American Born Chinese

This entry is only the newest because I've added it the most recently. Several books had to wait to have an entry because the brace on my wrist made it difficult to type for a while, so now I'm finally posting them.

One of the first things that stayed with me from American Born Chinese was when Jin Wang was talking with the wife of the Chinese Herbalist and she asks Jin what he wants to be when he’s older. Being a child (and, of course, impressionable by things like the media), he replies that he wants to be a transformer). He says that his mom thinks the idea is silly, but the old woman states that, “It’s easy to become anything you wish…so long as you’re willing to forfeit your soul.” (29)

Later in the book, once he’s finally convinced himself that it would be better for him to leave behind his Chinese culture and Asian friends in order to fit in with the American lifestyle, he adopts the new name and identity of Danny, whose appearance and personality is extremely different than that of Jin. He remembers the wife of the Chinese Herbalist, who tells him in a dream, “So, little friend, you’ve done it. Now what would you like to become?” She’s referring to the fact that he has already lost his soul to the desire to become something he is not. Like a transformer, Jin has actually changed into Danny.

It is only later, when he is faced with the stereotypically Chinese behavior of Chin-Kee that Danny is faced with everything that he wanted to leave behind. I don’t want to do a complete summary-recap, so I’ll jump to the Monkey King’s side of the book. He goes through a similar identity crisis. It is only when he accepts Tze-yo-tzuh’s will for him to be a monkey that he realizes that he had more worth and potential than he did when acting like a Great Sage, Equal to Heaven.

Tze-yo-tzuh says, “It was I who formed your inmost being, I who knit you together in the womb of that rock. I made you with awe and wonder, for wonderful are all of my works. I do not make mistakes little monkey. A monkey I intended you to be. A monkey you are.” (80-1) This seems to be the lesson that encompasses the entire novel. It is best to accept what you are instead of trying to adopt a lifestyle and a personality for the sole purpose of trying to please others.

The “Motion” chapter from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics explains how motion can be captured whether it’s shown in a single panel in a comic or between several different panels. The motions depicted in this novel are in a cartoonish style, which lends itself better to a younger audience. They also illustrate dynamic motion, which is useful for the many fighting scenes, like the fight between the Monkey King and the other gods on pages 16-17, or Danny and Chin-Kee’s fight in 206-212.

There are also times, like on pages 150, 194, and 213, that several projections will be cast by a character during a transformation from one appearance to another. This motion not only helps illustrate the changing of the character but helps to emphasize the shift in identity. These examples of motion as well as others found throughout the book show how the graphic novel can utilize the advantages of the visual arts to add meaning to their themes.