Introduction
The cultural and ethical aspects of human communication are often revealed by Asian authors in literary works. As an object of analysis, the story “Who’s Irish” by Gish Jen will be reviewed in which the author describes situations that occur in an ethnically diverse family. The principles of upbringing and relations among the characters prove that cultural differences and a distinctive background complicate communication and create obstacles to maintaining a positive microclimate.
Plot Summary of “Who’s Irish?”
This short story introduces several key characters and some situations from their lives. The narration is on behalf of an older Chinese woman who lives in New York, and the main emphasis is on Sophie, the narrator’s granddaughter. The woman has a Chinese daughter and John, the son-in-law, who is Irish. One of the main issues raised in the story is the indignation of the older woman by the behavior of her granddaughter who “is not like my daughter Natalie, or like me” (Jen 1999, 3). Grandmother’s displeasure is that, according to her vision, Sophie is a “wild” child and does not match the appearance of a Chinese girl (Jen 1999, 3). In addition, the woman is not happy with the upbringing methods maintained in the family of her daughter and son-in-law, which is also a reason for disagreements.
The situation in the park is a key event that leads to a denouement. When Sophie learns from another boy that she can beat adults, she hides and throws dirt at her grandmother. The latter, in turn, requires the granddaughter to leave the shelter and pokes a stick at her several times. After the girl’s parents see Sophie, they forbid her grandmother to live with them, and the woman moves to John’s mother. At the end of the story, Natalie and John see the narrator but do not bring the girl with them, and the grandmother notes how Irish she has managed to become.
Summary of “When Ghosts Dream”
The analysis of Jen’s (1999) work is one of the topics that Belinda Kong (2010) raises in her critical article called “When Ghosts Dream.” As a key argument, Kong (2010) notes that the linguistic aspects of communication among the characters form the main problem of the narrative and affect the overall storyline. The author compares “Who’s Irish?” with the works of other Asian writers, such as Amy Tan, and argues that in the story in question, “the Chinese mother’s fierce conversational power over more linguistically conventional characters is repeatedly highlighted” (Kong 2010, 104). As a result, this context creates contradictions among the characters and serves as one of the main drivers of all conflicts that arise.
The issue of immigration is a significant aspect of this critical article. Kong (2010) argues that the problem of communication between the woman of Jen’s (1999) story and her relatives is due to the reluctance of the heroine to adapt to a new cultural environment and the desire to preserve the traditions of her original culture. In this regard, contradictions arise in communication with the granddaughter who is a representative of a new generation and behaves differently than children in her historical homeland. Thus, the main emphasis is on cultural contradictions manifested in the linguistic context of the interaction of the characters in the work under consideration.
Personal Stance Towards the Story and the Arguments
When evaluating the story by Jen (1999), one can note that the grandmother’s attitude to her granddaughter and constant comparison of her behavior with that of Chinese children is one of the main ideas. According to Kong (2010) who argues that a linguistic aspect is most important in “Who’s Irish?,” some of the statements deserve particular attention. The words of the grandmother that Sophie is “wild” emphasize the categorical position of the older woman regarding modern cultural issues of upbringing (Jen 1999, 3). The heroine does not hesitate to express her feelings in order to describe dissatisfaction with the granddaughter’s behavior and presents her position openly and imperiously, which, in turn, complicates her relationships with daughter and son-in-law. Therefore, despite the fact that a linguistic aspect is one of the drivers of the problem, in general, the key conflict is disagreement on the basis of cultural perception.
The interaction between the grandmother and her granddaughter is an example of how different the ideas are about behavior in conditions of different cultural backgrounds. The girl who grows up in the USA has no idea about the reasons for the conservative views of the adult woman who condemns the parents’ liberal approach to the girl’s raising. Thus, the generation gap is the basis of the conflict that, moreover, is complicated by a distinctive cultural background.
Conclusion
In the story of “Who’s Irish?” by Jen (1999), different perceptions of upbringing complicated by a distinctive cultural background create a gap among the three generations of the characters. The argument about the significance of a linguistic aspect, which is proposed by Kong (2010), is valid. However, the main contradictions are the result of grandmother’s views on life, and her daughter and son-in-law’s fierce reaction is an outcome of disagreements.
References
Jen, Gish. 1999. Who’s Irish? New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Kong, Belinda. 2010. “When Ghosts Dream: Immigrant Desire in Lan Samantha Chang’s Hunger.” In Death in American Texts and Performances: Corpses, Ghosts, and the Reanimated Dead, edited by Lisa K. Perdigao and Mark Pizzato, 99-112. Burlington: Ashgate.