In each of the two stories, "Miss Lien" and "We Should Never Meet," a jade bracelet is passed from one character to another. In "Miss Lien," Lien must give up her "last possession of value" in order to avoid being indebted to the midwife. The bracelet represents her identity before the war, a young girl who lived on her family's farm; by giving up her identity, she becomes "Miss Lien," an adult who must provide for her family no matter what, even if it means giving up her own child. In the story "We Should Never Meet," the jade bracelet represents the Vietnamese half of Kim's mixed race. The act of giving the bracelet to her as a gift by the shopkeeper, a Vietnamese woman, gives Kim a sign that she could have a meaningful connection to her Vietnamese heritage, inspiring her to try to look for her own birth mother in Vietnam. Unfortunately, Kim misunderstands the connection she's made with the shopkeeper, when she asks her for money and the woman refuses, leading her to feel hurt and betrayed; she does not realize that families are meant to contribute to one's identity through emotional support, not money.
There is definitely a connection between the jade bracelet and identity, what is interesting is that Lien looses her identity while Kim gains hers. It just demonstrates the significance of old customs, it reminds me of the tiny gold bracelet with my name engraved on it that I was given to wear as a baby. I am not sure how common that is, but it is a common practice in my family and most of my cousins have one of their own. It gives us this connection within our family as I'm sure it did for Lien and Kim. This is why I think Kim was so heartbroken by the shopkeeper as she thought she had created a sort of family connection. It took a lot for Kim to ask for help as she has always been independent and to be turned away took away the idea of the connection she thought she had found.
ReplyDeleteBy Marisa M.
I think that your visual depiction of these scenes in the book illustrates your point incredibly well. It had not occurred to me that the jade bracelets could be seen as metaphors for identity. I definitely agree with your points about how the act of giving/receiving the jade bracelet means more than just its monetary value. I think that the last point where you mentioned families and emotional point was very important; seeing as how Kim has none of the things you mentioned, her thought process and how she misunderstood her connection to the shopkeeper makes sense once I read that.
ReplyDeleteBy Kelsey C.
I love this connection! I didn't realize that both stories involve the passing of a jade bracelet until seeing this, but I love your insight on it. It's obvious that jade bracelets are highly valued in Vietnamese culture, as it earns Lien a few extra days in the midwife's care. It is after this interaction that Kim is connected to the shopkeeper, thinking she may have found a connection to an adult that wasn't toxic or disappointing. I agree that Lien gave away a piece of her identity with the bracelet, and I love the connection you made to Kim and her Vietnamese roots. I think it was after this part of Kim's story that she began to feel comfortable enough as an individual to finally leave Vinh.
ReplyDeleteYour last statement is interesting. I had a difficult time answering why Kim resented the shopkeeper in "We Should Never Meet," but your drawing helps me see her misinterpretation of family and identity. Lien had to sacrifice for her family, which informs one a lot about her identity as a mother and daughter. Kim, however, cannot understand how family should be respected, always. Although the shopkeeper isn't family, there a sense of trust and community in their friendship. Family is foreign to Kim, which is why she acts towards her feeling of hurt and betrayal.
ReplyDeleteAraceli S.