Being of the “science culture,” I decided to start my investigation on the significance of art in Laurie Anderson’s Speak with a definition of what art actually is. According to Webster’s dictionary, art is the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance; the class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; a field, genre, or category or art; the principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning; skill in conducting any human activity; a branch of learning or university study, esp. one of the fine arts or the humanities, as music, philosophy, or literature.
WHAT?! This definition stunned me. There is no mention whatsoever of emotions in this definition! There is nothing about the love for what you create. Nothing about the role of art as a portal for hidden feelings trapped in the body. Nothing about art as a friend or a dream turned into reality. Nothing about it as something that can be nothing or everything. I realized then that, in order to go into the reason for art and the way it contributed to Melinda’s life I had to throw out its definition. Like Melinda, I had to learn that art is not bound by social constraints. Defining art does not make it so. Society trapped Melinda and turned her into an outcast. It locked her soul into her body. With no way out, the soul ate away at the body until the situation became dangerous to Melinda’ physical and mental well-being. Through art, Melinda’s soul found its only escape. That way to escape is what saved Melinda’s life.
Melinda’s healing through art revolves mostly around her art project. In the beginning of the book, Melinda randomly picks a tree from the broken atlas her art teacher passed around. Her assignment is to artistically make that tree come alive. Although Melinda picks the tree by chance, Laurie Anderson apparently wanted to use the tree as a enveloping metaphor for Melinda’s internal and external struggle to deal with being raped.
The tree is a universal symbol for life and hope. In religion, Eve picked a fruit from the beautiful tree of life that she could not resist. Christians use the evergreen Christmas tree (a tree that never loses its leaves but remains green year-round) as a symbol for everlasting light and life. The needles point up to heaven and the roots rest firmly in the ground. Jews use the Hanukah Bush to represent their struggle through the “cold” times of their past and to remember the bush that God burned to show Moses his power over the Jewish people. Biologically, a tree gives life to every ecosystem. Nobody would be able to survive without trees to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen for animals to breathe. Trees also symbolize antiquity and strength, which is why knights and royalty engraved them onto their shields and crests.
In Speak, however, the tree represents Melinda’s internal death and her hope for an eventual rebirth. If taken care of, a log will sprout new roots and re-grow. Melinda needs to bring her own tree back to life. Melinda works with a linoleum log to carve her tree in art class. After being raped, her personality was hacked to shreds. As long as Melinda hid her rape from everybody her tree could not sprout roots and grow again. She cannot move on if she does not let go of the past. Throughout the entire book Melinda struggles to “bring it [the tree] to life” (78). Her tree constantly lacks dimension and uniqueness. It is always too simple, too bland, or to standard. The tree cannot live because Melinda is hiding all of her feelings. She cannot give life to something else if she does not really live herself. Furthermore, Melinda makes her sculpture out of a linoleum block, which physically is made out of wood dust and oil. Quite literally, Melinda has to take a block of wood dust and recreate a tree full of life. In doing so, she has to pick up the dust left from her past and re-fabricate a new life where she accepts what happened to her.
The tree is also physically empowering because Melinda was raped in the forest surrounded by trees. By building her own tree she is making a new niche for herself. She can leave the dark, haunting trees of that dreadful summer and live in the new, freshly sprouted saplings that she carved herself.
The tree symbol reappears throughout the entire book. For instance, one day Melinda decides to rake the leaves in the front yard. She tries to clear out the “dead leaves still clinging to the oak branches by the street" (167). Just like the dead leaves are still clinging onto the oak tree even though the tree no longer needs them, Melinda feels dead inside and desperately clings onto her past. At that time, Melinda’s dad comes out of the house and notices that the "branches on the left don't have any buds" (167). Later on, he realizes that one side of the tree is rotting from the inside. It has to be cut off or the entire tree will cave in. Melinda’s rape and her trauma from it parallel that rotting tree. Her bleeding lips, weight gain, dirty hair, broken fingernails, and baggy clothes signify her slow physical crumbling. If Melinda does not learn to accept what happened to her and move on then that pain and depressive state will rot the rest of her and ruin her life entirely. It has to be cut away or she will also collapse. Her desire to make her yard more beautiful by clearing out the dead leaves weaves perfectly with her constant yearning to find a way to make her art project “come to life” like her art teacher instructed and with her need to accept what happened to her and share her heavy pain with those around her.
In the end, Andy attacks Melinda again and she threatens to cut him with a shard of glass, Melinda finally faces her fears and her self-image can now slowly heal. When Andy has that shard of glass at his throat it is he whose "lips are paralyzed" (195). In this reversal of roles, Melinda shows Andy and herself that who she is still somewhere within her and that Andy can no loner hurt her. She has silenced him, just like he has silenced her. It is only after this event that Melinda can finally let her pain and frustration out and she does it through her art. Finally, Melinda is able to draw her tree for art class.
Melinda’s process of creating her final tree is also quite interesting. Mr. Freeman, her art teacher, assures her that “perfect trees don’t exist” (153) and that Melinda does not have to reach everybody’s standards if she cannot do so. Each tree is unique and so is each person. At last, Melinda accepts the fact that the rape was not her fault and that she cannot hide from her pain. She lashes that pain out onto her final drawing and with it lets go of her first tears. Melinda sees that her tree is now breathing. It has come alive and now so has she. She can come out of her closet. It is no longer a safe haven for her. She can face the reality of her situation. When observing her drawing, Melinda thinks, “one of the lower branches is sick…that branch better drop soon so it doesn’t kill the whole thing.” (194) Melinda inadvertently acknowledges the fact that the branch has to fall because it is only hurting the rest of the tree . She also has to drop the past and continue her life. The growing of the tree, and in turn her own growth to reach acceptance, is the best part of it all.
