Essay Database

Maxine Hong Kingston reflects upon her childhood by starting off the second half of the book in titling it “At the Western Palace.” The irony of the title is that Kingston’s family thought that they were bringing her aunt into a better lifestyle from a Communist country. However this proved not to be true. Living in the United States cannot be compared to living in a palace because Moon Orchid lived an easier life …

…she wanted the candy because her family was poor and at every visit he would give the family candy. In conclusion, the difference between Chinese and American beliefs, language and culture makes it hard for the Americanized children of immigrants to know where they belong. Chinese-American identity as illustrated by the novel cannot be easily defined. This created an entire race of people who will always feel lost in between the American and Chinese culture.