Words: 1340
It is not until a massacre happens in Attainment Square, where Grace begins to journey back to China in search for her birth parents. At some point in everybody’s life, one will go through many avoidable struggles while tying to find their true identity, thus one must be able to accept the situation and make the most of it. The novel Throwaway Daughter reveals the theme of identity through the significance of the protagonist’s Chinese roots, her conformational to Chinese education, and finally, her reunion with both Mrs..
Ixia and her biological mother, Chunk Me in China. Dong Me, also known as Grace Parker, is the rotating who struggles between her Canadian and Chinese background. In away, Grace sees her Chinese roots as an insult. Since she is raised in a Canadian family, she does not understand the importance of her Chinese roots, which is her true identity. When her parents enlighten her about a note given to them during adoption, the note informs them, “Dong Me means Winter Plum;Blossom. And Chunk-Me, Spring Plum Blossom, is the name of your birth mother.
Obviously, the names are very important to her or she wouldn’t have taken such a risk It’s a stupid name; I don’t want to be named after some dumb flower. As far as was concerned, the note as well as my Chinese roots could wither in hell” (5). Due to the deep hatred Grace has for her identity, the note’s significance falls short upon Grace’s eyes; though it was the only thing her biological mother left with her, at the orphanage. As a reminder of her true identity, the note symbolizes the connection between Grace and her Chinese heritage.
Oblivious of what the note signifies, Grace reveals her true character as ignorant and imprudent because she is unaware everything revolves around her Chinese heritage. She chooses to ignore her identity and continue on living unmindful of her true self. Furthermore, when Grace stumbles upon a personal history assignment given to her from her school teacher, it stumps her when the first few questions were basic information such as her name, date of birth, and place of birth. Not knowing the real and truthful answers for the assignment, Grace Starts printing, “Grace Parker at the beginning then put down the pencil.
The fear of being mocked or though stupid paralyzed me” (37). This quote advances plot in how clueless Grace is when it comes to anything related to her Chinese identity yet she separates herself from her identity; however, this is also ironic since she ants to blend in with society, despite the fact she knows nothing about herself. The theme of acceptance is developed in which society does not accept the people who are different. As a result, Grace illustrates a fretful behavior which causes anxiety and concern.
Ultimately, Grace cannot find the balance between being Chinese and a Canadian because she rejects all things Chinese and she does not see how it is causing the struggles she is facing with both cultures. Although Grace was adopted by Canadian parents, they feel it is important that she is involved with as many Chinese customs as he can. Throughout all the Chinese traditions that are incorporated into her life, Grace starts to adapt to different situations which leads to an interest about her Chinese ethnicity.
When Grace receives a pamphlet for Mandarin lessons by her parents, she faces yet another struggle to adjust into her Chinese culture. “l hoped that, after the break for summer holidays, I could drop out to my surprise, I started my third year with no whining or excuses” (120). Though, Grace does not enjoy the Mandarin lessons, she is beginning to become more familiar With incorporating it into her dally routine. A character development is starting to form because compared to when she was younger, Grace is slightly more willing to get involved with Chinese customs.
The theme, growth, is also evident because Grace is finally starting to develop a greater knowledge about her true identity. As Grace goes further into her Mandarin lessons, she starts developing a passion. “l liked being able to talk in another language-really talk, about everyday things, not chant brainless phrases that weren’t connected to anything” (121 The novel starts to reveal Grace becoming more avid for her culture and identity which slowly displays Grace as a vehement character.
Grace appears to have come to the realization, that being Chinese and having Chinese attributes is not a downfall; rather it is a benefit for her future and her growing identity. As she discovers all the different benefits that goes along with accepting her identity, it foreshadows how in the future, Grace might develop the urge to seek for a personal journey in finding out more about her Chinese heritage. Slowly, Grace starts to become more interested about her true self due to the help of her parents guiding her along the way.
The rise in interest for her Chinese traditions propels the story in motion and leads to Grace’s search for her biological mother and friend in China. As Grace journeys to China, she encounters many different aspects of Chinese culture which begins to form her true identity. During the dinner Grace has with Mrs.. Ixia and her family, she was presented with a dish that was specially prepared for her. As Mrs.. Ixia placed the dish in front of Grace, Grace responds with, ‘What the hell is that? ‘ screamed Its called a Still-Alive Fish, Young-fang said quietly.
Ifs a delicacy Mrs.. Ixia rose and lifted the platter. Before she could turn it away, I touched her arm. Please, I want to try it. I bet it’s delicious” (198-199). Through this quote, a character development is displayed because Grace demonstrates how she is now able to adapt and accept the Chinese customs and traditions. Even though, she is terribly scared by the fish that was placed in front of her, in the end, she decides it would be impolite to reject something she has never tried before; which expresses the theme of tolerance.
Moreover, the search for her biological mother, Chunk Me is over when Grace finally gets to reconnect with her. Grace is able to connect and bond with her instantly, without disliking the fact Chunk Me abandoned her hen she was younger. “So Chunk-Me and I talked in the evenings and mornings. She would sit across the table for me and hold my hands in hers, as I told her about my life in Canada thought briefly about staying longer, but would have to extend my visa, and to do that I’d have to go back to Shanghai, and there wasn’t enough time” (286-287).
The theme, love, comes across since it was love that makes Chunk Me leave Grace at an orphanage, in order, to keep her safe and alive. The fact they are both are sitting together and united, shows how their love still sustained with the challenge of abandonment. Besides love, the theme of discovery is also apparent because though Grace did not know anything about Chunk Me, she conquers the unknown and discovers the truth and her story. In fact, the more she bonds with Chunk Me, the more she is intrigued by her identity.
The attachment Grace has with Chunk Me, immediately, leads to her thinking of extending her visa which develops character because it shows the caring and understanding side of Grace that is not evident until the end of the novel. At last, Grace is able to have an intimate connection with Chunk Me and she finally accepts her true identity, as an Asian. In conclusion, the novel, Throwaway Daughter constantly refers to the theme of identity and how it can be a struggle for one to find their true self.