Also, Melinda’s relationship to Mr. Freeman and Ivy are also vital to her recovery. Mr. Freeman, opposite to Mr. Neck, is a sensitive and understanding teacher. Although his head is usually in the clouds or in his artwork during classes, Mr. Freeman turns out to be the only adult that Melinda can trust. He is the only one who actually takes the time to sit with Melinda, listen to her, and reassure her. He never lectures or yells at her like the other adults and he never expects anything from Melinda that she is not willing to give. In the end, it is Mr. Freeman who first hears about Melinda’s traumatic experience. Readers are left not knowing exactly what will happen to Melinda, but are reassured that if Mr. Freeman hears her story then there will be someone there to take care of her. Mr. Freeman’s name itself signifies freedom, self-determination, independence, and free expression; all of the characteristics that Melinda so desperately needs to find for herself. He is Melinda’s hero. He is the man who guides Melinda into finding art and her escape from her history.
Ivy, on the other hand, is Mr. Freeman’s teenage counterpart. While Mr. Freeman plays the role of Melinda’s only responsive adult, Ivy plays the part of her only conscientious peer. While all of Melinda’s other friends completely abandon her without really trying to figure out what happened, Ivy still talks to Melinda. At first, Ivy is like everybody else and tries to put up a wall between Melinda and herself. Yet, social pressures to be mean does not come naturally to Ivy and she is ultimately surprised and interested in Melinda’s artwork. Ivy, like Mr. Freeman, gives Melinda advice on art and life. She gives Melinda hope that things can one day get better and eventually even becomes the closest thing Melinda has to a friend.
Ivy’s name is also representative of her role in Melinda’s life. An ivy is a climbing or ground-creeping evergreen woody plant that scales up trees to grow. Ivy does not harm a tree, even though it may compete for ground nutrients and water to a small extent but it does significantly damage buildings and man-made architecture (like Ivy ignoring what her classmates are trying to do with Melinda.) The symbolism behind an ivy is based on the plant’s ability to thrive in the shade, cling to other things, and it being an evergreen. Ivy represents true love, faithfulness, and affection in marriage and friendship. Like other evergreens (such as the Christmas Tree) an ivy symbolizes eternal life and resurrection. It thrives on dead and dying trees. In Greek and Roman mythology, Osiris and Attis, two gods resurrected from the dead, are wreathed in ivy. Thus, to them, an ivy symbolizes that there is an immortal soul that lives even in a decaying body. Also, an ivy represents everlasting friendships because of its ability in interweave as it grows. Even more interestingly, an ivy is very strong and basically indestructible. If cut or hurt it will just grow its lost part and continue to climb its walls. For that reason it is a symbol of survival and fortitude.
When looked closely, Melinda’s friend Ivy is perfectly suited to her name. She is the only teenager who is still able to be faithful in a friendship. Even more so, Melinda mentions in the beginning of the book that she and Ivy were never really close. Only when Melinda becomes the “dying tree” does Ivy take a keen interest in her. Like the plant she is named after, Ivy lives off a decaying body, giving it the hope and life that it needs to survive. Ivy is Melinda’s source of development, renewal, bonding, friendship, and inspiration just like the ivy plant has always been in nature and in history. Ivy does not care what her other friends think of Melinda because she cannot be harmed. Unlike the vulnerable and very fragile Melinda, Ivy is indestructible. She lives in her art and in her being and does not care what anybody else thinks. Thus, she is the perfect counterpart to Melinda.
Melinda’s relationship to art also stems to her home. Throughout the entire book, there were very few instances in which Melinda got along with her overworked and bitter parents. They always refused to listen to her and were constantly punishing her as a way to solve problems. However, the only time Melinda does have a connection to her parents is when they see that she likes to draw and so they get her art supplies for Christmas. This touching moment is quickly lost when the parents begin arguing again. Even though Melinda is upset that she does not get to thank her parents for the surprisingly thoughtful present, it is the first time that she even thinks to tell her parents what happened. She might have even told them at that moment if they had not reverted back to their own selves and left the room arguing. Melinda might not have been able to tell her parents but getting her art supplies was the only time she even came close.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Rooms in Speak
The appearance of certain rooms is of particular importance in Speak. The first room Anderson describes is Melinda’s art classroom. I find it striking that Anderson writes that the entire high school does not receive much light, yet the art room is the most illuminated: “The sun doesn’t shine much in Syracuse, so the art room is designed to get every bit of light it can” (10). Symbolically, the extra light reflects the hope Melinda finds in art. Her art work is the only way she can truly express herself. Anderson also alludes to the salvation Melinda finds in the room by claiming that the room contains a radio that is set to a station Melinda enjoys: “A radio plays my favorite station” (10). As Melinda’s situation worsens thought-out the book, ironically, the art room becomes more beautiful, and Melinda’s art work becomes more expressive: “ Our art room is blooming like a museum full of O’Keeffe’s, van Gogh’s, and that French guy who painted flowers with tiny dots”(77).
