This paper discusses Wayson Choy's novel, "The Jade Peony" and how it reflects the racism in Canadian society rather than the multiculturalism the government tries to encourage.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 2 sources, 2006, $ 35.95
Abstract Canada prides itself on being a tolerant, multicultural nation--a nation in which differences and diversity are seen as assets, not as problems. This image is in contrast to the American ideal, where the USA is seen as a giant melting pot, in which diversity will be subsumed into a common American identity. However, how accurate is this image of Canada? This essay assesses how successful Canada has been at achieving an inclusive, non-discriminatory form of multiculturalism, which values diversity. The paper also uses Wayson Choy's novel, "The Jade Peony", about the Chinese experience in Vancouver, as a backdrop to the discussion.
From the Paper "In fact, Canada is a country in which there are complex layers of racism, reflecting the complexity of a society made up of so many different immigrant cultures. This can clearly be seen in Wayson Choy's The Jade Peony, a novel which reflects the Chinese experience in Vancouver. Canada is the only country in the world with an official policy of multiculturalism."
Abstract "Wayson Choy's "The Jade Peony" is a novel that reflects the experience of being a Chinese child in Vancouver around the time of the Second World War. Alice Munro's "Lives of Girls and Women" also records the experience of growing up in Canada but in this case, it is the experience of a Caucasian girl, growing up on a fox farm in rural Canada. This paper compares and contrasts these two novels, pointing out that the most striking difference between them is the narration technique.
Abstract In "Jade Peony", Wayson Choy puts together a collection of stories about a family in Vancouver's Chinatown before and during the Second World War. Three siblings tell stories of their childhood experiences, all of which are extremely diverse. These stories reflect the immigrant experience, as Chinese newcomers try to adopt to their new society.
Looks at the representation of the past as a painful but potentially helpful influence in two books, "No Great Mischief" and "Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood".
1,400 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 3 sources, 2002, $ 53.95
Abstract This essay will explore these two books MacLeod's "No Great Mischief" and Choy's "Paper Shadows: A Chinatown Childhood" in order to show how the past is represented as a painful and ghostly reality, which can also bring restoration for the characters that seek it. In this sense, part of accessing the past and allowing it to be a helpful influence is coming to terms with its shadows and its ghosts.
Abstract This essay deals with Austin Clarke's "Canadian Experience", Choy Wayson's "Sek-Lung", and Tomson Highway's "Hello Merry" and how these stories deal with the hardships of immigrants in their new society. We see the theme of "fighting back" in the context of how the immigrants try to recapture and retain their own sense of dignity in the face of racism and exclusion.
