The China Project: Materials : The Chinese Diaspora in Literature and Film

Examine in-depth Chinese cultural aspects through the use of the novel

Analyze the impact of cultural change on the family

Assess the negative and positive influence of such change

Chinese Traditional Values; How has assimilation affected these Chinese traditions?

Boys are valued more than girls.

Confucian hierarchy
1. The wife obeys the husband;
2. The child obeys the parents.

Chinese can trust other Chinese.

Ancestor Worship
1. A son must bury his father's bones.

Home is where the family lives.

There is a huge marriage celebration for the first born daughter.

The father supports the family.

Drug use and suicides are not traditionally prevalent in Chinese culture.

For an intensive and careful study of Bone, the following questions should be considered:

Bone is powerfully structured around those aspects of cultural identity that may or may not be transmitted across generations. How does Bone handle themes of cross-generational transmission of cultural identity? For instance, what does Leon transmit to Ona, to Leila or to Nina?

Fae Ng deploys an unusual narrative strategy to explore the meaning of her characters' loves. For instance, Ng shuttles between the past and present. Additionally, the text seems structured around Ona's suicide. How does Ng's narrative help her get at key issues of cultural identity?

Ng's Leila raises the issue of the difficultv of translating feeling across cultural lines. What does Bone suggest about the challenges involved In cross-cultural communication? What obstacles do these writers face as they try to translate for their readers the cultural worlds they and their characters inhabit?

In Bone, Mah states that, "everything's all turned around, all backward." Cite instances from the text that highlight the discontinuity of Chinese tradition in America. What commentary might the author, Fae Ng, be making about assimilation?

America has always been viewed as "the land of opportunity." However, Bone, seems to point to the corruption of the American dream. (Can compare with The Great Gatsby.) What are the author(s)' views of the American dream?

The beginning of the novel Bone highlights the pain that Leila feels as a result of her sister Ona's suicide. By the end, however, her pain seems to have lessened. Fae Ng's novel reveals the importance of storytelling in the character's healing process. Using examples from the text, explain why stories are such an essential element of her healing process.

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The Chinese Diaspora in Literature and Film Gina Barresi, Literature and English Teacher, China Project 1998 James Madison High School, Brooklyn, NY Aim Using literature to explore issues of changing values and cultural assimilation among the Chinese diaspora. Objectives Students will be able to: Examine in-depth Chinese cultural aspects through the use of the novel Analyze the impact of cultural change on the family Assess the negative and positive influence of such change Motivation and Procedure The novel Bone, by Fae Myenne Ng (Harper Perennial, 1993), highlights the effects of assimilation on the continuity of Chinese traditional culture. The chart below provides examples of traditional Chinese beliefs or customs. Students should explain how each traditional belief or value has been affected as a result of the family's assimilation into American culture. Then have students debate whether or not the changes are positive or negative. Students may read the entire novel or the appropriate excerpts listed. The exercise can be done in groups using a handout or values can be written on the board. Chinese Traditional Values; How has assimilation affected these Chinese traditions? Boys are valued more than girls. Confucian hierarchy The wife obeys the husband; The child obeys the parents. Chinese can trust other Chinese. Ancestor Worship A son must bury his father's bones. Home is where the family lives. There is a huge marriage celebration for the first born daughter. The father supports the family. Drug use and suicides are not traditionally prevalent in Chinese culture. For an intensive and careful study of Bone, the following questions should be considered: Bone is powerfully structured around those aspects of cultural identity that may or may not be transmitted across generations. How does Bone handle themes of cross-generational transmission of cultural identity? For instance, what does Leon transmit to Ona, to Leila or to Nina? * Note passages on page 61; pages 171-172. Fae Ng deploys an unusual narrative strategy to explore the meaning of her characters' loves. For instance, Ng shuttles between the past and present. Additionally, the text seems structured around Ona's suicide. How does Ng's narrative help her get at key issues of cultural identity? Ng's Leila raises the issue of the difficultv of translating feeling across cultural lines. What does Bone suggest about the challenges involved In cross-cultural communication? What obstacles do these writers face as they try to translate for their readers the cultural worlds they and their characters inhabit? * Note passages: p.18; pgs.21-23; p.56; pgs.148-149. Further discussion: In Bone, Mah states that, "everything's all turned around, all backward." Cite instances from the text that highlight the discontinuity of Chinese tradition in America. What commentary might the author, Fae Ng, be making about assimilation? * Note passages: pgs.3-4; p.30. America has always been viewed as "the land of opportunity." However, Bone, seems to point to the corruption of the American dream. (Can compare with The Great Gatsby.) What are the author(s)' views of the American dream? Note passages: pgs.55-57; p.103. The beginning of the novel Bone highlights the pain that Leila feels as a result of her sister Ona's suicide. By the end, however, her pain seems to have lessened. Fae Ng's novel reveals the importance of storytelling in the character's healing process. Using examples from the text, explain why stories are such an essential element of her healing process. Note passages: p.36; pgs.58-61; p.89; pgs.129-130;p.145.