Melinda’s strife at home is conveyed through the appearance of her bed room. He room does not reflect her taste, and she does not find comfort in it: “My room belongs to an alien. It is a postcard of who I was in fifth grade” (15). Most people decorate their rooms to reflect themselves. For instance, I believe my room, to some extent, is an extension of myself. It is sad that Melinda can not find peace in the only place that is supposed to be hers. Instead, Melinda finds an empty janitor’s closet to act as her sanctuary. She describes it as dirty and empty, which meteorically represents the distaste Melinda has for her own life: “This closet is abandoned-- it has no purpose, no name. It is the perfect place for me” (26). Throughout the book, Melinda feels more at home in the closet. She even displays her art work in there. She even goes there to think: “The best place to figure this out is my closet, my throne room, and my foster home. The closet becomes the only space Melinda finds comfort in.
Melinda’s strife at home is conveyed through the appearance of her bed room. He room does not reflect her taste, and she does not find comfort in it: “My room belongs to an alien. It is a postcard of who I was in fifth grade” (15). Most people decorate their rooms to reflect themselves. For instance, I believe my room, to some extent, is an extension of myself. It is sad that Melinda can not find peace in the only place that is supposed to be hers. Instead, Melinda finds an empty janitor’s closet to act as her sanctuary. She describes it as dirty and empty, which meteorically represents the distaste Melinda has for her own life: “This closet is abandoned-- it has no purpose, no name. It is the perfect place for me” (26). Throughout the book, Melinda feels more at home in the closet. She even displays her art work in there. She even goes there to think: “The best place to figure this out is my closet, my throne room, and my foster home. The closet becomes the only space Melinda finds comfort in.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Symbolism in Anderson's Speak
Just for the record—I completely changed my mind about Anderson’s book. The class discussion really got me thinking. I decided to go back and reread certain parts, and this time I focused on the subtleties of the story. The second time around I ignored things that annoyed me the first time, like Melinda calling her principal “Principal Principal,” and found myself really enjoying it. I realized that the parts that initially bothered me were sections that a young adult reader would most likely find funny and relate to. Anderson is definitely saying a lot despite the terse descriptions and unadorned language. She is very brave because she explores serious topics that many young adult authors are too afraid to confront.
Anyway, I’m supposed to be talking about metaphors. There is a lot of symbolism in this book, and Anderson goes out of her way to make the reader aware of it. An inexperienced young adult reader might overlook the symbols, so Anderson discusses Hawthorne and how he used light, dark, and the weather to show the reader how Hester was feeling in The Scarlet Letter. Anderson does the same thing as Hawthorne with weather, because it is winter for the majority of the novel. The world is frozen and dark up until the point where Melinda decides to confront her demons and acknowledge her pain. Another primary symbol that runs throughout the novel is the tree. The tree symbolizes Melinda’s growth as a person. When she pulls the paper out of the globe and realizes that she has to draw trees for the entire semester, she tries to put it back and choose another. Mr. Freeman doesn’t let her. He informs her that she has chosen her destiny and that she cannot change it. She initially struggles to create trees and becomes frustrated during the process, which suggests that she struggles with her emotions as well as the idea of coming forward about the rape. She begins by drawing trees that were struck by lighting, which symbolizes her pain. She also creates a beautiful tree, one which displeases Freeman because the tree is too perfect. The drawing of a flawless tree absent of scars suggests her repression of emotions. While she initially struggles with creating trees, she eventually manages to create haunting and impressive images. She takes her pain and transforms it into art. Melinda’s connection to trees is also evident when she returns home to find men chopping off branches from the tree in her front yard. She is certain that they are killing the tree, but her father informs her that the tree is sick and that cutting off the diseased and damaged part allows the tree to grow again. This suggests that Melinda is not destined to remain consumed by her pain and stuck in the past. While she will never forget what happened to her, she can move beyond it and start to live again.
Anyway, I’m supposed to be talking about metaphors. There is a lot of symbolism in this book, and Anderson goes out of her way to make the reader aware of it. An inexperienced young adult reader might overlook the symbols, so Anderson discusses Hawthorne and how he used light, dark, and the weather to show the reader how Hester was feeling in The Scarlet Letter. Anderson does the same thing as Hawthorne with weather, because it is winter for the majority of the novel. The world is frozen and dark up until the point where Melinda decides to confront her demons and acknowledge her pain. Another primary symbol that runs throughout the novel is the tree. The tree symbolizes Melinda’s growth as a person. When she pulls the paper out of the globe and realizes that she has to draw trees for the entire semester, she tries to put it back and choose another. Mr. Freeman doesn’t let her. He informs her that she has chosen her destiny and that she cannot change it. She initially struggles to create trees and becomes frustrated during the process, which suggests that she struggles with her emotions as well as the idea of coming forward about the rape. She begins by drawing trees that were struck by lighting, which symbolizes her pain. She also creates a beautiful tree, one which displeases Freeman because the tree is too perfect. The drawing of a flawless tree absent of scars suggests her repression of emotions. While she initially struggles with creating trees, she eventually manages to create haunting and impressive images. She takes her pain and transforms it into art. Melinda’s connection to trees is also evident when she returns home to find men chopping off branches from the tree in her front yard. She is certain that they are killing the tree, but her father informs her that the tree is sick and that cutting off the diseased and damaged part allows the tree to grow again. This suggests that Melinda is not destined to remain consumed by her pain and stuck in the past. While she will never forget what happened to her, she can move beyond it and start to live again.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Just One More Thing...
