In my drawing I have two little girls in two different boxes, which are meant to represent the different circumstances. The first little girl is drawn in only black and white holding a colorful set of balloons. The colorful balloons are meant to demonstrate how a birthday is typically a happy occasion and when celebrating the birthday girl or boy should be happy. The little girl is black and white to demonstrate how she does not meet the expectations because she is not happy to be receiving the balloons; just like Mai. Thus the contrast between the girl and the balloon is designed to point out how the girl is unhappy because she does not meet expectations. In the second box the little girl is colorfully drawn because she is happy as she is depicted letting go of the balloons, thus getting rid of the expectations that come with the celebration. This is to demonstrate the theme of acceptance within the story, “Emancipation.” In the story Mai works to make everyone happy except herself even though it is her birthday, but the traditions that come with a birthday are not things that appeal to her. Mai expresses her dislike for birthdays towards the beginning of “Emancipation,” “ Mai never liked birthdays. She hated attention, the scrutiny and judgement, and that was what birthdays were for. There was an expectation to have fun that she resented. For Mai, to make the day special and glorious was too much pressure, the probability of failure was so imminent. Then a person was left with only disappointment” (Phan 149-150). Mai’s negative connections to birthdays I believe is due to her life spent in judgement. Mai has faced judgment from Kim who has deemed her as lucky and living a life filled with advantages, thus she claims that Mai knows nothing of suffering. Mai also faced judgement through the foster system as she had to go through judgement from other homes before the Reynolds.
By Marisa M.
The contrast of color really resonates with Mai’s development as a character with external expectations imposed upon her to letting them go. I think this was especially evident in the last story Motherland during the moment where she tells Huan that she rarely contacts her foster parents after her college graduation. I especially like how you kept the child at the same age for both sides of the picture to preserve the sense of vulnerability and uncertainty of Mai’s upbringing as time progresses. Keeping the poses consistent was also very effective as the girl seems distant and disconnected from her surroundings, whereas the girl on the opposite side is much more present and vibrant in comparison. Overall, the consistency in the age and posture of the girl against the contrast between the colors and the balloons effectively evokes progress from bound expectations to liberating freedom of the self.
ReplyDeleteBy Kevin D.
Your illustration is very well-thought out. I like how you tied in the significance of Mai's emotions behind acceptance and expectations into your illustration. The color contrast between the two pictures really reflect Mai's feelings in "Emancipation." Your observation that Kim is unable to empathize with Mai is in line with my own reading, though perhaps I would also argue that Mai exhibits a reluctance to share her own problems because she also judges her own experiences by Kim's. I think that Mai judges herself and has her own expectations for herself that she feels very strongly about, and because "Emancipation" is from her perspective, we as readers may see her inner conflict in a way that the other characters in the book do not. I really liked your use of color in your illustration; I think that the colors you chose are very complementary and suit the mood of Mai's story very well.
ReplyDeleteBy Kelsey C.
I feel like you missed a major point of significance for Mai's birthday in the chapter. While your description of Mai's feelings towards birthdays is true, her 18th birthday marks a major milestone in her life. While she still has to deal with the expectations of everyone wanting her to celebrate and be happy, she must also deal with looming uncertainty of her future. The acceptance or rejection of school, how she will pay for it, and most importantly, whether or not her foster parents will continue to provide shelter and adopt her into the family. Kim expects Mai to be happy for her new found freedom from the foster care system, while the reality of what entails plague:s Mai's thoughts. The picture of the girl with the colorful balloons, and black and white person, would better be described as her feelings of unease and uncertainty of the immediate future, for this specific birthday. This particular birthday amplifies the scrutiny and attention she would receive on any other birthday.
ReplyDeleteYour second illustration representing Mai releasing the balloons is something I would've liked to see more earlier in the story rather than in the last story when she visits Vietnam with Huan. I believe that each birthday she experiences her responsibility only continues to increase, making her more anxious about life. Pleasing her foster parents and Kim definitely takes a toll on her. She continues to bottle up her emotions and feels split between two important people she wants to them to accept. In this story, Mai also reveals she doesn't truly miss her birth mom. Revealing that takes some pressure off her chest and prompt her to be more honest to herself and her friends.
ReplyDeleteAraceli S.
Your illustration and the explanation of it is really unique. I like how you drew a picture of the same girl (Mai) but used colors to show the transformation of Mai throughout the story. While I do agree that she despises birthday's because of her experiences throughout her life, I also think that she might hate birthday's because of the fact that she doesn't have a family. Birthdays are usually spent with family and although the Reynolds are nice enough to want to celebrate with her, they aren't really her family even though she has wished for them to be her adoptive parents every birthday. She sees others with families and every year she is only reminded that she doesn't have one. The title of the story "Emancipation" is what ultimately makes Mai have a sad day. She knows that after her birthday she will be on her own. Of course she will have her friends, but she won't have what she's always wanted, a family.
ReplyDeleteBy Ariel R.
Your illustration is beautiful, and unique to the story of "Emancipation." Her own opinion of her birthday is overshadowed by many aspects of the story, that ultimately comes to overwhelm Mai as shown in her breakdown in the last scene. She is a character constantly trying to please others, and it is frightening, and frustrating to see her character appease everyone around her. Essentially Phan's depiction of Mai as a character is to show the devastating effects that loving foster parents can still have on a child's psyche. Although the Reynold's do care for Mai, they do not replace a biological or adoption parent.
ReplyDeleteThis illustration is so unique and full of meaning. I really like how you showed the two different views. I agree that Mai is the one to try to make everyone happy which left her with a void within herself. The depiction of her sadness reallycaptures Mai as a character. I feel like Mai's judgement is frusterating because all she wants is to make others happy even if it costs her own happiness and the others do not appreciate it. She is literally left all alone in the world with no family, no home, and no one to care about her happiness.
ReplyDelete