Clay Walls
Some say that the United States is a salad bowl of race. People from all corners of the world have and will come to the United States, searching for freedom and opportunities. However, not only the good aspects of American life, but also the large, thick ?gwalls?h which are the stern realities full of hardships welcome the immigrants. Koreans are no exception. Kim Ronyoung describes a Korean immigrant family in her novel, Clay Walls. Haesu, the protagonist of the novel, face numerous ?gwalls?h while living in Los Angeles during the early 1900s. Integrating into the American culture is more difficult when there are significant ?gwalls?h that immigrants must overcome. Characters in the novel have to experience and surmount cultural, language, and immigration barriers to live in the United States. Immigrants entering in the American society come face to face with many barriers, due to the difference between American culture and their home country?fs culture, that affect and change their values. The most notable ?gwalls?h is built between Haesu and her children, Harold, John and Faye. Her children are all born and brought up in the United States whereas Haesu is born and brought up the Korean traditional mindset.
While Haesu desires her children to be ?gKoreans?h like she is, John and Faye are already well Americanized. For example, they show little respect to Haesu. Under Confucianism, Koreans respect their elders, following when and whatever they say. However, John and Faye talk back easily to their mother, which Haesu have never done before in Korea to her mother. John asks her ?gwhy not (70)??h when Haesu ?gorder[s] (70)?h him to stop saying ?gbitchin?f.?h Faye even ?gdeclare[s] (62)?h that she does not ?gwant [Haesu] to curl [her] hair (62)?h when Haesu is preparing Faye to go on board the ship. Not understanding the Americanized children, Haesu is confused with their rebellious attitude towards her. At the same time, John and Faye cannot understand Haesu and her identity as a Korean, thus creating a distance between them, as a result, further raising the ?gwall.?h In addition to the generation gap that occurs between Haesu and her children due to the cultural differences, Haesu experiences another cultural barrier regarding her responsibility. Like all the other traditional Korean women, Haesu considers men as breadwinners and thinks that women should stay at home to do chores and take care of her family. But in the United States, the concept had died out, and there is a need for Haesu to work outside, helping the family financially. When the novel opens up with Haesu working as a housekeeper, she feels that it is not her duty to do so and quits easily. Haesu resists the American value, unabling to understand it. Immigrants, including Haesu, have to confront barriers created between the two cultures. Consequently, they have hard times blending into their new environment. Besides cultura
Some common words found in the essay are:
John Faye, Rudy Vallee, United Language, Clara Korean, Military Academy, Haesu Korea, , United Immigrants, Integrating American, Academy Haesu, american society, john faye, immigration barriers, american culture, korean immigrant, haesu experiences, military academy, cultural differences, cultural barrier, united immigrants,
Approximate Word count = 1157
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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