Sorry that I seem to be writing on the blog after classes for this book but there are just so many topics that we just touch upon and not go into fully in class. There are just so many things to think and talk about! One thing that I really wanted to talk about in class but just didn't get the chance to was the topic we constantly come back to about remembering your roots. This book delves deeply into not giving up who you are, being proud of your background, not being afraid of or ashamed of your culture, etc. However, I think it also addresses the opposite: The need to sometimes put those roots in the back of your mind as you continue your life. In order to be successful in life and in society sometimes you do have to put aside "where you come from" and create an image for yourself based on what you believe in and what will help you accomplish your dreams. There are two sides of a person. There is his culture and his history and there is his character, the part of him created by the environment that he grows in. Danny was overwhelmed by the second part of this side due to his embarassment with the first half. This imbalance is what caused him to have problems and insecurities about who he is.
There are a few instances in the book that remind us that we cannot just look blindly at where we come from and forget that sometimes where we come from isn't who we should be. One such example is with the Monkey King, the myth that this entire book is based on. The Monkey King, despite all of his power and strength, was a terrible leader. He forced the monkeys to wear shoes even though it made them fall off of trees. He neglected them for years and did not let them bother him in his personal chamber, where he spent all of his time. He saw all of them as inferior to him just because he had a few tricks up his sleeve. Yet the monkeys blindly followed him because he was their creator. He was born from a rock and all of the monkeys came after him and worshipped him. Thus, the monkeys refused to think for themselves and abandon the Monkey King even though he was not doing the best thing for them.
Maybe the moral of the story is not to follow one's roots but to make the best decision based on the situation at hand. The monkeys would have done better to leave the Monkey King. Maybe in Danny's circumstances the best thing to do would have been to assimilate into society. Human beings naturally gravitate towards "their own kind." Maybe Danny needed to become "American" because he was in America and that is what is expected of him. To build a society you need a certain degree of assimilation. I'm not saying that Danny should forget where he came from just because he wanted everybody to like him or that bullies are right because they are doing "nature's bidding of assimilation" but I think that sometimes people should learn to take on some of the characteristics of their surroundings to better communicate and understand each other. If Gene had not become Danny then he would have never learned that other important side of him. This hero had to learn to be both Danny and Gene in order to survive in his environment.
There are a few instances in the book that remind us that we cannot just look blindly at where we come from and forget that sometimes where we come from isn't who we should be. One such example is with the Monkey King, the myth that this entire book is based on. The Monkey King, despite all of his power and strength, was a terrible leader. He forced the monkeys to wear shoes even though it made them fall off of trees. He neglected them for years and did not let them bother him in his personal chamber, where he spent all of his time. He saw all of them as inferior to him just because he had a few tricks up his sleeve. Yet the monkeys blindly followed him because he was their creator. He was born from a rock and all of the monkeys came after him and worshipped him. Thus, the monkeys refused to think for themselves and abandon the Monkey King even though he was not doing the best thing for them.
Maybe the moral of the story is not to follow one's roots but to make the best decision based on the situation at hand. The monkeys would have done better to leave the Monkey King. Maybe in Danny's circumstances the best thing to do would have been to assimilate into society. Human beings naturally gravitate towards "their own kind." Maybe Danny needed to become "American" because he was in America and that is what is expected of him. To build a society you need a certain degree of assimilation. I'm not saying that Danny should forget where he came from just because he wanted everybody to like him or that bullies are right because they are doing "nature's bidding of assimilation" but I think that sometimes people should learn to take on some of the characteristics of their surroundings to better communicate and understand each other. If Gene had not become Danny then he would have never learned that other important side of him. This hero had to learn to be both Danny and Gene in order to survive in his environment.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Some After Class Thoughts
Before class I was sitting in front of the computer and I jsut could not figure out what to write about for this book. I had just read it but there was really nothing specific going on in my mind. There was just so much to think about but no direction to start on. But after talking about it in the classroom I started thinking about so many things and I jut had to run to a computer and type it all out before I forgot.
Firstly, our conversation reminded me about this conversation I had with a Psychology major the other day about teasing. She had a very interesting point of view about teasing, bullies, and revenge. At first glance, a person who is teased will hate and fear the bully. It's a natural instinct for people who get hurt by somebody to stay away from the person they get hurt by. That person might be so hurt and angry that he or she will lash out at somebody. He will want revenge for the hurt that he has been feeling. Of course that is a natural feeling. That person might think, it is the bully's fault that I hate my life and myself and that I hate being somewhere because that bully makes me miserable, and so it is alright for me to get back at that person. However, if you look at the situation from an objective, outside point of view, and or a second take out the "fault" part of it, then all that is left is an action and a consequence. The action causes the consequence and if a person jsut takes that action and consequence into himself and analyzes it then he can always learn from it. It doesn't matter what it is. Instead of just acting on a bully in an angry manner maybe the person being hurt can stand back for a second and think about what is really going on. Why is the bully teasing me? What is wrong with myself, with the way that I think of myself, that makes this is hurtful to me? If people just look at the situation and think, really contemplate, what is going on, instead of just blindly acting on their feelings, then maybe situations would turn out better.
What I mean in the context of the story is that Jin was always being made fun of by his classmates. That obviously really hurt his image and his pride and made him ashamed of who he is. He took that anger out on his best friend and his best friend's girlfriend, even though they were the only ones who supported him. That reaction, that instinct, ended up indirectly ruining Win Shun's life. If he did not do that then maybe Win Shun would not have turned towards that lustful, sinful life.
