April 17, 2011

Being American

The American Dream is based upon firm beliefs established by Middle Class America. The family should include two parents, two children, a pet living in the suburbs. The father works to provide for the family while the mother tends to the home and children. The son usual is an All-American athlete and the daughter is usually some prissy socialite. But can a family of immigrants accomplish the same or comparable measures of success without being seen as a threat?

No. But we sure would like to think that the double standard does not exist. Just more of those White Lies we tell ourselves I guess.

The children in the novel are finding it a struggle to actually identify with a race. And that is quite difficult, because either way it goes they just don’t fit the traditional mold of what it actually is. The son in particular is having a hard time, being flooded with these traditional American values like baseball, and cowboy like symbolisms. It’s quite interesting how Otsuka crafts these struggles through the plot.