Identity is a significant part in a person’s self-understanding and enhances social construction of people. In most cultures identity is passed on by the father or the males in a family, this explains the reasons for Kingstone selection of the bibliographies of her male relative and not female ones in constructing the theme of identity. In the essay, various characters find themselves in identity crisis trying to incorporate the American culture with the Chinese culture. This essay aims to analyze one of the characters (Ah Goong- the grandfather) in ‘China Men’ by Kingstone with an intention of bringing out the theme of identity; it also analyzes the role of the natural world in bringing out identity.
Ah Goong, who is portrayed by Kingstone as the grandfather, presents a character with a very strong personality. The works that he did in America were dangerous and arduous. For six years the grandfather worked on railways building the rail. He later changed his work and went to work as a basket man where he was tasked with charging dynamite down the deep valley. This work was extremely dangerous and many people used to die. Since he demanded that he stays in the wicker basket which was being lowered down just a slight imbalance could lead to one falling and probably dying (Kingston, 137).
Amidst this entire adversity grandfather Ah Goong remained strong and believed that he was actually meant to go through hardship. Ah Goong responded to the adversities in America by saying ‘A man ought to be made of tougher material than flesh. The skin is too soft. Our bones ought to be filled with iron (Kingston, 134). This statement portrays the perceived ideal male identity in which men are expected to be very tough and to endure a lot of hardship.
The Chinese men in America were also castrated in order to suffocate their masculinity. This was a tough experience for most of the men as it touched on their sexuality and ego. Ah Goong’s sexuality is however not affected so much by the castration project. While sleeping at night Ah Goong will take out his penis beneath the blanket and just think about nurses and princesses (Kingston, 144). This actions show that although he faced sexual discrimination from the white men his faith was never thwarted.
How natural world shaped the character’s Identity
The railway shaped his identity and his masculinity. As far as Ah Goong is concerned men had to do the tough job to ‘prove’ their masculinity. The landscape of the mining area was tough and the Chinese had some adventurous experience as they migrated to America. These events of the natural land made them cope in hazardous environment.
The Navenda valley portrays the resilience and assertiveness of the grandfather. Though he was doing a dangerous job, and in most cases just sat in the space he forgot the dangers and silently masturbated in the space. This shows that the shaping of the Chinese-Americans was tough and involved a lot of endurance assertiveness in order to survive the turmoil.
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Work cited
Kingston, Hong, M. China Men. Alfred A. Knopf, 1980