Firstly, our conversation reminded me about this conversation I had with a Psychology major the other day about teasing. She had a very interesting point of view about teasing, bullies, and revenge. At first glance, a person who is teased will hate and fear the bully. It's a natural instinct for people who get hurt by somebody to stay away from the person they get hurt by. That person might be so hurt and angry that he or she will lash out at somebody. He will want revenge for the hurt that he has been feeling. Of course that is a natural feeling. That person might think, it is the bully's fault that I hate my life and myself and that I hate being somewhere because that bully makes me miserable, and so it is alright for me to get back at that person. However, if you look at the situation from an objective, outside point of view, and or a second take out the "fault" part of it, then all that is left is an action and a consequence. The action causes the consequence and if a person jsut takes that action and consequence into himself and analyzes it then he can always learn from it. It doesn't matter what it is. Instead of just acting on a bully in an angry manner maybe the person being hurt can stand back for a second and think about what is really going on. Why is the bully teasing me? What is wrong with myself, with the way that I think of myself, that makes this is hurtful to me? If people just look at the situation and think, really contemplate, what is going on, instead of just blindly acting on their feelings, then maybe situations would turn out better.
What I mean in the context of the story is that Jin was always being made fun of by his classmates. That obviously really hurt his image and his pride and made him ashamed of who he is. He took that anger out on his best friend and his best friend's girlfriend, even though they were the only ones who supported him. That reaction, that instinct, ended up indirectly ruining Win Shun's life. If he did not do that then maybe Win Shun would not have turned towards that lustful, sinful life.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
American Born Chinese
The first thing that struck me about this graphic novel was how the multiple story lines were strung together. I was supposed to write about the second part, the teenage years, but I don't know if I can stick to that. I don't feel that the story has different parts because they are all they same story. I will do my best.
The themes I noticed the most through the teenage parts are the theme of wanting to be accepted and (in turn) loneliness. I think that all students reading this, regardless of their age, can relate to that. I still want to be accepted and I'm 22 years old. I think that's what makes this so appealing. I think it is handled beautifully with Chin-Kee. (I hope I am spelling that right.) He is the catalyst for these uncertain feelings. Poor Danny; I know if it was me I would have killed Chin-Kee a long time ago.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The "Monkey King"
This is the work of Emily Carman and Shawn Simpson-Smith.
He is a larger than life mythological character. He is a character from Chinese folklore. He derives from a Chinese fable in a novel from more than 400 years ago. The Monkey King traces its origins back to the Tang Dynasty of China (602-644), based on a Chinese fable called “Xi You Ji” – Journey to the West” – a renowned classical Chinese novel. It is based on the “true” story of a famous monk, Xuan Zung – a rebellious prophet born out of rock and fertilized by the grace of both Heaven and Earth: after more than a decade of trials and tribulations, the monk arrives on foot in what is today modern India. The Monkey King is the allegorical tale of the monk’s journey, interspersed with Chinese fables, fairy tales, legends, superstitions, and monster stories from the Taoist, Buddhist, and other Chinese religions.
In this legendary story, the Monkey King is seen to have magical prowess, cleverness, a sense of mischief, and a fearless, rebellious spirit. Because he is born out of rock and fertilized by the grace of Heaven and Earth, he is considered to be strong and durable – especially since he has gorged himself on peaches from the orchards that he has been given to guard. He is considered to be the King of the Monkeys. He is extremely intelligent and full of magic tricks – he can transform himself into at least 72 different types of images (a tree, a bird, a beast of prey, sea creatures, etc.) including an insect that can sneak into the body of an enemy and fight the enemy from the inside out!
The Monkey King has an interesting physical appearance. He is constructed with a bronze head and iron shoulders. He has “magical hair” which can be transformed in various situations: on one occasion, it was changed into insects which were used to put people to sleep; on another occasion, his hair was turned into shields to stop enemy arrows. The red and white face paint shows his position as King of the Monkeys. His colorful outfit of shades of gold trimmed in turquoise and red befits his royal position – he is also the guardian of the Peach Gardens. He carries a gold-tipped stick given to him by the deity of the Dragon King. He possesses flexible, malleable legs; using clouds as his vehicle, he can travel 108,000 miles in a single leap!
In a high act of treason, he defies the Dragon King and claims himself as king over the heaven, the seas, the earth and the subterranean world: he calls himself Yu Huang Da Di – The Great Emperor of Jade. He fights with the masters of the high seas, Hell, and the Heavenly army! He even fights the Dragon King and steals his crown treasure – the gold-banded iron rod which is used as the ballast of the waters and which allows the owner to expand or shrink at will! The Monkey King runs amok – he is a disobedient, rebellious monkey out-of-control; he becomes a virtually invincible bully! At their wits end, all of the celestial figures ask the Buddha to intervene. The Buddha captures and imprisons the Monkey King under a great, immovable mountain – Wu Zhi Shan or The Mount of Five Fingers. The obstinate monkey survives the weight of the mountain and remains imprisoned under it for 500 years. He is rescued by Xuan Zang, the Chinese Tang Monk referred to at the beginning of this essay.
Buddha rewards the Monk and arranges to make the monkey the escort for and the disciple of the Monk; he is on his way to the West to get to the Sutras (strings of rules or aphorisms, written in severe form, composed in terse and symbolic language, meant to be memorized). Along the way, they meet two more stragglers who will also join this pilgrimage as disciples: a disgraced, once celestial Pig (who lost his position after he assaulted a fairy); and, a sea monster, once a celestial general (who lost his position after he committed some type of misdemeanor). This party of four – the most unlucky number in Chinese culture and numerology – is supplemented by a horse, who is an incarnation of the Dragon King’s son – and they all embark on a host of adventures where the Monkey King will play a prominent role.
