SUMMARY:
This last part of the story was really sad. Min felt as she was nobody in the house. Tian and Ruth argue daily and their hatred just builds up. When Tian need back up, he will bring Min into their arguement. Min knows that her comments/opinions doesn't matter to them. She knew that Ruth didn't like her and they never bonded close enough. One day, Tian and Ruth had a heated arguement. Ruth yelled to Tian saying she never liked playing the violin and she swear to not touch/pick up a violin as long as she lives. Tian got so mad, with tears in his eyes, yelled back at her saying if she meant that then she will no longer be her father. Ruth took that to heart, she packed her things and got ready to leave. Before she left, Min gave her some money. Ruth was only 17, after months, Tian still was looking for Ruth. He called the police but there wasn't any news on her.
Tian died one day due to heart faliure. The last words he said was about him and his goals and dreams. He admitted how Ruth was the one he saw with super talent but her personality was just selfish. He called her a little whore and said he never tried teaching them. Min personally wanted to tell Tian how she realy felt but she didn't. All she said was that he treated Anna and her well. Tian said that's not important. All he carED about was Ruth, and only Ruth.
When Tian died surprisingly, Min felt relief. Seem like she had one less to worry about to hide her feelings from. Anna was by her mom's side since the start. It's just that Min never really accepted her.
One day, when Min came home, she found Ruth in the house. She changed, now she smokes and she just came back to take a shower then leave. She told Min that the house isn't her home, she said she is leaving to get married. Min had no comment what-so-ever. When Ruth left, Anna and her mom got a little closer. Anna expressed her feelings about the family and about Ruth. She said how she thinks both Tian and Min love Ruth more and when she moved out, she felt relief. Now Anna just want to be friends with Ruth because she never got the chance to talk to them
Anna graduated from college and she earned her PhD. Min discovered that she got cancer. She didn't want to hold Anna back. Anna didn't leave but Min knew she wanted to. That day when Min knew she was about to die, Anna called her Mama, and told Min not to leave her alone. Min stuck through and stayed aloive. At the end, Min think that their family is meant to be full of sorrow, never could get rid of it.
QUOTE:
"It was once traditional in Chinese culture for a daughter to leave the house of her birth and move in with her husband's family. For this reason, Chinese mothers must seel themselves to part with their daughters. In U.S., I knew, this part was not neccessary," (Chang 87).
REACTION:
This ending part of the novella made me feel bad for Min. Her life had been pretty much screwed up since the start. She didn't feel like she belonged in the U.S.. She never was able to tell her husband her true feelings about him, how she thinks he's a stranger. This might be part of Chinese tradition, where a woman should say anything about her husband. Once she's married, then she's married. The quote above shows the struggle that immigrants may have when they come to U.S.. In Chinese tradition, women who get married to a man, have to move into his family. There are little situation that the man will move in with the woman. If they do, they are usually looked down on, people will think the man is useless. In U.S., it's different. You can pretty much do whatever you want. You can keep your last name if you want, but in Chinese culture, the woman will change her last name to follow her husband's, same with their children especially having a son.
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