examine the dream, the tree drew more attention to itself. The flower can represent fertility, as the quote coincided with the story of their sons birth, and flowers often represent reproduction. The one beautiful red flower, represents their son. The flower can be red, because China was a communist country, and red is the color that symbolizes communism. Also, the tree branch is another clue that the flower is supposed to depict Lae's pregnancy. The tree branches are representative of a family tree, and the branches growing show that the family is expanding. Chinese culture is very adamant on the focus of ancestors and family, so the family tree is not an uncommon aspect of their life. While there are many possible interpretations of the meaning behind the dream, I feel strongly that Far wanted to show how beautiful the birth of their son is to them, and emphasize the pain that it causes to have him taken away.
20 points. I really like the way you plumbed the dream images for meaning; however, the Chinese communist revolution didn't occur until 1947 (so that can't be on your list) ;)
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