In Gene Luen Yang’s story – which is modeled after the aforementioned Chinese folktale – the Monkey King is also a mythological figure in a Chinese fable that is a flawed, modern-day action figure. In this graphic novel, the figures are drawn with crisp, clean, distinct lines; vibrant yet muted earth-tones; a good number of panels contain scenes which are grotesque and disturbing; there are panels which are reminiscent of action-figures/heroes; and, the linear panel arrangements are of various shapes and sizes. The strong visual style of the distinctive artwork combines with the rich textual narrative to make this modern-day story a powerful and gripping tale.
Our modern Monkey King shares the same type of history with his folkloric predecessor. Yet he is also distinctly different: he is a flawed; he suffers from ‘unwanted identity syndrome’ (our term) – he is unhappy with his being a monkey. Our present-day Monkey King wants to be someone else – someone whom he is not nor can change himself to be: someone who can wear shoes; someone who can go to the finest parties and be admired and fawned-over; someone who wants to be a “hailed god”. When the Monkey King is thrown out of a most prestigious dinner party because he is not wearing shoes (he is, after all, a monkey remember), he suffers humiliation at the hands of the others around him due to their prejudices. This humiliation by others (the outsiders) together with his damaged self-esteem lead the Monkey King to experience anger, personal fear, heartbreak, confusion, and hostility – towards the others and, not surprisingly, directed inward towards himself. Like the previous Monkey King in the old Chinese folktale, our present-day Monkey King starts down an identically-frightening and destructive path; he, too, becomes an invincible bully. Our current Monkey King is reprimanded and disciplined after his face-to-face meeting with Tze-Yo-Tzuh – the “Creator Of All Existence” – who chastises and enlightens the Monkey King:
“I have searched your soul, little monkey. I know your most
hidden thoughts…even before a word is upon your tongue,
even before a word is upon your tongue, I have known it. My
eyes have seen all your days. Where did you think you could
hide from me? Where can you flee from my presence?....Even
at the end of all that is, my hand is there holding you fast. It
was I who formed your inmost being, I who knit you together
in the womb of the rock. I made you with awe and wonder, for
wonderful are all of my works. I do not make mistakes, little
monkey. A monkey I intended you to be. A monkey you are.
Please accept this and stop your foolishness.”
Because of his anger and stubbornness, the Monkey King refuses to listen and accept his mandated fate, Tze-Yo-Tzuh buries him under a mountain of rock and sets a seal over him which prevents the Monkey King from using his Kung-Fu to escape. The present-day Monkey King remains buried for five hundred years – just as his folkloric predecessor before him. It is not until he is set free by and becomes a disciple of the Monk Wong Lai-Tsao, achieves a level of self-actualization, and demonstrates compassion – all part of a plan orchestrated from the hands of– that the Monkey King comes to realize what the really important things are in life. His humanness radiates as he becomes an Emissary of Tze-Yo-Tzuh – along with the other Emissaries who are The Ox, The Eagle, and The Eagle – as he escorts Wong on his journey to the West as a test of the virtue of the Monkey King.
The first principle which stands out in this book deals with Chinese Numerology and the meaning of the number “four” (4). In the Chinese culture, the number “four” is generally feared and considered to be unlucky: the number “four” sounds like the word for “death” when it is spoken in the Cantonese dialect; and, the written character is made to look as though the sun is being obscured by a cloud – a cloudy day and ensuing bad luck.
For example, in Chinese culture: 4 = death; 14 = must die; 24 = early dying; 44 = dying and dead; 74 = surely dead. Thus, in the Chinese culture and in Chinese Numerology, the number “four” is to be avoided at all costs. Yet, in the story, there is repetition of the number “four” in positive practices: Four Major Heavenly Disciplines of Kung Fu; Four Major Disciplines of Invulnerability; Four Major Disciplines of Bodily Form; Four Emissaries of Tze-Yo-Tzuh; and, Four Disciples/Emissaries who accompany Wong Lai-Tsao. The number “four” is used to denote positive disciplines and persons throughout the story; yet, the Monkey King utilizes each of these groups of four practices for negative and self-centered purposes.
In spite of the negativity associated with the number “four” in the Chinese culture, it persists continually in the life and story of the Monkey King, until he comes to terms with and accepts his own identity and role in the world. The number “four” now marks a positive transformation in the life of the Monkey King, as he makes the journey to the West acting as both an assistant to and a disciple of Wong Lai-Tsao. The internal and external struggles and journeys of the Monkey King are now concluded: he has come full-circle, completes his test of virtue, and arrives at the place of self-actualization.
The story of the Monkey King speaks volumes regarding the issues of shame (lack of self-esteem), racism, and self-acceptance. Throughout American Born Chinese, author Gene Luen Yang speaks through his protagonists about their inability to accept their ethnic and racial identities; the racist taunts they experience from outsiders – as well the inner prejudices they feel about themselves, their relatives, and other Asians; and the personal shame they feel because of their heritage.
