1-page Individual Response After discussion Lead

In the discussion my group and I held in class, in the beginning the discussion was a little slow but ended well at the end. Everyone had good responses to the questions we proposed. We introduced the themes of identity,  love , and culture. In class we presented two videos that connect greatly to the themes of love and identity. In the first video we showed, Fresh off the Boat, a sitcom based on an Asian American boy and his family who recently moved to the suburbs of Orlando from a Chinatown in Washington D.C. In an attempt to assimilate with the all American kids at his school, Eddie wants to bring“ white people lunch” to school. I chose this video because it relates to the feelings Olivia felt when she was younger. Olivia was always embarrassed or ashamed to be seen with Kwan because then, she will be called a "dumb chink" by the other kids in her neighborhood. Throughout the book, Olivia struggles to find her own identity. In the beginning of the story, Kwan tells Olivia about ghost stories and Yin people, by hearing these stories Olivia is scared because she views ghosts in a negative way. She grew up in an America inheriting American mentality and beliefs. Olivia is a skeptic and plays along when Kwan tells her about her interactions in Kwans past lives. Being an American is part of Olivias identity she has no problem accepting. On the other hand, she is not familiar with the culture and beliefs Chinese people have. Hating Kwan, she was never in a hurry to find out about her Chinese identity. However, as Olivia grows older she is confused. For example, she does not know whether she should change her last name to Laguni or Bishop. It isn't until she embarks on a journey to China, she finds out more about her Chinese heritage. She interacts with Du lili to get to get a sense of what locals do in Changmian. She also experiences some culture shocks when a owl seller offers her a deal implying the owl is sold to be eaten.

 

For our discussion we did not have a chance to present a quote. However, a question that directly relates to the theme of love is, how much or how far are you willing to sacrifice for your loved ones? In Kwan's case, she sacrificed a lot just to be with Olivia. No matter how Olivia treated Kwan, Kwan always offered and gave her unconditional love. In the end, Kwan goes missing in an effort to find Simon in the caves. Only when Kwan goes missing does Olivia miss her presence. Thinking back to all the times Kwan has been there for her she truly regrets taking Kwan for granted. Referring back to the second video we showed in class of Amy Tan's interview, she explains love, giving  unconditional love without expecting to receive any love back. This is important because Olivia lacks love. She seeks love from her mother and Simon but to no avail. The only person to love her unconditionally is Kwan. Now that Kwan is lost, she interprets Kwans world and reevaluates the meaning of love. Initially, Olivia believed love to be "bliss" but with the disappearance of Kwan, she realizes love is full of emotion. Full of the positive and negatives. This also incorporates the theme of, though not mentioned, yin people. As long as you believe in love, love will be everlasting