Rice Husband

American Translation Connection to Rice Husband: This part of the book illustrates how even though the daughters in the beginning are reluctant to listen to their mothers, and they think that their mother’s Chinese values are merely superstition. However as they grow up those values are imbedded in their thoughts, and very often those values, their mother’s thoughts help them get through tough stages in life. Such as in the end of the Allusion the girl has a sudden realization when her mother told her to look into the mirror, just like when Lena’s mother asked her one simple question “Then why you don’t stop it?” Lena has an epiphany.

Rice Husband – Chinese Vs Western Traditions “At first I thought it was because I was raised with all this Chinese Humility,” Rose said. “Or that maybe it was because when you’re Chinese you’re suppose to accept everything, flow with the Tao and not make waves. But my therapist said, why do you blame your culture, your ethnicity? And I remember reading an article about baby boomers, how we expect the best and when we get it we worry that maybe we should have expected more, because it’s all diminishing returns after a certain age” (Page 156) Difference in Chinese and Western culture. Chinese: Accept everything (humility), it is fate. Western: Hope for more, greed.

“To this day, I believe my mother has the mysterious ability to see things before they happen. She has a Chinese saying for what she knows. Chunwang chihan: If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Which means I suppose, one thing is always the result of another.” (page 149) Doesn’t fully understand her mother “mysterious ability” “This would have been a funny incident to remember from my childhood, but it is actually a memory I recall from time to time with a mixture of nausea and remorse.” (page 152) A Chinese parable that has a huge (negative) impact on her live

Devices Here is a poorly designed (by Harold) marble end table in Lena’s guest bedroom with a black vase on it. The table starts to tip over if you barely touch it – it’s destined to fall. So this table falling and vase is a metaphor for…Lena's marriage. The marriage is the vase. It’s fragile, but also sitting on a really rickety foundation – the table designed by Harold (a.k.a. the foundation of their marriage, which is the idea of equality and balance sheets, also designed by Harold). So when the foundation gets the slightest nudge, the marriage shatters. Notice that the table falls and the vase breaks just as Lena starts questioning the foundation of their marriage: "We need to think of what our marriage is really based on…not this balance sheet, who owes who what." one might say that the precariousness of the marriage may result from Harold’s failure to be “supportive” enough, “solid” enough in his commitment. Lena, too, is to blame: as with the vase, Lena realizes that her marriage is in danger of shattering, but she refuses to take action.

Language 1) the daughter trying to understand the “hidden” meaning of the saying 2) even after all her years in america her english still isn’t amazing 3)daughter trying to interpret what he mother is implying with her simple english 4) could imply she doesn’t really understand what Harold said so she’s just agreeing 5) the daughter knows her mother’s english is not good enough therefore she puts hidden meanings in her mother’s sentences 6) implies the mother can’t read 7) Shows she knows her mother doesn’t understand that level of english, shows the mother’s language capabilities 8)miscommunication between the mother and son-in-law (language problems) 9)Another miscommunication between the mother and the son in law (difference in words, translation problems) 10)The original saying the daughter was talking about, brought back into an example

Gender She subordinated her spirit to her husband, and she bitterly resents his domination over her. She can do nothing to stop this, because that Chinese culture calls for male domination. Ying Ying's life as a female was poor because how males treated her was accepted by Chinese society. “I wok under the interior designer, because, as Harold explains, it would not seem fair to the other employees if he promoted me just be cause we were now married. shows that he thinks he is better than her and that she doesn’t actually do or know much about her job. That the only reason that she could possibly be promoted is because they are married. Inequality during work, Lena came up with all the ideas for the business however harold treats every other worker better than her. page 159