Each of the three stories deals with the aforementioned issues by using a unique storyline to tell of the protagonist’s internal and external journey. The story of the Monkey King, however, crosses over into the stories of Jin Wang/Danny and his cousin Chin-Kee and brings this book to its riveting climax: as an Emissary of Tze-Yo-Tzuh, the Monkey King’s fight with Jin Wang/Danny forces Jin Wang/Danny to face his ancestral past, connect with his ethnic and racial identities, and accept his birthright with pride and understanding. As the Monkey King speaks, he embraces and enlightens an angry and confused Jin Wang/Danny:
“You misunderstand my intentions Jin. I did not
Come to punish you. I came to serve as your
‘Conscience’ – as a Signpost’ to your soul….You
Know Jin, I would have saved myself from ‘Five
Hundred Years’ Imprisonment’ beneath a
Mountain of rock had I only realized how ‘Good’
It is to be a ‘Monkey’.
The Monkey King has come to accept both his life as a monkey and the important role he to perform – instead of his aspiring to the position of some type of ‘hallowed godlike-figure’. He has also shown Jin Wang/Danny the path to truth, acceptance, and self-respect. And that is Gene Luen Yang’s purpose in telling this story – a story which was his, the Monkey King’s, Jin Wang’s and Danny’s, and every ethnic and immigrant young person’s in America.
He is a larger than life mythological character. He is a character from Chinese folklore. He derives from a Chinese fable in a novel from more than 400 years ago. The Monkey King traces its origins back to the Tang Dynasty of China (602-644), based on a Chinese fable called “Xi You Ji” – Journey to the West” – a renowned classical Chinese novel. It is based on the “true” story of a famous monk, Xuan Zung – a rebellious prophet born out of rock and fertilized by the grace of both Heaven and Earth: after more than a decade of trials and tribulations, the monk arrives on foot in what is today modern India. The Monkey King is the allegorical tale of the monk’s journey, interspersed with Chinese fables, fairy tales, legends, superstitions, and monster stories from the Taoist, Buddhist, and other Chinese religions.
In this legendary story, the Monkey King is seen to have magical prowess, cleverness, a sense of mischief, and a fearless, rebellious spirit. Because he is born out of rock and fertilized by the grace of Heaven and Earth, he is considered to be strong and durable – especially since he has gorged himself on peaches from the orchards that he has been given to guard. He is considered to be the King of the Monkeys. He is extremely intelligent and full of magic tricks – he can transform himself into at least 72 different types of images (a tree, a bird, a beast of prey, sea creatures, etc.) including an insect that can sneak into the body of an enemy and fight the enemy from the inside out!
The Monkey King has an interesting physical appearance. He is constructed with a bronze head and iron shoulders. He has “magical hair” which can be transformed in various situations: on one occasion, it was changed into insects which were used to put people to sleep; on another occasion, his hair was turned into shields to stop enemy arrows. The red and white face paint shows his position as King of the Monkeys. His colorful outfit of shades of gold trimmed in turquoise and red befits his royal position – he is also the guardian of the Peach Gardens. He carries a gold-tipped stick given to him by the deity of the Dragon King. He possesses flexible, malleable legs; using clouds as his vehicle, he can travel 108,000 miles in a single leap!
In a high act of treason, he defies the Dragon King and claims himself as king over the heaven, the seas, the earth and the subterranean world: he calls himself Yu Huang Da Di – The Great Emperor of Jade. He fights with the masters of the high seas, Hell, and the Heavenly army! He even fights the Dragon King and steals his crown treasure – the gold-banded iron rod which is used as the ballast of the waters and which allows the owner to expand or shrink at will! The Monkey King runs amok – he is a disobedient, rebellious monkey out-of-control; he becomes a virtually invincible bully! At their wits end, all of the celestial figures ask the Buddha to intervene. The Buddha captures and imprisons the Monkey King under a great, immovable mountain – Wu Zhi Shan or The Mount of Five Fingers. The obstinate monkey survives the weight of the mountain and remains imprisoned under it for 500 years. He is rescued by Xuan Zang, the Chinese Tang Monk referred to at the beginning of this essay.
Buddha rewards the Monk and arranges to make the monkey the escort for and the disciple of the Monk; he is on his way to the West to get to the Sutras (strings of rules or aphorisms, written in severe form, composed in terse and symbolic language, meant to be memorized). Along the way, they meet two more stragglers who will also join this pilgrimage as disciples: a disgraced, once celestial Pig (who lost his position after he assaulted a fairy); and, a sea monster, once a celestial general (who lost his position after he committed some type of misdemeanor). This party of four – the most unlucky number in Chinese culture and numerology – is supplemented by a horse, who is an incarnation of the Dragon King’s son – and they all embark on a host of adventures where the Monkey King will play a prominent role.
In Gene Luen Yang’s story – which is modeled after the aforementioned Chinese folktale – the Monkey King is also a mythological figure in a Chinese fable that is a flawed, modern-day action figure. In this graphic novel, the figures are drawn with crisp, clean, distinct lines; vibrant yet muted earth-tones; a good number of panels contain scenes which are grotesque and disturbing; there are panels which are reminiscent of action-figures/heroes; and, the linear panel arrangements are of various shapes and sizes. The strong visual style of the distinctive artwork combines with the rich textual narrative to make this modern-day story a powerful and gripping tale.
