Eat a bowl of tea
Every nation, culture, and family on the face of this planet has somewhat a sense of pride that burns deep down within them. Some people are inclined to base each single move, decision, and measure in their lives revolving around this concept of pride. The novel Eat a bowl of Tea by Louis Chu, distinctively describes a young Chinese couple living in New York's Chinatown during the 1960's, whose marriage involves numerous conflicts of unfaithfulness, deception, and extreme dishonor reflected upon not only to each other but to their culture as well. The distortion of the infamous Wang family name triggered by Mei Oi's deceitful deluding actions towards her husband, Ben Loy, truly exemplifies the ultimate Chinese priority and major concern of defending one's own pride in his or her family name. The Chinese culture has a tendency to focus a great deal on the reputation and appearance in the way they approach and present themselves in their closely bound communities. This concern for image is clearly illustrated when Ben Loy's father, Wah Gay, acknowledges his son's marriage to Mei Oi by preparing an extravagant wedding banquet. Wah Gay's invited guests include people of status such as the elite members of the Wang Association, who
Dignity in a person's family name is an exceedingly serious issue in the Chinese tradition that possesses harsh outcomes to anyone who defaces it or to whom is victimize by disgrace. Mei Oi recalls a memory from her past, remembering how once a girl from her village has engaged in the immoral act of infidelity and premarital sex and as soon as the girl's family discovered their daughter's doings, her very own family immediately disowned her forever. The girl in Mei Oi's village committed a crime of disloyalty in which that was a total offense to the values of the Chinese culture and a humiliation to her family's honor. Mei Oi recognizes the tremendous possibilities and results to expect for her corrupt actions of infidelity including the thought of being despised by the Chinese community and even worst experiencing total rejection from her own family. Wah Gay realizes the crucial effects of his son's well-known troubled marriage and dreadfully explains to Mei Oi's father, Lee Gong, "I have to start a new life. I cannot stay in New York. The shame is too great" (229). He feels that the only solution for the amount of shame he faces is to escape the life of Chinatown where he is well recognized and popular amongst the gossip and rumors. Wah Gay cannot handle the humiliation brought upon his family and himself. He considers the option of disowning himself from New York's Chinatown because of the thought that he is a disgrace in the community simply for his daughter-in-law's error and mistake. Loss of pride in the Chinese culture is the most severe punishment that can be experienced. m were served with elegant Chinese delicacies, fine liquor, and plenty of cigars (68 -76). Despite the reason for celebrating a newly found marriage in his son's life, Wah Gay's intent for this joyous occasion is to make a positive impression in front of highly recognized individuals that hold distinguished positions within the Chinese community. Wah Gay is definitely concerned in gaining a popular reputation and that his son and daughter-in-law are introduced and familiar with people of
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1402
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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