Chapter 2 - by Intikhab Amir

In continuation with the Chapter-I, Choy keeps the ball rolling in Chapter-II of ‘The Jade Peony.’ He brings to forth many delicate issues, which confront the first and second generation-immigrants in the adopted country.

The chapter starts with a strong dialogue between Poh-Poh, the grandmother, and her granddaughter, Jook-Liang. The dialogue exposes the reader to a varying set of social and cultural practices. These differences serve as a dilemma to every immigrant family, as the first generation immigrants try to make their children adhere to their native culture, whereas, the second generation girls and boys exposed to the new culture at school and at the work place find it difficult to practice what their elders told them at home.

Choy has successfully portrayed this cultural clash, amidst which the second-generation immigrants grow.

He catches the reader’s interest right from the beginning of Chapter-II: “Jook-Liang, if you want a place in this world,” Grandmother’s voice had that exasperating let-me-remind-you tone, “do not be born a girl-child.” That leaves the reader with an improved understanding of the Grandmother’s cultural background.

Jook-Liang’s answer, which she wanted to snap back at her grandmother but she avoided to because of her respect to the old lady (a reflection of the Orient family values), tells more than what the author has written over here. “This is Canada,” … “not Old China.” The dialogue, in itself, explains the cultural variation and tension that exists within the family, which applies to every immigrant family.

Choy keeps exposing this cultural divide. His reflection on the immigrants’ lives seems quite close to the real life. The first generation immigrants want to see their sons and daughters adhere to their native culture, whereas, the second-generation immigrants want to change because of the cultural influences they undergo outside the four walls of their house, which serves as a cultural garrison.

Jook-Liang’s grandmother tells her about the child labor, back in the country she came from. On the other hand, Jook is somebody who is growing up with movie-star dreams. She is learning dance, and goes out to watch movies.

Choy has also tried to exploit the literary theme of ‘otherness’ here, reflecting Canadian society’s unwillingness to absorb the newcomers. The reader comes across Choy’s reflection, in this respect, when he discusses how the entire family may experience segregation because of a minor disease like flu, which Jook’s younger brother suffers from.

Doctors suspect him to be suffering from TB. “Everyone was afraid his illness might be TB. Afraid Sekky might die. Then our two-story wooden house would be by law cursed by the Vancouver Health Inspection Board: a cardboard sign would be posted on our front door, a sign boldly visible from the street: CONDEMNED. Everyone would pass by our house, pointing at our family as if we were lepers, like the Chau Lims or the Negro Johnstons down the street.” Here, Choy is letting the reader to read what he wants to say between the lines: segregation on the basis of race and color.