Gish Jen's "Mona in the Promised Land"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in the novel "Mona in the Promised Land" by Gish Jen, Mona, a second-generation Asian-American, confronts the reality that she is both different and yet integrated into her society because being born in the U.S. made her feel she was part of American society, but her physical appearance and Chinese parents makes her different and should be treated as such. The author points out that Jen's focus on utilizing religion as Mona's 'medium', through which she sought to establish her identity as an Asian-American, deviates from the usual depiction of teenage second-generation Asian-Americans interacting with other members of the American society; however, this paper posits that religion is but one of the primary instruments through which Mona tried to create and develop her identity. The paper relates that Jen does not attempt to reconcile people's difference in the novel; instead, she provides readers with the realization that, just like Mona, difference must not become an issue for the culturally-diverse individual because in difference also lies a similarity among people.

From the Paper:

"The most pivotal moments of Mona's life as an Asian-American were reflected in her school years as an adolescent. As a teenager, Mona reveled at her being Chinese-American, and used this difference to catch the attention of other people. Jen provides a detailed description of the social environment where Mona's life takes place: during the year 1968, the civil rights movement was at its height of popularity and acceptance, wherein the women, youth, and various race sectors in the society fight for equal rights in the society. Mona, who lives in a neighborhood that was dominated by the Jewish community, felt awareness that she lives in a society where differences were inevitable and had to be accepted. As Jen narrates, "...lots of Jews could take them or leave them same as the Christians...Mona shouldn't generalize. So let her not generalize, except to say pretty soon she's been to so many bar and bas mtzvahs..." "

More papers on Gish Jen's "Mona in the Promised Land":

• Book Review # 92174 : "Manchild in the Promised Land"
• Book Review # 96479 : "Naked in the Promised Land"
• Essay # 3095 : "Jen and Amy's Club for Mona: Parental Discretion Advised"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: