Author: Hsiow-Yuh Wang

Course: English 098

Instructor: Hart Schulz
Researcher: Jason
Summary: Hsiow-Yuh Wang's narrative "Two Friends" is about
dissociation with identity, assimilating into American culture, realizing,
no matter how much you try, you can never be someone you are not.
Wang's literacy narrative is about how her experience growing up,
specifically, the influence of her "two friends," whom she used as a
blueprint to assimilate into a world that she was foreign, ended up
making her realize Wang is better off being herself, the studious student
she was before befriending Helen or comparing lifestyles with Nancy. In
her story, she talks about familial influence and how she wants to move
away from being a good pupil and daughter, and ventured out, finding
that her "friend" wasn't so much her friend, but using her for a good
grade, ultimately causing Wang to revert to her old self, recognizing
there is quality in authenticity

Codes:
-Dissociation with identity
I wore contact lenses, cosmetics, miniskirts, and I also got my hair permed...I tried
to drink, smoke and learned how to play Machun because I was tired of being a
good student or a good daughter."(32)

I felt that I was a clown! I didn't know who I was, and I didn't even know what I
was doing. (33)

"If I try to imitate someone or something that doesn't fit me, then the results will be
awkward. It is important to be myself, to keep my taste and quality because the
most powerful beauty is from our minds, not from our appearances! (33)

-Assimilation
"Through the 'mirrors' of friends, we can adjust our appearances as well as our
behaviors"(31). "I dreamed about switching families with her, so that I could wear
beautiful clothes, and live in a big house. I didn't remember why I started to visit
her"(31).

"Helen, with her tall, thin figure, knew how to make herself look wonderful, and
how to appeal to guys in our college. She placed "Machun" (tile, a kind of
gambling) and smoked, which looked very "cool" to me. She always borrowed
notes from me and that was the reason why we became 'good friends' I found my
life was more colorful and
exciting when I started to imitate her."(32)

"In fact, most of the time I envied her very much because my family was so poor
and my parents really didn't care too much about me since I was the fourth girl in
my family. (They wanted a boy, not me, an ugly girl!)"

I wore contact lenses, cosmetics, mini skirts, and I also got my hair permed...I tried
to drink, smoke and learned how to play Machun because I was tired of being a
good student or a good daughter."(32)

"I had desires to do something

different since I was so far away from home, and I wished to have a boyfriend;
that's why I went to parties with Helen all the time, I felt that I wanted to throw all
my books away; Confucius and Lincoln
were far away from me." (32)

Familial Influence

"I had desire to do something different since I was so far away from home" (32)

-Summary of Insight
"When I mentioned about stories that happened in my family, she smiled a lot and
then, surprisingly, she said she envied me. She told me that most of the time she
was alone. Her parents divorced two years ago, and her father, a famous doctor,
always came back home late, or sometimes stayed in the hospital if he was on duty.
She had to cook by herself, and arranged everything on her own. Looking around
the huge house and the little lady in front of me, I felt sorry for Nancy. I now
understood why she was more mature than any other students in my class, and now
I also found out the reason why sadness was in her eyes. She was so lonely and
needed love, from mother, father, and trends..."(32)
"I put my ear close to the door, and I realized that they were having sex. I also
heard Tom say, "Why bring Hsiow? She looks comical; her clothes don't fit her at
all."

"Don't you understand that beautiful roses need green leaves to show them off?"
"Come on! You are beautiful enough; you don't need that..."(32)

"I felt that I was a clown! I didn't know who I was, and I didn't even know what I
was doing. Tears were in my eyes, and I walked home alone in the rain."(33)

I understand that people who are rich are not always happy. Money can buy
materials but cannot buy love or warmth from people. The real ' "wealth" comes
from a spiritual world, from a golden heart. (33)

If I try to imitate someone or something that doesn't fit me, then the results will be
awkward. It is important to be myself, to keep my taste and quality because the
most powerful beauty is from our minds, not from our appearances! (33)