Christoffer Nielsen 3.

B English
Where the Gods Fly
Adapting is without a doubt one of the most difficult things in life. I guess we all know
that feeling, that feeling of being the new kid on the block. Moving from one place to
another is without a doubt difficult and its not !ust the actual moving part that causes
trouble. In fact its all about fitting in and adapting. "ocieties are like people, even though
we have a definition of the word that states so and so on, each society is different. #o $fit
in% in a new society, means adapting and its the adapting part that really causes trouble.
Its not always easy letting go of the rules, norms and standards of $the old society% and
thats e&actly what the short story $Where the Gods Fly% from '()' by *ean +wok is
about. #he story takes place in the ,", where a -hinese mother that hardly understands
.nglish, nor understand why her daughter is adapting into the American environment
instead of staying -hinese, deliberately keeps her daughter from adapting. #he mother
doesnt adapt or ad!ust in any way and that makes her willing to do anything, to keep her
daughter form adapting, because she believes that, thats the best thing to do.
#he short story is narrated by a nameless first person autodiegetic narrator and is told
from the mothers point of view with limited and internal omniscience. #he entire story is
told this way, at no given point does the narrator or perspective change. #he reader have
a limited insight throughout the story. #he name of the protagonist is never told, but all of
her thoughts and contemplations are depicted very thoroughly. We only see the story
progress from the mothers point of view and never from the view of the daughter, whom
the story really is about. /ecause we only see the story evolve through the eyes of the
mother, she therefor seems untrustworthy and possessive.
#he structure in this short story isnt chronological. #he story starts out in the present,
where the mother is reflecting about how she raised her daughter 0earl. "he also reflects
over the fact that she in her opinion has to take 0earl out of dancing school in order to
ensure that 0earl doesnt turn into an American. "he blames herself, because she wants
the best for her child, but she is actually at the same time the reason why 0earl ended up
in dancing school. #he is because she and her husband didnt have anywhere to put her
during work hours. #hey had no friends or family and they didnt want to bring her to the
Christoffer Nielsen 3. B English
factory where the both worked due to health concerns $"o it seemed a blessing when a
ballet school came to give a special lesson for her third grade class and plucked 0earl to
be one of their scholarship students. 1ow she would have a place to go after school, at
least for a few afternoons a week.% 2ll. 334356. "oon thereafter the story !umps from the
present to the past 2past tense6. 7uring this period where the mother reflects, over what
she is about to do, shes thinking about how 0earl and her teachers will react when she
breaks the news. Given that 0earl is a minor and her guardian being her mother, she can
pretty much dictate her life. #he mother is also hoping that someday 0earl might
understand here decision $0lease great /uddhas, allow my daughter to understand some
day why I take her greatest love away% 2ll. )894)8:6. #he parts where she is reflecting
about the past might also be seen as flashbacks. #his considerate structure contributes in
making the te&t an inch more difficult to read, but also reveals some important details
about the plot.
With regard to contrasts in the story, then the contrast between the -hinese and
American interpretation of whats right and wrong and how things are done the right way,
without a doubt the most import one. It is very clear and ;uite obvious that the mother
doesnt understand the American way of life, she refuses to adapt therefor she doesnt
approve of the culture and its norms $I understood nothing of these people who did not
bow to our gods and ate with sharp knives at the table.% 2ll. <:4<=6. #his ;uote also makes
it ;uite clear that she no intention of adopting at any point, therefore she will never really
come to understand and adapted to the American norms and rules of her daughter.
Another reason for the mothers lack of interest is because of how uneducated she really
is, this is also a part of the bigger contrast between the two cultures, given that it in -hina
mainly was the men who went to school $When I was a girl in -hina, I was not permitted
to go to classes% 2l. 996. .ven though the contrast between -hinese and American way of
live is without the most important one other contrast such as the contrast between
religions also occurs. For e&ample in the story $bad and evil wind% is -hinatowned. #his is
the mother referring to the influence thereof. "pirits are also mention after the passing of
her husband. #he $good wind% refers to those who truly believe and worship their god and
religion, in this case /uddah. Where the $evil winds% belong to those who dont, mainly the
Americans because they never really truly believe according to her $cancer ;uote%
Christoffer Nielsen 3. B English
.very well informed individual or politician will agree that the problem regarding
integrating foreigner is a constant debate that never really will ;uiet down, because every
person is different. I guess, *ean +wok wanted to create attention about the topic,
because she indeed is a $breaker% meaning she broke the curve and got integrated into a
new society. #he mother blames the evil winds for what happened to their family, but in
fact the story has to do with that. >owever it has everything to do with the term
integration. #he mother and her husband migrates to the ," with their daughter, but
never really integrates. I guess, it has something to do with old habits $old habits die
hard% as they sat, because both of them work and live in -hinatown, meaning that they
might only sociali?e with other -hinese people. #hey do so because of habit, they are
afraid of new societies and their old habits force them. Its however interesting to see how
easily their daughter 0earl, who doesnt really have any old habits gets integrated into
society after she !oins a dancing school presumably outside chinatown. #he mother keeps
all her habits from -hina instead of ad!usting to her new surroundings. "he then chooses
the easy way out, by blaming everything around her due to her daughter@s ad!ustments
and integration. In fact the daughter is doing the right thing, and the mother is being
selfish for not wanting her daughter to succeed. In fact the mother could learn from her
daughter. In many ways 0earl, the daughter is a prime e&ample how integration really
should work. Its almost perfect until her mother decides to intervene. #he mother could
truly learn something, because if she gave the American way of life a chance she might
get a better understanding of her daughter and her actions. It would in many ways
improve her life due to the many opportunities learning the language and understanding
the culture would give her, even without having to give up on her religion. "he fails to
understand that you dont have to give up your religion in order to get integrated.
#o sum up $Where the Gods Fly% is a prime e&ample why integration is so important. We
all live in a globali?ed world and integration will play a key role in how our world society,
will turn out in the future. We dont want to risk $loosing people% and we dont want to put
people in groups. Integration is an incredibly important topic that if not dealt correctly
could become a ma!or inconvenience for every country and inhabitant. #his can already be
seen in that -hina and the ,nited "tates are competing abundantly both economically and
Christoffer Nielsen 3. B English
militarily which has created a rather hostile and unsympathetic relationship and thats
problematic.
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