Moving to a New Country

Just Trying To Fit In

Moving to a new country, city, state, or even just going into high school. High school can be strenuous new people, new rules, and vast choices. It's hard to make the right choices such as who will be your friends, will you work hard, or will you slack off. All these decisions can transform people and make people do odd things so they fit in with a group of people. High school helps pave the way you will be living your life. In the story American Born Chinese written by Gene Luen Yang, the author purposes his theme by revealing how the characterization of Jin Wang, Wei Chen, and the Monkey King, person vs. society conflict, and the rising action of the plot.

Yang's use of characterization is really effective because it shows how something like moving can change a person. Yang shows how Jin Wang has changed, because before he was "staging epic battles with his Chinese friends."(Page: 26) In the middle of the story "In his class he's the only Chinese American student. Until a Tai boy joins his class and Jin doesn't want to be friends with an FOB like Wei Chen. Jin wants to be an all-American boy."(Back cover) It's clear from the descriptions like Jin rejecting Wei Chen that Jin changed from the beginning of the story; when he loved his Chinese friends and robots. If this story was told from another point of view it wouldn't be the same.

Yang shows us how trying to fit in can change people by using person vs. society conflict. Since there are so many different main characters there are more conflicts that causes even bigger changes going on in the story. By the end of the story Jin Wang is trying to become friends with his old buddy Wei Chen "Jin Wang sitting with Wei Chen at 490 Bakery Café."(Page: 233) This shows that Jin Wang has changed from the middle of the story when he wanted to be an American boy and didn't like other Asians to now when he accepts his culture and embraces it.

Finally, yang shows the process of change by setting up the rising action of the story. Jin like many other characters goes through change. In the beginning of the rising action he wants to be an all-American boy and doesn't like Asians. "Jin doesn't want to be friends with an FOB like Wei Chen. Jin wants to be an all-American boy."(Back cover) In the middle of the rising action he is starting to accept it more. In the end he finally fully accepts his culture and traditions.

The evidence has shown that your decisions can change you as a person and make you do odd things. Yang's theme has been shown through Characterization of Jin Wang, person vs. society conflict, and the Rising Action of the plot. Yang's theme is that people change because they want to fit in and be like a group of people so they feel like they matter. It's that same reason that Jin Wang, Wei

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