Who's Irish?
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Who's Irish? is a 224-page short story collection written in 1999[1] by Gish Jen.[2][3]
Contents |
[edit] Stories
Who's Irish?
Birthmates
The Water Faucet Vision
Duncan in China
Just Wait
Chin
In the American Society
House. House. Home.
[edit] Who's Irish?
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This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (February 2012) |
[edit] Plot Summary
This is the story of an elderly Chinese woman (presumably the author Gish Jen)and her mixed family living in America. She begins talking about her granddaughter, Sophie, who is the daughter of John, who is Irish, and the narrator's daughter Natalie who is Chinese. The narrator tells of how wild her granddaughter is and makes various cultural distinctions calling her Sophie "wild" and saying "millions of children in China, not one act like this." ( Jen, 400). She also writes that her methods of discipline are not exactly embraced by her Irish son-in-law's family. The narrator argues that spanking is acceptable while her daughter encourages her to use her words (Jen, 401)
The main climax of the story takes place when the narrator takes Sophie to play in the park. Sophie learns from another kid, Sinbad, that it is ok to kick their parents. So Sophie kicks Sinbad's mother to which the narrator responds by spanking Sophie. Sophie then hides in a foxhole that Sinbad created and throws a clump of dirt onto her grandmother. The narrator is furious and tries to get Sophie to come out of the foxhole. She eventually grabs a stick and begins to poke at Sophie to see if she is still alive. Evening comes, as well as Natalie and John who are furious when they see the narrator poking at their daughter with a stick. John gets Sophie out but she is covered in bruises.
At the end of the story, Natalie convinces the narrator that she needs to move out. Bess, John's Mother, offers to let the narrator come stay with her. Natalie and John come and visit but they do not bring Sophie. Bess says they will in time. The story ends with the narrator reflecting on how she has become an honorary Irish.
[edit] Analysis
This story is a major culture clash; an east meets west sort of thing. The narrator represents the old, traditions of her ancestors. From her demeanor to her method of discipline, the reader can see that she is deeply rooted in her ways. Her daughter and son-in-law represent the changing, fast-paced American life. And the narrator's granddaughter is a culmination of both, as she is being shaped by 3 major influences: her conservative grandmother, her parents, and her free-spirited babysitter, Amy, who taught her it is ok to run around without any clothes on. Even though the story is one-sided, the story is only read through the point of view of the narrator, the reader can see how this mixed Irish-Chinese family symbolizes the mixing and melting of American culture.
[edit] References
- ^ Charters, Ann The Story and Its Writer Bedford / St. Martin's Press, 2007. p.372
- ^ Michiko Kakutani, "'Who's Irish': Free and Confused by Infinite Possibility", The New York Times, June 4, 1999.
- ^ Jamie James, "'Who's Irish?': In her first collection of stories, Chinese-American novelist Gish Jen turns stereotypes on their heads." Salon, June 4, 1999.
- Gish, Jen. "Who's Irish?." The Story and Its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Compact 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. 394-402. Print.
- Women's Review of Books Feb2002, Vol. 19 Issue 5, p13
