To Be Fake or Not
How is ones behavior determined? Is it like an animals by genes or physical characteristics. A person's behavior is almost always determined by his/her surrounding environment. Physical characteristics and traits do not determine his/her behavior this is the definition of stereotyping not the root of a person's behavior. When a person adapts to his/her surroundings ie country they are able to live in that area to their best capability and achieve best results rather then not adapting and not using their surrounding to their advantage. Adapting does not necessarily mean changing ones ways but embracing that country's different style of life. The Style of these two particular stories have significant similarities. Both stories are told from the first person point of view using I as pronoun to narrate the events of the story. The first person point of view in each story is effective because the reader is able to fully understand the emotions and experiences of the main characters as they happen. "I had grown up in a Caucasian society in which I was a minority member." "I was Known Angela to the outside world, and as Sun-Kyung at home". The use of I helps the reader to know defiantly who is the speaker and of whom they are prevalent w
ithin both underlying the entire story. It is ironic that both characters born in Canada would expect to have had their families embrace western traditions and culture, rather they struggle to maintain their own heritage and don't want to loose it. It is ironic because Suzuki and Sun-Kyung struggle to be free of the restrictions of their culture and become more "Canadian" even though they already live in Canada. Each story deals with multiculturalism, different heritages and cultures they posses the foreign expression aspect of style. Each story uses certain slang or expressions significant to their country. In Suzuki's story the word "Gaijin" is used meaning "to all people in Japan, all non-Japanese - black, white, or yellow are Gaijin or foreigners". Also the word "Ryokan" was used meaning "a traditional Japanese inn". Because Suzuki was a Gaijin in his home country he was not permitted to stay the night in a Ryokan. When speaking about different generations they were refereed to as "My sisters and I are Sansei (third generation) ; our children Yonsei. Most Sansei, like me, do not speak Japanese." The use of foreign expressions helps the reader to get a flavor for the language of the character. Language is extremely important to each story because in a sense it is Language that defines culture. Often stories incorporate several components of literary techniques in order to create a greater impact or help the reader to better understand the story. Figurative language was used consistently throughout "An Immigrant's Split Personality" and also "Ancestor's, The Genetic Source." In both stories the use of figurative language helps the reader to better understand an idea of thought that the author is wanting to convey. Alliteration a device when words beginning with the same sound is used appears several times throughout the story. In Suzuki's story examples help Suzuki to emphasize certain points he wants to make. Similar examples are prevalent in Yi's story also "cultural conditioning, Canadainized Korean" , In both examples each emphasis's heavily on the cultural aspect rather than other types of alliteration. Another type of figurative language used is simile a comparison using like or as. In Suzuki's "that in people just as in animals, while my Japanese was primitive as to be useless, being a package of what looked like wood carved in the shape of bananas, most Sansei, like me do not speak Japanese." These comparisons show comparisons between Suzuki and his Japanese ancestors they exemplify the difference and separation he feels from them using the terms like and as. This technique was also used quite effectively in Yi's story also "obliging me to act as either a Korean or a Canadian, I looked like a Korean, I
Some common words found in the essay are:
Korean Canadian, , Rome Romans, Suzuki Japanese-Canadian, Suzuki Sun-Kyung, Yi's Canadian, Canada Stereotyping, Genetic Source, Yonsei Sansei, Canadians Angela, korean canadian, physical characteristics, figurative language, person's behavior, helps reader, behavior determined, suzuki's story, reader understand, yi's story, world sun-kyung home, sun-kyung home, act korean canadian, angela outside world, caucasian society minority, outside world sun-kyung,
Approximate Word count = 1841
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
