I believe the main message of “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu is how the rejection of culture can lead to a loss of familial connection. In the story it states, “After a while, she tried to use more English. But her accent and broken sentences embarrassed me. I tried to correct her. Eventually, she stopped speaking altogether if I was around.” The constant bullying pressured the speaker to attempt to assimilate to American culture and this also began the disconnect between him and his mother. This statement exhibits how the speaker tries to force his mother to also assimilate with him, and thus she verbally distances herself from him eventually. Throughout the years, the more acculturated the storyteller became, the more distant his familiarity with his mother was.
The end of this poem was very saddening. It was heartbreaking as could be, because even nearing the mother’s death, the speaker couldn’t bring himself to accept her culture fully. It was only afterwards that he was seemingly filled with remorse for his past. Though, I personally do understand where they were coming from, for I’ve been bullied myself as well for being Chinese. It didn’t matter if I was Chinese, as long as I looked Asian, they would always purposefully make fun of my appearance, rumors of the food I ate, or try to mock me by referencing phrases from other Asian cultures. I didn’t fit in well when I was a child. However, for me, I just wanted the ridiculing to stop, and still be my individual self. Nowadays, diversity seems to be a more positive thing, especially the higher grades I go, the less racism I see.
litoutofwater 