Our modern Monkey King shares the same type of history with his folkloric predecessor. Yet he is also distinctly different: he is a flawed; he suffers from ‘unwanted identity syndrome’ (our term) – he is unhappy with his being a monkey. Our present-day Monkey King wants to be someone else – someone whom he is not nor can change himself to be: someone who can wear shoes; someone who can go to the finest parties and be admired and fawned-over; someone who wants to be a “hailed god”. When the Monkey King is thrown out of a most prestigious dinner party because he is not wearing shoes (he is, after all, a monkey remember), he suffers humiliation at the hands of the others around him due to their prejudices. This humiliation by others (the outsiders) together with his damaged self-esteem lead the Monkey King to experience anger, personal fear, heartbreak, confusion, and hostility – towards the others and, not surprisingly, directed inward towards himself. Like the previous Monkey King in the old Chinese folktale, our present-day Monkey King starts down an identically-frightening and destructive path; he, too, becomes an invincible bully. Our current Monkey King is reprimanded and disciplined after his face-to-face meeting with Tze-Yo-Tzuh – the “Creator Of All Existence” – who chastises and enlightens the Monkey King:
“I have searched your soul, little monkey. I know your most
hidden thoughts…even before a word is upon your tongue,
even before a word is upon your tongue, I have known it. My
eyes have seen all your days. Where did you think you could
hide from me? Where can you flee from my presence?....Even
at the end of all that is, my hand is there holding you fast. It
was I who formed your inmost being, I who knit you together
in the womb of the rock. I made you with awe and wonder, for
wonderful are all of my works. I do not make mistakes, little
monkey. A monkey I intended you to be. A monkey you are.
Please accept this and stop your foolishness.”
Because of his anger and stubbornness, the Monkey King refuses to listen and accept his mandated fate, Tze-Yo-Tzuh buries him under a mountain of rock and sets a seal over him which prevents the Monkey King from using his Kung-Fu to escape. The present-day Monkey King remains buried for five hundred years – just as his folkloric predecessor before him. It is not until he is set free by and becomes a disciple of the Monk Wong Lai-Tsao, achieves a level of self-actualization, and demonstrates compassion – all part of a plan orchestrated from the hands of– that the Monkey King comes to realize what the really important things are in life. His humanness radiates as he becomes an Emissary of Tze-Yo-Tzuh – along with the other Emissaries who are The Ox, The Eagle, and The Eagle – as he escorts Wong on his journey to the West as a test of the virtue of the Monkey King.
The first principle which stands out in this book deals with Chinese Numerology and the meaning of the number “four” (4). In the Chinese culture, the number “four” is generally feared and considered to be unlucky: the number “four” sounds like the word for “death” when it is spoken in the Cantonese dialect; and, the written character is made to look as though the sun is being obscured by a cloud – a cloudy day and ensuing bad luck.
For example, in Chinese culture: 4 = death; 14 = must die; 24 = early dying; 44 = dying and dead; 74 = surely dead. Thus, in the Chinese culture and in Chinese Numerology, the number “four” is to be avoided at all costs. Yet, in the story, there is repetition of the number “four” in positive practices: Four Major Heavenly Disciplines of Kung Fu; Four Major Disciplines of Invulnerability; Four Major Disciplines of Bodily Form; Four Emissaries of Tze-Yo-Tzuh; and, Four Disciples/Emissaries who accompany Wong Lai-Tsao. The number “four” is used to denote positive disciplines and persons throughout the story; yet, the Monkey King utilizes each of these groups of four practices for negative and self-centered purposes.
In spite of the negativity associated with the number “four” in the Chinese culture, it persists continually in the life and story of the Monkey King, until he comes to terms with and accepts his own identity and role in the world. The number “four” now marks a positive transformation in the life of the Monkey King, as he makes the journey to the West acting as both an assistant to and a disciple of Wong Lai-Tsao. The internal and external struggles and journeys of the Monkey King are now concluded: he has come full-circle, completes his test of virtue, and arrives at the place of self-actualization.
The story of the Monkey King speaks volumes regarding the issues of shame (lack of self-esteem), racism, and self-acceptance. Throughout American Born Chinese, author Gene Luen Yang speaks through his protagonists about their inability to accept their ethnic and racial identities; the racist taunts they experience from outsiders – as well the inner prejudices they feel about themselves, their relatives, and other Asians; and the personal shame they feel because of their heritage.
Each of the three stories deals with the aforementioned issues by using a unique storyline to tell of the protagonist’s internal and external journey. The story of the Monkey King, however, crosses over into the stories of Jin Wang/Danny and his cousin Chin-Kee and brings this book to its riveting climax: as an Emissary of Tze-Yo-Tzuh, the Monkey King’s fight with Jin Wang/Danny forces Jin Wang/Danny to face his ancestral past, connect with his ethnic and racial identities, and accept his birthright with pride and understanding. As the Monkey King speaks, he embraces and enlightens an angry and confused Jin Wang/Danny:
“You misunderstand my intentions Jin. I did not
Come to punish you. I came to serve as your
‘Conscience’ – as a Signpost’ to your soul….You
Know Jin, I would have saved myself from ‘Five
Hundred Years’ Imprisonment’ beneath a
Mountain of rock had I only realized how ‘Good’
It is to be a ‘Monkey’.
The Monkey King has come to accept both his life as a monkey and the important role he to perform – instead of his aspiring to the position of some type of ‘hallowed godlike-figure’. He has also shown Jin Wang/Danny the path to truth, acceptance, and self-respect. And that is Gene Luen Yang’s purpose in telling this story – a story which was his, the Monkey King’s, Jin Wang’s and Danny’s, and every ethnic and immigrant young person’s in America.
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